The Overlooked Power of Social Media
Social media has quickly become a powerful force in which information is shared between people. With everything from news and politics to sports and entertainment being shared daily via various social media platforms, it can be seen that social media can greatly affect our day to day lives. Along with using social media to keep up on the latest news, many use social media to follow other people’s lives. This type of connectivity to the world around us has led to much research and study to be done to see how social media usage impacts our personal lives. It has been estimated that around 3.4 billion people actively use social media in their daily lives. With an estimated 3.4 billion daily social media users, this type of evaluation on the power and influence of social media is important.
Social Power
One of the biggest impacts of social media has come in the world of politics. With having the power of the web as well as the ability to share information quickly, social media has become a big factor in the world of news and politics. It has been estimated that around 64% of the world’s population receive their news by way of social media. This has lead to a constant 24 hour news cycle, in which we are updated 24/7 about all of the latest news updates.
The Influence of Self
Numerous studies have been conducted on the impact that social media has on how we perceive ourselves in relation to others. Among the number of symptoms that have been found due to excessive social media usage are stress, anxiety, and depression. These symptoms can be attributed to a number of aspects that comes with using social media. One aspect deals with following the lives of others. Many use social media to stay up to date on what their friends and favorite celebrities are doing. In the process most people will only post positive snapshots of their day to day lives. This view can lead many to feel isolated in that they will think that life is all happy moments, even though what is posted on social media is not a true representation of an entire person’s life
Dealing with the Power
With social media impacting just about every aspect of our lives, it is important to remember that life exists outside social media as well. Our lives may interact with social media on an incredible level, but having a life outside of it is something that can make you feel better about the impact it has on the rest of your life. Social media may be powerful, but it doesn’t have to rule your life.
