Has Social Media Gone Too Far?

Another one of the most frequently asked questions about social media is how far it should go–should it become even more prevalent? Has it gone too far already? When asked if they thought social media had become a near necessity to the world, the vast majority (82.7%) of surveyed students said yes.

NAI students who believed social media was heavily integrated into society enough to have become a necessity didn’t necessarily agree on whether or not this was a good thing. Social media has become a new outlet for culture, and with how quickly information spreads, that culture is ever-changing. This cultural output has become essential to the creation and continuation of modern pop culture, proving that not all aspects of social media are harmful. 

• “Yes, because without social media, we’d be living under a rock and social media helps us evolve as a generation when it comes to things like humor, fashion, ideas etc. I do believe it is a good thing as, despite the numerous dangers with social media, it develops a more modern culture that is, for the most part, agreeable.”

Again, connection like the world has never seen before was also brought up as a benefit: 

• “I feel like most of the time, instead of getting asked for my number, I get asked for my snap or Instagram. A lot of people use social media to cope and connect with other people who go through the same stuff as them. I think that part of it is good. It adds entertainment in your life and as long as you love yourself and don’t allow yourself to fall into that toxic trap, social media is such a good thing.”

• “Not only is social media many people’s main form of communication, but it is also a way for people to stay connected when out of school. People who don’t have social media aren’t as capable in staying in touch with their friends, and may even be shunned. I think it’s a bad thing due to all the negative effects social media has on your mental and physical health, but I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.”

Other students said that it wasn’t yet possible to decide if these things were necessarily “good” or “bad”. Some of the aspects of social media are good in moderation, but become harmful after excessive use. The entire topic cannot be completely categorized–there are many gray areas.

• “Is this a good thing? I don’t know. It all depends on the way you see it. I think that if we aren’t able to manage the dangers of virtual interactions through social media, it could easily lead into a downward spiral of doom.”

• “I think most of society views it as a necessity. It can be a great tool to communicate with others that you would never get the chance to in person, but I think the amount/ way it’s used can become very harmful if in excess over a long period of time.”

• “When I see “near necessity”, I think of people’s reactions to their social media accounts being suddenly deleted. Though this may not necessarily be a bad thing, I feel that not only our generation, but also the one before and the ones to come, have become so utterly dependent on platforms and devices that fill all of our spare time and boredom–we wouldn’t even know what to do without anymore. Especially since a lot of us go on our phones to social platforms to express ourselves and avoid in-person awkwardness, things would be a lot different with social media, and many people wouldn’t feel as free to connect as they do now.”

The remainder of students expressed their negative thoughts about social media’s role as a necessity. One of the negatives of social media’s heavy integration into society is the culture of hate it has created. People can be judged by millions of people at once online, and the fear of this has changed the way some NAI students choose to express themselves off of the internet too. Many expressed how they felt a pressure to constantly perform, consistently worrying about posting regularly and getting a positive response to all of their posts. 

• Every person I meet (about 95%) have social media. It is the thing that all connections revolve around, and all that people talk about. “I saw so and so doing this” and “Can you believe what so and so said”. It’s absolutely not a good thing, if you don’t have it you’re honestly happier, but are left out of most everything. No one wants to go through the effort of actually talking, or even texting. People survived without it, and honestly I’d go back to then If I could. You could be whoever you wanted to be, and you could show who you wanted, but you wouldn’t have to worry about likes, or comments, or any online hatred.