I.

The inconvenients
Social media can have a negative impact on mental health
Spending too much time on social media can have disastrous effects on mental
health. Multiple studies have found a correlation between social media and increased
anxiety, depression, loneliness, self-harm and suicidal thoughts in young people.
Through influencers, social media can also create feelings of physical and mental ill-
being in teens.
Social networks were designed to be addictive
-Nearly one in four young people aged 12 to 24 have a problem with social media
addiction. This increasingly widespread phenomenon, known as cyberaddiction,
results from the way in which these applications have been designed. Like video
games, the design of social networks is made so that the user stays there as long as
possible. Through various mechanisms, the platforms affect the user's brain, which
will release large quantities of dopamine (pleasure hormone) which, ultimately, will
cause neurotransmitters to become deregulated.
Social networks give rise to excesses
The democratization of social networks has led to the appearance of new forms of
abuse. Among these negative effects, we find cyberbullying, facilitated by the
possibility of remaining anonymous online, but also various types of scams, data theft
and encounters with ill-intentioned people.
Social networks impact the ability to communicate in real life
One of the consequences of social networks that is less talked about is definitely the
impact these platforms have on interpersonal relationships. It's very simple, the new
generations have never had so much trouble communicating. Some studies have
shown that excessive use of networks accentuates shyness and lack of self-
confidence in young people.
Social media makes people less quick-witted
Despite certain positive effects on the human brain, the regular use of social
networks would have a negative impact on cognitive development in the long term.
Indeed, according to a study by the Economic Research Institute of South Africa, the
regular use of social networks reduces the ability to develop critical thinking and
make decisions. In addition, they have a very bad effect on attention since they
reduce the ability to concentrate.
Social networks reduce the family bond
Coming back to interpersonal relationships, social networks tend to create more
distance between family members. Social networks, and technology in general,
obstruct moments that were once the opportunity to discuss and have fun as a family
like a good meal or an afternoon of board games.
*online bullying and harassment : Cyberbullying is one of the worst negative effects
of social media on people. This is a problem that should not be taken lightly, as it can
have serious consequences.
Indeed, cyberbullying can take several forms such as: the creation of false profiles,
identity theft, the dissemination of unfounded rumors or even the sending of insulting
messages. These attacks repeated over the long term can take on significant
proportions and directly impact the lives of the victims.
Moreover, these messages, photos and videos published and exchanged via digital
channels on a large scale, leave traces even after the harassment stops. Teenagers
are particularly affected by this phenomenon.
*adverse effects on sleep : A study conducted at the Irvine University of California
(UCI) shows that lack of sleep can be linked to a longer presence on the web,
especially on social networks like Facebook. After taking into account different
factors such as gender, age, university workload and exam dates, the results showed
a direct link between chronic lack of sleep, low mood, lower productivity and
increased time spent on Facebook.
A study in the Journal of Child Neurology also showed that teens who continued to
text at night after turning off their bedroom lights had lower sleep quality and lower
grades than those who texted at night. light on. Their results showed that once the
lights were turned off, the blue light emitted by smart phones and tablets intensified,
delaying secretions of melatonin, the sleep hormone. This light disrupts sleep cycles
and the quality of the latter. It should be noted that the blue light emitted by the
screens can affect the production of melatonin even when the eyelids are closed
Professional reputation: Employers and headhunters are increasingly using social
networks to find candidates… But also to check their profile before an interview! A
survey published on the online recruitment site CareerBuilder revealed that a quarter
of employers who consult Facebook and company have already rejected candidates
because of the content of their personal page or their blog – racy photos, drinking
tales, snarling remarks. -to their ex-employer.
Stay modest… And be consistent, insists Sylvie Bédard, founder of Mind Drop. If you
present yourself as a creative worker, but the content of your profile is boring as the
rain, you will not convince your future employer. Ditto if you pride yourself on being a
communications genius, but your Facebook page is full of mistakes. “Social networks
are a portfolio: demonstrate your know-how, show that you belong to interest groups
related to your field of employment. »
*decrease in our productivity: Social media encourages us to be more and more
multitasking. We often check our Facebook account while we are working on
something else. You would think that it would allow us to accomplish two things at
the same time, but on the contrary, our concentration decreases and our rate of
productivity decreases. Reduce distractions for better time management.
Information relayed too quickly : With this new ease of access to information, we
must also do a more serious job of verifying data and facts about what we unearth on
the Internet. The information is accessible very quickly, but it is also very easy to
publish all kinds of publications yourself without us being experts on a particular
subject. It is therefore possible that the information we find on social networks is not
accurate.