Long gone are the days of The Pony Express and pigeon posts. In the modern world, social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are how people stay in touch. You’re able to connect with friends and family and even strangers that live abroad and it also enables us to Market or Advertise products and services.
A whole cyber world exists on our devices. With just a click of a computer mouse or a tap on our smartphones, we are able to share photos, videos, ideas, music, etc. However, with this exposure social media can also become easily perilous to our safety and moderation.
With almost everyone consuming viral videos, liking celebrity photos, and discussing what so-and-so posted at work—it’s hard to stay away from. But, there are ways you can remain safe and have a healthy relationship with social media.
Cyberbullying. Block and Stop.
Perhaps the most negative effect of social media is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is characterized as bullying that takes form in mean comments, posts, and messages aiming at a certain person or even directed towards a group. With everyone being able to post whatever they please, it’s easy to find bigots. An easy solution to this is to simply block.
All platforms have a report and block feature that allows you to restrict cyberbullies and even, get their account deleted.
Inappropriate Content. Don’t worry, it’s avoidable.
There are workers that are put in place to assure the quality of what is being posted—whether it’s appropriate for the public or not. However, inappropriate ads or disturbing content may show up on your timeline or feed. If your child owns a social media account, It’s important to restrict the inappropriate content they watch. Most platforms have this feature in their settings, simply enter keywords of content that you wish to hide from your page.
Social Media, it’s addicting.
The most common problem that has become more, and more widespread over the years as newer platforms have come out such as Tiktok and Snapchat, is social media addiction.
We tend to follow people online that emulate whom we want to be and the lives we want to live. We feel a fear of missing out and we watch them over and over again until hours have passed. This is perhaps the hardest obstacle to overcome. Smartphones contain a feature that combats our daily usage by restricting our screen time on certain apps. Implementing a restriction is a good way to discipline your screen time.
Social media can lead to mental health problems.
Constantly seeing people posting photos of themselves and sharing videos of them thriving can make us feel inadequate. We become self-conscious about our lifestyle and appearance by constantly comparing ourselves to those online, This leads toward the mental health problems.
We believe we aren’t good enough because we don’t share the same successes that these individuals do. It’s important to remember that people only share the parts of their life that they want you to see. It’s a facade and only a small snippet of their life. It’s important to log out every once in a while and take time for yourself. Enjoy tangible things and when you’re ready to come back, share a feel-good quote to inspire someone else!
Conclusion
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. are great ways to keep in touch with friends and family, meet new people and view content you love, however, it has its own negativities. Using these apps within moderation and implementing block and report features when necessary is the best way to maintain a healthy relationship with these platforms.
James Cooper