Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. Pinterest. Google+. Tumblr. Instagram. According to eBizMBA, these are the top 7 most popular social networking sites as of April 2015. And guess what else? I can almost guarantee that you are active on at least one of these networks. I'm not quite sure how you've stumbled upon this post. Perhaps you were scrolling through your Tumblr dashboard and saw this post with 1000+ notes, and decided it was worth a look. Or maybe, you found it floating on your Pinterest homepage, pinned by a middle-aged woman onto a board titled, "Worth a Read." Better yet, maybe you found this post while you were scrolling through your newsfeed on the number one social media site - Facebook. The point is, you most certainly did not see this posted on the bulletin board in your local coffee shop, or in that side section of your local newspaper. You probably love your social media sites. Don't get me wrong, I love mine as well. You're probably thinking that these sites help you connect with your family and friends in a much relaxed and easier way. If you're a student, you're probably thanking whoever invented internet in the first place because without it, you'd surely be failing half if not all of your classes this semester. You might even believe that social media is actually enhancing and improving our every day relationships. That is where I believe you are wrong. I'm going to make this short and sweet - social networking is effecting our society negatively and harming our daily relationships. Why, you ask? Three simple reasons.
1. Social media allows the rapid spread of false information.
I think the most popular way false information comes to light, is when relating to relationships in the celebrity world. There are constant rumors about every hot Hollywood couple, no doubt putting stress on the relationships. The one rumor I see all the time on domains such as magazine websites or twitter, dishes out the big divorce headline in regards to Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. The couple have been married since 1997, yet there has been a fresh divorce or cheating rumor practically every year. No doubt being hot Hollywood stars has put a strain on their relationship, but they are still happily married. Social media has only enabled the spread of false information such as this. As a result, the rumors no doubt have cause a strain on their personal relationship. Even out of the spotlight, social networks cause miscommunication, enable cyberbullying, and create an overall negative effect on relationships as a whole.
2. The internet may help students with their assignments, but it also provides numerous distractions, leading to lower grades.
ProCon.org looked into social networking and how it affects students. It found that "students who used social networking sites while studying scored 20% lower on tests and students who used social media had an average GPA of 3.06 versus non-users who had an average of 3.82." True, google and Facebook messaging your friends may help you get through an assignment. However, I can pretty much guarantee from first-hand experience that sitting on Tumblr for five hours instead of writing that six page research paper that is due in a couple days will do more harm than good. Cell phones that go off every single time you receive a notification from one of your many social networking sites are an additional distraction. Even sites such as Netflix and YouTube, which aren't necessarily social media sites, but they too lead to lowered GPAs each semester.
3. Indeed, people are able to communicate easier, but social networks and electronic devices are slowly replacing our desire to communicate face-to-face.
Yes, we are able to check up on our friends and relatives who are living across the country with just the click of a button nowadays. That is fantastic, don't get me wrong. But I have yet to find someone in my generation who actually prefers calling someone rather than just shooting them a quick text. It's just so much easier to talk about uncomfortable subjects from behind a keyboard - when you don't have to look directly at someone. CQ Researcher did an article on social media and its effects on our society. One professor stated that discussing uncomfortable topics through social networks "takes a lot of the messiness out of relationships, but it means that you don't make yourself vulnerable. This can be a problem because vulnerability is key to strong relationships." Because of this, it's clear to see that social networking can actually harm our relationships, and lead to them being weaker than they could be.
I'm not saying you should stop, drop, and roll away all usage of social media. In this day and age, that's a ridiculous thing to even consider doing. All I'm asking is for you to take a step back, and examine how your social network usage has actually effected your daily life and relationships. You may not notice it at first, but if you take a look at the long run, you may realize that social networks impact your life in a slightly more negative than positive way. If you find yourself losing contact with someone you were really close to, why not try and grab a cup of coffee with them one day? It may just rekindle your relationship, a chance that would otherwise be lost if the friendship were to remain in the realms of social media. Turn your phone off when spending time with your significant other. It really will make a difference. Heck, turn your phone off and disable those computer notifications when you study! You'll probably find that you do a lot better on your exams and just understanding the material as a whole when you don't have numerous distractions buzzing at you. Just take a step back, and reconsider your usage of social media. I really believe that it will lead to a healthier and happier lifestyle in the long run.
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