This past week in my intro to Mass Communications class, we were separated into three groups and given topics to present. My group received the positive effects of social media. I feel as a society we do not look at the positive side of things enough. With it being Positive Attitude month, I thought it would be a great time to share it.
If you were to type “The Effects of Social Media” into google, a majority of the articles found would be the negative effects. After reading a few articles, you would want to hide in a hole and avoid all traces of social media possible or “erase yourself from the grid” as it is called. Before you go looking for a hole, I would like to point out some of the positive effects that are over looked.
CNN reported, “1 in 5 teens say social media makes them feel more confident.” Social media can make users feel like they are a part of something even when they may feel outlasted by society. There are groups on Facebook and Tumblr for every fandom under the sun. They are chats where you can talk and bond with people that have the same likes as you do.
Social media can help grow and strengthen relationships along with helping you become friends with people all over the world. It can help you stay connected with each other no matter the distance between you. Social media can help users get in contact with people who have struggled or are struggling with the same things they do and help them bond over their experience.
In this fast pace society everyone wants to stay up-to-date with what is happening around them. Thanks to social media, we can get breaking news immediately and it can spread to more people faster than ever before. In a situation like an Amber Alert, news can be spread so everyone is on the lookout for the car make and model so the kids can get home safely. Fox news did a report of a 4 year old Becky Lewis, who was abducted and was found a week later by a hospital worker who saw her picture as she was scrolling through Facebook on her lunch break. Becky was then released back to her family unharmed.
Social media can help teens grow efficient communication skills. It can even help you find and achieve new hobbies. My sister for example taught herself how to crochet with only YouTube videos. She started making crochet animals and selling them her senior year. The Washington Times said, “We found that spending time online is essential for young people to pick up the social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in the digital age.”
These are only a few of the positive sides to social media. Social media positively affects us by growing confidence, to strengthening relationships and spreading news faster than ever before. We all know the negative effects but sometimes we should focus on the good that comes out of it.