GP research report

1/ Research question (Due date: 23/04/2021)

Beliefs in Food: How culture diet impacts on their perspective about standard appearance?
Trade and aid: What is the impact of refugees on trading?
Sustainability: How could the world change schools to be more sustainable education?
Digital world: How is social media becoming toxic and what it impacts on our self?

2/ Thesis statement (Due date: 03/05/2021)

Social media (definition): “Website and computer programs that allow people to communicate and
share information on the Internet...”
→ Analysis: Communicate- Chat, call → says anything
Share information- No limited information, can share to anyone.
● Social media is a place where you can get any information from anyone to anywhere.
(https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/social-media)
Function: Sharing of content: ideas, thoughts, and information → personal information, documents,
videos, photos.
→ Analysis: Freely share anything -> negative or positive -> impact on our self or other people (ofc in gud way or
bad way).
● Social media is a platform where you can share any content, to anyone and anywhere.
(https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-media.asp#:~:text=Social%20media%20is%20a
%20computer,quick%20electronic%20communication%20of%20content.)

Summary what I’ve read

Is social media toxic or are users the problems?
- Social media is a place you can post anything, it is a stage for anyone to present their thought
The platform itself is neutral.
- Creator/ influencers: Their impact on social media is a great spread. Their impact could be
positive or negative. Some create toxic behaviors to the online community- racism, sexism,... or
even start online drama. However, there are some that create positive promotion and against
toxicity of others. (which is great 😃)
___________________________________________________________________________________
“I would argue that all of these points make social media neutral, so the defining factor that makes it good
or bad is the way the average user chooses to engage with it.”
Alexandra Felt
____________________________________________________________________________________
- Users can control what they do. The social media design for each individual sees what they
followed, read or likes. They also can read, create toxic content. It’s their choice.
→ Social media is a stage for anyone to present their thoughts, the platform itself is neutral. The
problem is the users, what they like to see, to read, to create - it is their choice.
(https://granitebaytoday.org/commentary-is-social-media-toxic-or-are-users-the-problem/#)

Is social media becoming too toxic?

- The good is more than the bad, make a constructive community → thoughtful, informed, insightful
conversation. But over time, social media lost its way.
- Academia → experts, researchers, debaters talk cruise like children and threaten violence when coming to
the social media world.
- Bullying celebrities make it a challenge for Twitter which is it’s key draw to make its charisma. But
no matter how hard Twitter tries to promote and withhold, it does not work.
 - On Facebook, they have similar struggles with hate speech and threaten violence calls, making
negative signs on Congress. Facebook said the page was not illegal, even though later the owner
deleted the page, Congressional outspeak of Facebook behaviours when the page wasn't
deleted, the spokesperson said the appeal process will be active, but now there is no specific
information.
- After many years of arguing, Twitter and Facebook accept change when the congress threaten
them, they change their policies, technologies and structures. This change is for preventing any
threat across the social media, it is also a reminder that congress takes online violences
seriously.
→ Social media becomes more toxic because the creator did not have a policy to deal with this
situation. After lots of chaos, impact on the congress, they ordered changes in social networking
structures and policies to keep the network secure and reminded cyber criminals that
congressmen take it seriously.
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2018/07/19/is-social-media-becoming-too-toxic/?
sh=42cdbbd84f0c)

Social media and mental health

Positive way:
+ Communicate with other people all around the world. Get in touch even when they are not in that country
or continent. When studying abroad, pupils can contact families and friends. Find people with the same
interest, hobbies → improve their own skills.
+ Seek support when they are in tough times.
+ Some people live in remote areas, they can connect with the outside world for more fun facts,
information, find new interests, hobbies, develop new emotions.
Negative way:
+ Jealous when others enjoy (one day off, a wish)
+ FOMO: The feeling of missing out something, makes users open social media recently. Users are
scared to miss out on an event on followers, thinking other people might enjoy life more than
them. Make them worry, impact on our self-esteem, right that time, you may accept the risk when
driving or miss sleeping patterns.
+ Isolation: Study in University of Pennsylvania shows that the more you are on social media, the
more depression and loneliness develop. The reason for it is when one individual sees a post on
any social media, they feel other people's life is better than theirs. Less time stays on social
media, they spend more time trying what they can do, and they are satisfied with their life.
(https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/social-media-use-increases-depression-and-loneliness)
+ Depression and anxiety: Nothing more important to keep up with mental health when they get in
touch with the person who cares about them. If they precede the online life more than their
personal relationship, they will develop the risk of having descorder and leads to depression and
anxiety.
+ Cyberbullying: 10% of teens report bullying on social media, others have offensive comments.
Some platforms contain abusive, rumours, fake news impact on one individual or community.
+ Self-absorption:

(https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm)