The claim addressed in this paper is that social media does not have a positive impact on the world. Naturally, while analyzing this claim one would draw many questions as to the specificity of language. What group does social media have the largest impact on? Does it have no positive impact or just more negative than positive? What platforms of social media, e.i. do professional portfolio building social media platforms such as LinkedIn have the same impact as blogging sites such as Facebook?
One of the most prominent groups to use blogging-geared social media are young teenagers. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapshot have captured a huge audience with adolescents seeking to stay connected to friends and keep up with the culture around them. According to a 2018 study by Charoensukmongkol regarding these types of social media, “exposing too much to content that friends have posted on social media can inevitably trigger individuals to compare themselves with their friends, eventually leading to envy”. This evidence suggests social media can have a negative impact, but does not prove the claim is true.
A 2018 study on college students, who are also a large consumer of blog-based social media, indicates that students use these platforms as a form of social support. Students who participate in this online support groups communicate with people in similar situations as to themselves. However, there is no clear way to identify others on the platforms to make sure the individual you are communicating with is legitimate or not. Charoensukmongkol points out that, “Sharing personal information on social media could also make individuals expose to privacy and security risks.” This evidence suggests that social media can have both positive and negative effects on students, thus providing an example of a positive impact and proving the initial claim may be false.
Different platforms of social media serve different purposes. For example, LinkedIn is a platform for building an online portfolio for job applicants, prospective employers, or anyone seeking to get ahead in the business world. Contrast that with Snapchat whose sole purpose is to chat with friends and share personal experiences. Fleck and Johnson-Migalski suggest the idea that social media can be used to help people diagnosed with rare diseases find support groups to connect with on Facebook, a blogging platform. Furthermore, they add, “social media also allows for more transparency on the part of clinicians and their therapeutic practices and improves marketing for clinical services, referrals and consultations, and the provision of care to areas and individuals with low access to services”. This evidence provides us with two further examples of both professional and social uses for social media that have a positive impact, thus further proving that the claim may be false.
The studies used to gather this information were all completed in the last 3 years. The studies bring give good evidence that was gathered in a professional and reliable way. Certain blogging types of social media can be proven to have a negative impact on large bodies of people, but also have positive impacts as well. The examples of positive impacts on the world prevent this claim from being true. Based on the evidence the claim that social media does not have a positive impact on the world may be false.
Works Consulted
Drouin, M., Reining, L., Flanagan, M., Carpenter, M., & Toscos, T. (2018). College Students in Distress: Can Social Media Be a Source of Social Support? College Student Journal, 52(4), 494–504. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=aph&AN=134341758&site=ehost-live&custid=084-800
Charoensukmongkol, P. (2018). The Impact of Social Media on Social Comparison and Envy in Teenagers: The Moderating Role of the Parent Comparing Children and In-group Competition among Friends. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 27(1), 69–79. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=aph&AN=127145526&site=ehost-live&custid=084-800
Fleck, J., & Johnson-Migalski, L. (2015). The Impact of Social Media on Personal and Professional Lives: An Adlerian Perspective. Journal of Individual Psychology, 71(2), 135–142. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=aph&AN=103721598&site=ehost-live&custid=084-800