BACKGROUND ON SOCIAL MEDIA
It is no news that we are in the digital age and that the internet has taken over most industries. From search engines to job search assistants, and music players to entertainment, sports, and information. it’s all happening on the internet and frankly, it has come to stay.
The emergence of supercomputers built in the 1940s gradually paved the way for scientists and engineers to start working on ways to connect computers to form networks, which later give rise to the Internet.
However, the 20th Century saw the start of extremely rapid technological transformation that led to the first social media site being created in 1997 named six degrees. The tremendous breakthrough ushered in a new digital age.
The new digital age brought about endless possibilities making it easy to send, and receive pieces of information that help connect with people in different areas.
Nevertheless, the Internet and social media are giving people the advantage of having everything they need at the click of a button.
These new possibilities created by the internet and social media affect people not to concentre on the untold evil around social media.
THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA
The hidden evil of social media lies within the advantages of social media making it uneasy for people to discover the hidden evil.
Impact on relationship
One of the hidden evils of social media is losing track of time and relationships. People become so immersed in the social sphere that they lose sight of those who are important to them. This has led to broken relationships and accidents.
A lot of times parents complain about how phones have driven their kids from them because they are on social media 24/7. However, this is also something some parents are equally guilty of.
Before the advent of social media, people bonded the old good old-fashioned way by visiting parks, Field trips, reading, sing-alongs, e.t.c. Now, physical bonding is been scrapped off by parents, children and friends as everybody is hustling for likes and comments. Not to mention the feeling of validation that kids feel the need to get from social media which makes them do unimaginable things.
Impact on children
Furthermore, despite how much people would like to praise the internet for providing them with an endless supply of knowledge. It’s crucial that parents consider the harm that some information on social media can bring to a developing mind.
Numerous times while parents brag about how well-versed their children are in technology, especially how to use search engines, many neglects to mention how social media exposes children to information that is inappropriate for their age.
The digital age is one that we love and won’t take back but one has to be wary, careful and suspicious when indulging in social media. Social media sometimes expose children to explicit material that is intended for an adult, such as pornographic videos, sex movies, and other materials.
Parents and guardians should utilise age restrictions to restrict their children’s use of social media in order to curb some of the most harmful elements of these sites.
impact on individual
The availability of social media and social networking indeed makes it easy to apply for jobs from the comfort of our homes. however, some of the valuable and personal pieces of information people provide on their social media accounts and social networking sites are in turn used against them.
For instance, We have had several cases of online scams through social media which millions have fallen victim to, only because someone’s information was available to a dubious mind.
Among them is a report by the United State of America federal trade commission Consumers in 2021 reported losing about $770 million to fraud initiated on social media—about one-fourth of all reported fraud losses for the year and an 18-fold increase from 2017, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s latest Consumer Protection Data Spotlight. Of those who reported losing money to fraud in 2021, more than 95,000 indicated that they were first contacted on social media—more than twice the 2020 number.
Another hidden evil that has cost some people their fortunes and lives is the “terms and conditions,” which the majority of people ignore to read while quickly pressing the accept button.
Another undiscussed hidden evil of social media is its modern trends that promote nudity which many have fallen into becoming addicted to porn and masturbation, does the silhouette challenge ring a bell? Although, Social media is as useful as it is dangerous and it is not even about how you use it. A child can be randomly scrolling on an entertainment site and gory ads pop up, and things that can’t be unseen.
More Reason
In addition, Consumer trust in even established media outlets has significantly decreased as the term “fake news” has gained widespread use. Unfortunately, false, misleading, or ambiguous internet material can hurt your business’s reputation, irritate even your most loyal consumers, and discourage future customers from even considering purchasing your products or services.
Sadly also is the issue of cyberbullying, this is becoming more common as people open fake accounts to abuse others online abuse. Bullying frequently takes the shape of scathing and offensive emails, private messages, and public comments, as well as the uploading of unflattering or manipulated photographs of the target online.
Cyberbullying has led to public hatred, suicide, and people taking the laws into their own hands in an act of revenge.
