When I wake up, the first instinct I have is to check my social media pages on my phone. This seemed normal for a while until I started to notice how much time I spent on social media and the effects it had and has on my friendships. Social media has both negative aspects as well as positive ones, which makes it a complex topic. The benefits include being able to stay connected with people who are very far away, or connected in general to family members, to make friends worldwide, get a job, or simply make money. Some disadvantages would be the threat it poses to our privacy and security, it s addictiveness, and that it can negatively affect the mental states of individuals. It is no news that Facebook has had a terrible couple of years because of how many scandals it was involved in. According to the article, Who will take responsibility for Facebook? by Virginia Hefferman, after facing several scandals Zuckerberg has stated, “For the ways my work was used to divide people rather than bring us together, I ask forgiveness and I will work to do better.” I believe this is perhaps too late and too little of an apology. After the scandal with Cambridge Analytica, I do not trust Facebook but yet I have not deleted my account. I am not addicted to the platform but I do not want to delete it because it helps me connect with family members and friends around the world. There are those who do appear to be addicted to their social media pages and use them to harm others. It seems as if within the recent years, we have seen how much more damage social media pages are causing and it is making me doubt if the negatives are outweighing the positives at this point. Despite this, there are millions of people still using social media and will continue to use it. I believe moderate regulation can help improve some of the problems these platforms have such as facilitating the spread of fake news. In the end, people should focus on practicing self-regulation, educate themselves, and be aware of the potential dangers the internet and social media has and will bring along.
Jan 31