Negative Effects of Social Media on Society and Individuals

This essay discusses the negative effects of social media on society and individuals, including mental illness, depression, lack of energy, and eyesight weakness. It also explores the benefits of social media, such as reducing physical stress and building connections worldwide. The essay concludes with suggestions for reducing social media use to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Running head: SOCIAL MEDIA
SOCIAL MEDIA
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
The impact of the social media on the society and the individuals living in the society has
come along a way from its beginning. In the current world, people are generally encircled by
various form and categories of technology and the innovative ranges of the technology has made
huge impact on the social media (Fuchs, 2017). The uses of social media have been beneficial in
various ways in both personal and professional field. The thesis statement for the essay illustrates
the negative effects of the use of social media among society people which includes elevated
level of social and physical isolation and the absence of the practice of face to face
communication that results in unhealthy health habits and threatens the wellbeing of the
individual in the society.
Part I
A. Disadvantages of social media
I. Mental illness or addiction –Some of the results in connection to the key
indicators of awareness are low and decreased self esteem for using social media,
frequent feeling of enviousness while engaged to the social media, decrease in the
capability to concentrate and finally the feeling and the experience of the negative
emotional share and the increased tendency of stress and fatigue during the use of
social media (Alwagait, Shahzad & Alim, 2015).
II. Depression and anxiety - The native and the degrading impact of social media has
been the factors of raising concern raising questions on the platform if social
media challenging the risk of the teenagers and the other users irrespective of the
age bar towards their mental and the emotional well being. Depression, sleeping

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disorder, anxiety, issues related to eating and higher rate of suicidal risk among
the individuals are some of the main results caused due to excessive usage of the
social media platform. In the current era, platform of facebook, twitter and other
platforms are taking a toll on the health status of the individuals resulting them to
suffer from mood issues like neuroticism, bipolar disorders and lonely unhappy
living.
III. Lack of energy fatigue and stress - As per the reports of the research study by
various psychiatrists, psychologists and other professionals of health care
services, there has been a drastic uptake in the individuals specifically the
teenagers being adversely affected by their social and online activities (Panahi,
Watson & Partridge, 2016). In short the use of social media buffers the negative
and the degrading effects of stress. Lack of energy and fatigueless is one of the
major symptoms among the teenagers who are always busy with their social
media activities.
IV. Eyesight weakness – The teenagers nowadays spend most of their time staring at
the smart phones. Even in case of education, the introduction of online e books
and study materials together with the news updates in the platform of social media
keep them glued in the platform through the most of the time of the day. These
tend to cause minor to major damage in their vision. According to multiple studies
the staring at the bright screen of the smart phones and the laptops which imitates
harmful blue rays leads to uncomfortable and irritating sight of their eyes and
discomfort in their vision making a weak eye sight (Khatri et al., 2015).

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Part II
B. Benefits of social media
I. Reduce physical stress – Apart from the negative effects of the platform and the
use of social media there lies some of the benefits of the use of social media in the
current days (Miller et al., 2016). Reduction of the physical stress is one of the
major positive factors. People tend to connect to their friends and colleges via the
platform of social media in case of any need and the hurdle of physical stress
towards traveling is gone.
II. Time saving – One of the major benefits of social media platform is that is
reduces the time towards doing any activity (Sugimoto et al., 2017). From sending
emails and project details in the business purpose to sharing pictures and videos
related to leisure, fun or educational, the platform of social media has been
beneficial to the students, the employed person in the current decade.
III. Build social connections on social media – Building virtual platform of friends
and connections via the social media is one of the major trends or boom among
the users. People now can connect to any individual or any organization for any of
their employment sitting at one corner of world (Ainin et al., 2015). This
particular factors is extremely essential for the booming of the business market in
the current market. Factors such as the reputation management, boosting of the
engagement of the customer, brand awareness are some of the points for benefit
via social media marketing.
IV. Build connections all across the world – Building connection through out the
world is an important factor for the booming business in the world market. The

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social media provides the perfect platform for the branding of the business and
interaction with the audience. Increase in the awareness of brand via facebook,
instagram, twitter and other platforms together with the improvement in the brand
loyalty, building of the equity of the brand, improvement in the customer services
like reputation management, engagement of the customer and the enabling faster
and open communication are some of the obvious benefits of the use of the
platform of social media (Dijkmans, Kerkhof & Beukeboom, 2015).
Part III
C. Reduction of social media
I. Outdoor activities – With the increased use of social media, children have lost
their activities and the outdoor games. Outdoor activities are important factors
towards the development of the physical growth and the brain development of the
human beings (Parveen, Jaafar & Ainin, 2015). The dangers of too much use of
the technology can be eliminated from the lives of the children by the benefits of
the outdoor activities which engages them in physical activities, enjoyment of the
outdoors, learning about the environment, improvement of the immune system
and their social skills of communication with the others.
II. Reduce diseases such as the addiction and problems in eyesight – Reduction or
the deactivation of the social media accounts will be of great help since this would
reduce the issues related to health, stress and problems of social media addiction
(Gerbaudo, 2018). The constant gluing of the eyes in the smart phones and the
laptop screen would further enable in reduction of damage of the vision.

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III. Maintain healthy lifestyle – Apart from being criticized for being bad for health
and socially isolated, the use of social media can also help in learning new things
and connect with the others for the provision of motivation (Alexander, 2014).
Educational, nutritional and healthy videos can be the factors for motivation that
can be achieved by the power of technology and social media for supporting the
healthy habits.
Conclusion
There are both advantages and disadvantages of the use of the social media platform. It is
thus important to make the most use of the platform for drawing its benefits without processing
any of the harm to the health and the wellbeing status of the individual. The above essay
illustrated impact of the social media on the society and the individuals living in the society and
what the people of the society can do to prevent the negative effects of the social media that
includes social isolation and lack of communication.

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