The year is 2018 and information is at the tip of your finger. Social media has been an awesome way to keep in contact with old and new friends alike. Even meeting new people across the country or maybe even across the world is possible. Popular platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter allow you to share what’s going on in the matter of a second. With all good things though there are bad things that come along with it. So, let’s delve into the top 7 things wrong with social media.
Catfishing
Catfishing is when someone online uses someone else’s identity to pursue things like romantic relationships. People go years in Love with each other before they find out later down the road that the whole time they were in love with someone else. It’s an awful thing to do to someone. There’s a very popular show about this whole subject called Catfish. Two guys set out to help people find out if the person they’re talking to is actually the person they’re talking to. Usually, it doesn’t end well because people have been using these people to get money out of them and many other things. However, sometimes it ends really sweet and the couple gets to finally meet each other. Either way, catfishing is never okay.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is basically what it sounds like. Bullying people either over group chats or just one on one. It’s never okay to bully someone but we see a lot of it on social media. Why is this such a problem on social media though? I believe it’s because a lot of the time people feel safe saying whatever they want behind a screen. It’s okay for them to say it because it’s just over a screen, right? Wrong.
It’s taking over everyone’s lives
As more and new social media websites are made people flock in the thousands even the millions. Even though you might have a few different sites you use how much time do you spend on them? A study in 2015 by GWI concluded that the average person has five different social media accounts. In 2017 social media today calculated that the average person spends two hours a day on social media, which is a whopping five years and four months in a person’s lifetime! Is that really how you want to be spending 5 years of your life?
That people care more about how people look online than in person
This depends on the person and is more of an opinion than anything. I’ve noticed a lot of people keep up their “social media” image. Their real-life image could be completely different. It’s almost as though it’s a different persona of themselves. Which is okay I suppose but it makes me feel like you’re less of a trustworthy person making different versions of yourself.
Social media is some people’s lives
Some people live and breathe social media. Documenting their lives from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep. Are they oversharing with the world? Yes, but the more they share the more followers. People get obsessed with making followers and becoming popular or famous that they lose track of what’s going on in life. I’ve seen people who spend over twenty hours a week on social media. That’s almost a full day within a week. Crazy!
Intrusive
Everything you do is being recorded and used for data analysis. Don’t believe me? Check out one of the biggest information brokers Acxiom. “Acxiom collects, analyzes, and passes customer and business information for clients, helping them to target advertising campaigns.”-Wikipedia
Companies like this are collecting data about pretty much everything about you. If you’d like to learn more I found a great article about it Here. (link to site) If you’d like to check out their partners to see where your information about you is going Click Here.
At one point in the article linked above the old CPO of 8 years stated, “People often have the wrong idea about the type of data we collect or how granular it is,” she says. “We don’t know that you bought a blue shirt from Lands End. We just know the kinds of products you are interested in. We’re trying to get a reasonably complete picture of your household and what the individuals who live there like to do.” -Jennifer Barret Glasgow during an interview on itworld.com
If that doesn’t sound intrusive I don’t know what is. Companies like these are partnered up with social network sites like Facebook, Instagram, and even Pinterest.
Now I don’t think social media is some bad evil thing, but I do believe people are buying too far into it. Everything is good in moderation! You just have to take a step back and evaluate whether the time you spend on social networking sites is honestly worth your time.
Toby Lopez 
I think social media can be a good thing. ive heard many couples meeting through social media as well as many life long friends plus it helps you keep in touch with everyone. I think you’re right though. i see so many people today walking outside with their eyes glued to their phones. They’re missing out on the world
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