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Is Social Media Harmful?

With the growth of the internet usage and increased ownership of personal computers and

smartphones, most people are now able to access social media than ever before. Social sites such

as Facebook today have over 2 billion users, a number that is estimated to be at 3 billion anytime

soon an indication that close to more than half the world will be using the most significant social

media platform today. With other sites such as Twitter and Instagram also experiencing

tremendous exponential growth, the future of social media can only be predicted as one that is

only bound to grow as years go by. As a result, scholars and interest groups have in the recent

past examined the use of social media with some arguing that its use could result in more harm

than good for users. Primarily, this argument is fueled by the kind of content that is present on

most of these sites. However, it is quite important to note that most of these arguments are only

one-sided and do not look into both sides of the issue. Social media is a tool that when looked at

and approached from a different angle could transform the world and the way we see it for the

good of all. This paper provides substantial reasons to back up this claim and prove that indeed

social media is not harmful and can be used to generate positive results.

To begin with, social media is now not only a platform that is used to share photos and

text but one that can be potentially exploited to create careers. Online marketing and social

media influencing are now jobs individuals use to make a living of these platforms. This is an

advantage for most users because the only requirement needed to become either of these is a
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broad and engaged user base. Rachel Brathen, for instance, is one of the most popular influencers

on Instagram. As of October 6, 2018, Brathen has over 2 million followers Instagram. According

to Barker, Brathen uses her broad follower base to make a living off the platform. She has

positioned her self as an influencer and is thereby approached by brands that deal with exercise

and fitness following her branding as a yoga fitness persona. For her to put up a single post

urging her followers to use a particular product or service, Brathen charges $25,000. One can

only imagine how many product-promotion posts she can put up in a week and the returns

realized thereof just for having a vast number of followers (Barker). As Barker further explains,

influencers are now considered one of the significant ways of marketing products and consumers

recognize them as a primary influence to the kind of products and services they access. This

implies that indeed social media influencing is a career line that one could exploit on a full-time

basis and make a relatively good amount of capital off it.

Further, it is also imperative to note that social media helps one connect with individuals

and make friends who could be of great value in the long term (Tierney). Most people argue that

most of these friendships established on social media are spontaneous and could thus be of little

or no value. However, that is how most friendships begin whether off or on social media. It

almost always starts with a spontaneous spark and one never really knows when they become

friends. In most cases, one finds themselves having a friend. Are these not the most amazing type

of friendships? You never know what these connections might mean in the long run. On sites

such as LinkedIn (which is becoming increasingly popular), making a friend could mean finding

a prospective employer, business partner, or client. With the relationship already founded on

friendship, taking it to the next step is quite easy as trust already exists between the two parties.
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Again, social media is now not only being used individually but is also being creatively

used to instruct students by teachers. In realizing that the use of social media was inevitable

teachers embarked on using the tool to ensure positive growth in teenage users. Therefore, they

incorporated the use of K-12 learning system where teachers use social media to give out

teaching instruction to their students through the respective platforms with the aim of making the

increased amount of time used on these platforms useful. Tami Blumenfield, an assistant

professor of Asian studies at Furman University with interest in issues such as gender, inequality,

participatory media, tourism, and resilience, conducted a study to identify the impact social

media teaching was having on students. Using Facebook Groups, she allowed 25 students to

explore the topic “Media in Asia” independently after which they were required to share how

their experience with the learning was. Mid-way into the teaching, 16 students said that they

really enjoyed it and also indicated that it had a positive effect on their learning. This was an

84.2% rating of the sample size chosen. At the end of the course, this number reduced to 15

which was equivalent to 71% of the sample size (Blumenfield). Nonetheless, the results

indicated that the majority of students were pleased with the use of Facebook Groups and found

it as a great way to learn.

It is also important to note that content on social media is not just about individuals

partying or others showcasing their posh lifestyle. In the recent past, there has been an offspring

of individuals who have sought to make social media a productive place where people get

entertained and learn at the same time without noticing that they. Jay Shetty, one of the most

prominent social media personalities today with over 3 billion views on Facebook and a

following of close to 14 million people, is one of the individuals that is putting out

transformational content on social media and is helping impact millions of lives on a daily basis.
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Being a former monk, Jay and a behavioral scientist, Shetty has mastered the art of addressing

issues that most affect many people and providing real-time solutions to the same. As a result,

most people can identify with his content, a factor that explains how he has managed to create

such a huge follower base in a short time. It is not just him. Gaur Gopal Das, yet another

millennial monk, has also found online success in life coaching and mentorship. Lewis Howes,

Tom Bilyeu, and Mel Robbins are also people that put out great self-building content that one

could access and help transform their lives. Imperatively, may spiritual leaders have also realized

the importance of online media and resulted in giving out their instruction through the same

platforms. This makes social media a vast pool of positive resources that can be tapped into and

help create a highly motivated world.

Mostly, social media’s effect on a person solely depends on how they choose to interact

with these platforms (Tierney). In very many ways, it relates to the way people live. In life,

people have to choose from good or bad, right or wrong. Individuals choose to either engage in

illegal undertakings or not. This is the same approach that could be used when using social

media. The kind of content one exposes themselves to will determine the impact social media has

on them and whether it is harmful or not. For children, parents can have control over what they

get exposed to on social media by closely monitoring their browsing habits and guiding them to

access content that is not harmful to them. Adults, on the other end, have this distinction to make

on their own. Being grown-ups, they have the sense to make decisions on what is right or wrong,

good or bad for themselves.

In conclusion, social media is not harmful. Critics of social media and its use need to

realize that it is a tool that can help make the world a better place when approached in the right

manner. Instead of looking just at its downsides, the greater good it brings to the table should be
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the main focus. People need to see how they can use social media to their advantage and to

create an environment that is viable for everyone. It can be used for directing individualized and

independent teaching instruction in a way that students feel engaged and involved. Social media

can also be used to make careers out of it. It can be used to foster the creation of value-adding

friendships. People can get linked to employers through these platforms. Social media can be a

source of spiritual and emotional nourishment. There is so much that social media can do for the

people only if they choose to look at it from a different lens. Importantly, it is critical to know

that how one uses social media is the determinant factor of how it impacts them. Instead of

complaining about it, one needs to ask what they are doing to make it better. Mahatma Gandhi

said it, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
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Works Cited

Barker, S. “How to become an Instagram influencer and start earning money now.” Medium. 7

Feb. 2018. Web. 6 Oct. 2018 https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-become-an-instagram-

influencer-and-start-earning-money-now-a8ef3169e96d

Blumenfield, T. “Student-directed blended learning with Facebook Groups and streaming Media:

Media in Asia at Furman University.” Asian Studies Publication, Paper 1. 2014. Web. 6

Oct. 2018 http://scholarexchange.furman.edu/ast-publications/1?

utm_source=scholarexchange.furman.edu%2Fast-publications

%2F1&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages

Tierney, L. “Why it’s a mistake to ban social media- and what to do instead.” The Washington

Post. 12 Jun. 2018. Web. 6 Oct. 2018

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2018/06/12/why-its-a-mistake-to-

ban-social-media-and-what-to-do-instead/?utm_term=.eeee51ae5396