With the advent of social media in the early 2010s, we have seen that the world is connected more than ever, that we can chat with loved ones is at the tip of our fingertips. But where there is honey, bees are also sure to be there. My aim in this write-up is to bring the cons of social media into light.
It is no secret that cyberspace is a lonely place. And this is the chief con of social media. People are feeling isolated more than ever instead of being connected, which was the sole purpose of social media in the first place. Isolation on social media, I am made to believe, develops due to lack of attention towards the user – away from others. At least an average social media user has felt isolated in his or her use of social media. This can easily make people feel inadequate with their appearances, putting a toll on their self-esteem. If you are a heavy user of these platforms, the isolation you feel also intensifies. The more you use, the more you are likely to feel disillusioned and inadequate win your life.
The advent of social media has created a people hungry for attention, and this has further created a feeling of emptiness - especially to others who have fewer resources. People want to share everything from their breakfast, lunch and supper, their trek in shopping malls and even cars they own. They are quick to forget that there are people (friends or followers) on their timelines who are finding it hard to breathe (people who can't afford three decent meals a day). And what will these people, the hungry people, feel seeing their well-off friends flaunting their wealth on social media? Will they view the world as a fair place? Of course, there will ensue a feeling of emptiness inside them.
Social media, even though it can be a place where people go to relieve their stresses and relax, has brought in uncalled for depressions and other mental illnesses (anxieties and a general feeling of uneasiness). In the paragraph above, I talked of isolation. It is this isolation that further leads people into bouts of depression. Feeding your mind with a plethora of misinformation shared on these platforms leaves you stressed for no reason, leading to depression. I have heard of people who departed by suicide and the only thing they left behind were absurd posts on their social media handles purporting to say goodbye. Now what will their relatives feel every time they see these posts? Social media, although a place to learn and relieve our minds' stresses, is also a place capable of depressing us.
Social media addiction is also another notable con of these platforms. The more you use, the more you will be addicted. There is a term called "fear of missing out" - otherwise abbreviated as FOMO. This is a self-explanatory phenomenon where the user craves to be logged into their accounts constantly and frequently to get feeds on what's happening (updates about their friends and favourite celebrities). Literally, it means always checking your social media for updates, and this just exacerbates the problem of addiction.
Let me end this write-up by reprimanding social media users to use these platforms with caution. If it's possible, set a time when you can be on social media. This will allow you to exert your energies on other areas of your life which are very fulfilling instead of scrolling passively or rummaging from one page to another. Take everything posted on these platforms with a pinch of salt. In essence, trust radio or television broadcasts with credible news, not what is posted on social media.
