The Detrimental Effects of Social Media on Society Essay Example

Social media has a reputation for being influential, but not always for the right reasons. Although many active social media users have spoken out against how damaging the online world can be, or have expressed their distaste for the applications they use, there are a minimal number of platforms where danger and negativity aren’t widely spread. However, because of its addictive nature, millions of people around the world continue to spend an alarming amount of time online. This dependency on new media has led to an increase in self-absorption and isolation in teenagers and young adults, early exposure to potentially  content or situations, and even certain addictions.

The vast majority of today's youth spend most of their waking hours at school or online. I conducted a survey that works to prove this (Jain). Participants were primarily between the ages of 13-20 and from a number of different countries. 75 percent reported using social media for more than 5 hours per day, and more than 80 percent agreed or somewhat agreed that many, if not all social networking programs should be age restricted or viewed with a trusted adult. Despite knowing how much of a negative effect it can have, many individuals’ continue to use it purely out of habit. Because of this, people may also find themselves in a state of indefinite isolation or a sudden detachment from their typical daily routines. Certain online networking platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram can make utopian and unattainable characteristics appear to be the standard, so excessive social media usage is usually also linked to unhealthy self-preoccupation and destructive self-perception. Social media creates an unhealthy desire to look or act like someone you’re not; it’s likely why cosmetic surgery procedures have spiked up so much in the past 10 or so years. Almost one-third of those polled claimed that they did not know anyone over the age of five who doesn’t have any type of online presence, proving that this isn't a minor issue either. It's becoming more common every day, especially amongst younger people. Addiction is harder to overcome when it happens at a young age, and with so much unsupervised internet access it's impossible to prevent the younger viewers from seeing NSFW (not safe for work) content online.

Every social media network has potentially  people or content associated with it in some way. According to Datareportal’s 2021 article on Global Social Media Statistics, seven social media platforms have surpassed over one billion monthly-active users, so it's reasonable to assume the internet has a very diversified user-base. Our communities are crowded with people who only have malicious intentions for those they interact with; these people include but are not limited to kidnappers, manipulators, sexual predators, groomers and people who can steal and leak private or personal information. Because of how impressionable children are, and how simple it is to gather information on others while remaining anonymous, the online world is filled with people as such. There's a lower chance they'll suffer the appropriate consequences online, and they’re aware of this. Therefore, they are provided with a false sense of security and confidence that permits them to continue. Since there’s so much variety in the content these apps provide, it's nearly impossible for developers to keep track of everything that’s posted. As a result, inappropriate content stays undetected for extended periods of time and it’s easy for children to gain access to posts that aren't appropriate for their age. People may be exposed to images or messages that they find insulting or crude, or in some cases, certain content might lead to unhealthy addictions.

Because the internet has so many varied capabilities, it can influence nearly every addiction that can be imagined. Certain issues have become noticeably more frequent in the past 20 years, including teenage drug misuse (NCDAS), addiction to sexually explicit material (NCBI) and eating disorders (Graber). It is also incredibly easy to discover or acquire anything over the internet. Although this may be useful when utilized correctly, it is also consistently at risk of exploitation. Certain users are often found selling disposable vape pods, alcohol, or other illicit drugs to minors on platforms such as Snapchat or Instagram. Since these people are usually indifferent to who buys what they’re selling, children as young as 12 years old can fall into substance addiction without much effort. Many pornographic addictions start on social media as well, and it’s usually without the individuals intention or consent. As those types of addictions progress, they often become more damaging for both the addict and the people they surround themselves with. A perfect example of this is shown in the commonalities serial killers share with each other. Killers such as John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy have all acknowledged that their addictions likely contributed to their future actions. Social media can also cause issues like insomnia or addictions that are characterized by eating difficulties because of the self obsession and isolation factor mentioned previously. Addictions like these can contribute back to substance abuse which may lead to many other complications. 

Though social media can be a very important resource, it’s important to admit that it has its flaws. Addiction of any kind ruins lives and social media is built from its users' dependency on it. Though it’s impossible to rid the internet of all it’s bad qualities and impacts, it’s critical that we make the online world a safer place and acknowledge the issues mentioned above. Many people don’t receive proper support and justice for the cyber-harassment they face and  individuals are unspoken about. Internet users should be further informed of the dangers that may arise from the platforms they are using.

Works Cited

Graber, Eric. “Eating Disorders Are on the Rise.” American Society for Nutrition, 22 February 2021, https://nutrition.org/eating-disorders-are-on-the-rise/. Accessed 8 December 2021.

NCBI. “Online Porn Addiction: What We Know and What We Don't—Systematic A Review.” NCBI, 15 January 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6352245/. Accessed 8 December 2021.

NCDAS. “Teenage Drug Use Statistics [2021]: Data & Trends on Abuse.” Drug Abuse Statistics, https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/. Accessed 8 December 2021.

Jain, Anika. “Social Media” Survey. Started on November 30th, 2021. Concluded on December 3rd, 2021.

Kepios. “Global Social Media Stats — DataReportal – Global Digital Insights.” DataReportal, October 2021, https://datareportal.com/social-media-users. Accessed 8 December 2021.