6 Problems With Social Media

Social Media is the biggest attraction for today’s generation. It is not just a medium for connecting people, but it also provides entertainment and information. Today, a majority of kids, youngsters and even adults are found surfing the Internet. In a way, Social Media has brought the world together. It has united us. But, let’s face the truth, it does have some drawbacks. People today, have become so obsessed with their mobile phones, that they have forgotten the real world actually exists outside that tiny square. On an average, a teenager spends about 72 hours a week online! That leaves very less time for every other important things, isn’t it?

So, as per my observations, these are the six major problems with Social Media:

The Number Game

Today, if you don’t have a digital existence, you don’t really exist for most of the people. You need to regularly keep on indulging in this pointless game of updating your pictures, just to let the world know you are alive and kicking! Everything has become a game of numbers today. People post status updates and stories on their social media accounts, only to get more number of likes and followers. The more the likes, the higher goes their bar of happiness. My question is, why do we need likes and followers to feel good and confident about ourselves? Sadly, this happiness is short-lived.

Fake Identities

Social media lets us talk to any person sitting in any part of the world. That is both, a blessing and a curse. If we are talking to someone via social media, we do not have any idea if the person sitting on the other side is even authentic. That is an issue of concern. It has led to a massive number of cases of cyber bullying and relationship frauds. These people hunt for innocent children and try to harass them. So many young people have been a victim of this, it is really depressing.

Procrastination

Social Networking takes procrastination to another level. Three hours fly away like three minutes once you press the Search tab on Instagram! It’s so addictive. You will find cake videos, delicious food, Nail Art, Makeup videos etc, and a lot more to grab your attention. It is actually designed in a way that keeps the user stuck to the screen in awe. They are extremely interesting, but honestly, a complete waste of productive time. They are meant to drag you away from all that is important to you. There is a reason why you can’t just shut off your phone and complete your assignments. It’s because they are made to lure you in. It’s high time we break this cycle and focus on what really matters.

Health Issues

Believe it or not, everyone is addicted to their phones. We might be peacefully having lunch at home, but when suddenly the mobile goes ‘ding’, our brain goes haywire. That notification tone really messes with us. And then we pick up our phones and keep scrolling for infinite hours. That is what social media is doing to us. It is causing a variety of health issues like troubled eyesight, headaches, anxiety, loss of confidence, depression, lack of attention, loss of social life in the real world etc.

And to top it all up, have you noticed these days, how even a 2-year-old kid isn’t ready to eat anything at all unless you play YouTube videos for him? It’s become a ritual! We definitely need to find a healthy balance between virtual world and social world.

Face-to-Face Conversations

Gone are the days when people used to actually meet and have real conversations over coffee and dinner. Texting and video calling have taken over the world today, but they can never match the charm of actually having the person by your side while talking. It just used to feel more real, emotional and intimate. Social Media has definitely made distant relatives accessible to us, but don’t you feel like in turn, it has distanced us from people that live with us in our house? Count the number of times you have missed what your mom was saying while you were too busy chatting to that girl you recently became friends with?

Negativity and Drama

Social media spreads a lot of negativity. Every user has this special right to present his opinion on the Internet. I am not saying it is a bad thing to express your views, but most people only use social media to dump all kinds of negative feedback on people. They don’t realize that the world is watching! Haven’t we all noticed how celebrities receive a lot of hatred everyday- hatred from all around the world, and from people they don’t even know! It’s so annoying that people are using their freedom of opinion as a tool to degrade someone online.

You must know of Sayat and Sarahah that went viral on Instagram few years back. What were they actually? They were just platforms to spread negativity. So, if my life isn’t going very well and I log in to social media to relax for a while, I would end up being even more frustrated than I was previously.

Social media is literally like lice; it sticks to us and feeds off of our heads. It deprives us of all the pleasure life has to offer. We miss the best of life while we are busy texting on our mobiles. We have lost the ability to stay and enjoy in the moment. Whether it is our birthday or an outing, we prefer clicking selfies with friends more than reaching out and talking to them. We prefer taking clicks of natural surroundings more than actually breathing and living those beautiful moments, isn’t it? Why capture every moment? The best of things cannot be captured through any camera, they need to be lived, felt and preserved in our hearts.

–Firefly

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