Technology has changed drastically within the past decade and with those advancements, it has given rise to the social media industry which is estimated to have 2.46 billion users worldwide according to Social media statistics and facts, retrieved from https://www.statista.com/topics/1164/social-networks/. The industry is worth billions and is rapidly growing with new apps and platforms popping up everywhere.
Social media site have done a tremendous job in making the world a smaller place. Facebook an example of a site that does this well is seen as the most popular social media site in the world.
Through linking people globally, social media has enabled people to reconnect with relatives and friends who are far away. New relationships are created and old ones are maintained. People are able to keep up with their favorite celebrities and public figures. Also people are able to share their lives with their followers.
Social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram allow people to create a platform where people can share views on topics of interest, share artwork and thoughts. These sites have been home to the rise of many social media movements such as Black girl magic among many others. They have also created platforms for commerce such as the online store, Fashion Nova.
Social media sites have facilitated assistance in the wake of disasters such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, where people used social media to get rescued orcreate awaraness about the state of the areas affected.
Social media has essentially created a global community where people can share and unite and find social groups they can identify with that they may not find locally.
Hazards
Although social media has many benefits, it is not always used for positively. A common feature in comment sections over many sites is ‘trolls’. Trolls aren’t the cute mythical creatures the movie presents them to be but are people who intentionally start arguments, post off topic comments with the aim of derailing the message of the original post or leaving people emotionally affected.
People on the internet can be extremely dangerous as they can post negative comments or even encourage others to harm themselves. They have the protection of a computer screen and can even be continents away but their comments have the same effect as they would if it were done by a nearby person. Cyber bullying is one of the largest growing threats in the world.
Online relationships can also be dangerous as people can create fake identities and scam people. Such acts have even inspired television shows like catfish. Dangerous online activity has led countries into needing new legislation in order to protect people from those who misuse social media.
Take away
Social media is an amazing tool which has changed the way we communicate and interact with one another and has essentially revolutionized our world. But, like everything else it can be abused and everyone should be cautious of what they do or say online just as they would in real life.