Social Media is a very important tool of our generation today. We can go all day mentioning all the advantages we can get from this media. However, the question, which I’m sure everyone is not being concerned is: How can we police social media usage in our institutions and ensure that it is not damaging? Unconsciously, social media is creating a diversion in our daily activities and instead of breaking the wall towards socialization, in some cases, it builds it.
Numerous studies confirm that social media is creating negative effects in our interactions with other people most specifically to our mental health. Studies also suggest that addiction to social media sites like Facebook contribute to stress, anxiety, and depression. Likewise, same studies reveal that students receive failing grades due to social media addiction.
Our addiction to social media over education is very alarming. Most ‘social students’ become busier in the social media world than in their studies. This paints a grim picture on the linkage between social media and the education of the students.
Some would say social media helps them lift their emotional state in a way that it is comforting, but that vary from time to time. Having a lot of friends in Facebook, for example, doesn’t mean that you’re social. People need actual, not virtual friends to elevate our emotions. Likewise, social media sites trick us to patronize fake news.
This year, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) urged the public to remain responsible online to avoid confusion and panic. Amid the clamor for assistance, fake news and “memes” on the Taal crisis looms panic as people purvey faux. As it is being shared by a lot of irresponsible social media users, the more it causes damage to people most affected by this disaster. The spread of fake news in the internet might also be your fault.
Social media literacy is of paramount importance and more often than not, uneducated and social media illiterates share contents that they didn’t even read nor scan.
In a network where 40% of the global population are users, every time the green circle appears in your account, you are more vulnerable to certain negatives. It is, however, unadvisable for everyone to stop using these social media sites, but all should be in moderation. It’s a perennial concern that needs attention.
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