THE COMPLEXITIES OF SOCIAL MEDIA

THE COMPLEXITIES OF SOCIAL MEDIA

The rise of social media and emerging trends can be seen as a blessing or a curse. Due to the intense popularity, any negative viewpoints can cause s storm of controversy but at times when so many debatable issues arise, social media can be like a time bomb about to explode.

Much criticism arises as millions of people display their actions, ambitions, photos and emotions. Due to this, more identity theft is evident with predators ever present for an opportunity.

Connecting to people that one does not know can be tempting but danger often lurks and apparently nowadays there is even a risk of private information being pirated for commercial purposes.

Ironically, being fanatically connected to social media can actually lead to social isolation and a false sense of the real world. This extreme socialization brings huge pressures like eternally looking good, being intelligent, interesting and even funny. The pressures of being obliged to continually live up to these expectations can reduce self esteem and lead to low self-worth.

One should not ignore the signs that in general society does not care whether one has the above attributes or not – life goes on often with more value attached to flesh and blood contacts allowing for genuine companionship and candid discussion which prevents erosion of friendships, these lacking the trauma and depression of not getting enough “likes” despite all the “selfies” posted .

It would be unfair to not switch to some of the positive aspects of social media. Come to think of it, it’s not difficult to become famous every day.
50 Twitter followers amounts to 50 who care about what one has to say !

From a promotional point of view and due to digital influence one notices the rise of new types of celebrity – ambitious teens who thrive on image to build careers via YouTube and Instagram, having an almost cult-like following.

Celebrity endorsements are nothing new but some teenagers appear as semi-gods, having millionaire status due their partnership with an array of companies promoting health and fitness, beauty, hair products, clothing and the like.

Finally, with so much advancement in technology the experts are quick to predict the future of social media.
A massive crack down will occur on fake accounts and privacy concerns more pronounced to prevent rifts between love ones. A greater use of audio will be apparent and in a world that is chaotic and terrifying, crack downs will be vital on live streaming of events like rape, murder and terrorism eliminating quick hits of serotonin for sick-minded individuals.

Whatever your stance on this topic might be, technology will continue to evolve at an alarming rate.