Student Name: Kenimalava Frank Dominiko

Student ID: A00161093

‘Young people today are too overwhelmed by social media to be productive. Respond
with reference to the Fijian/Pacific context.’

The Effect of social media on Young People’s Productivity.

Social media is purposely aimed at attracting a user, mainly young people, through the use of
phone notifications and colorful advertisements. As a result of technological advancement,
social media has found its way to reach billions of people worldwide. At the end of
December 2022, more than 64% of Fiji’s population were Facebook users which is the more
widely used social media platform in the country (NapoleonCat, 2023). Social media has
many advantages from communication to learning, however, this essay seeks to argue the
points that agree with the statement of social media affecting young people’s productivity.

To begin, one of the most important gadgets a young adult can have to achieve goals is time
management. It is evident to say that student grades are bound to plummet if students
prioritize spending more time on social media than studying for exams (SCTC, 2020). In an
article by (Bolatiki, 2019), the Commander of the Republic of the Fiji Military Forces
(RFMF), Captain Humphrey Tawake stated that the misuse of social media by secondary and
tertiary students has the possibility to affect student grades, interpersonal skills and time-
management skills. Spending long hours chatting on social media sites can also have an
effect on students productivity which can also give rise to romantic relationships which in
turn contributes to social issues such as teenage pregnancy. Monitoring students time spent
on social media should be prioritized by parents and awareness events must be constructed to
help tertiary students realize the importance of time management.

Moreover, social media is the, if not only, form of media used by cyberbullies.
Cyberbullying is defined as the act the act of sharing or posting harmful, false, mean and
negative content about a person on the internet, affecting the victim’s dignity and reputation
in society by giving way to shame and humiliation (stopbullying.gov, 2021). In time, a victim
of cyberbullying may cease to attend classes or school from being embarrassed to face

Assignment 2 A00161093 Kenimalava Frank Dominiko

society depending entirely on the content posted by the perpetrator. Also, a lack of
concentration may develop from constant threats targeted at the victim which, in which worst
cases, leads to suicidal thoughts and action. According to Dhaval (2022), cyberbullying in the
workplace lowers productivity and damages the targeted persons professional life badly. To
combat this issue, cybersecurity needs to be more elaborated on and taught to people to arm
themselves with knowledge on how to protect private information online . Young people
must learn to respect a person’s life and realize that there are far better things to do than
deprive someone of their pride and feelings. Cyberbullying is not only in learning institutes
but also in work environments.

Furthermore, extravagant use of social media can lead to health and mental problems. It can
give rise to ‘feelings of envy, inadequacy and less satisfaction with life’. Seeing others
content may cause a person to feel envious of the likes and followers people get on social
media making it a sort of competition. This makes it harder for an individual to focus on
studying or work. Sleep deprivation and depression are also issues related to social media
abuse. To relieve loneliness, a person can turn to social media to gain ‘likes’ and is believed
to temporarily soothe the loneliness, however, it may even cause the user to end up feeling
lonelier in the long run (Robinson & Smith, n.d.). Social media can also lower a person’s
self-esteem resulting from envious behavior and decreased physical activity. Setting goals for
physical training and establishing limits on social media usage are ways a person can avoid
this issue.

In conclusion, the issues discussed in this essay are more prevalent towards the younger
generation. This essay has argued the point that young people have been overwhelmed by
social media by identifying three issues that have arose from the abuse of social media. These
include a lack of time management, cyberbullying and mental and health problem which all
contribute to a person’s productivity. To overcome this issues, critical awareness and
education on time management and cybersecurity, setting daily goals for physical activity and
establishing limits on social media usage are just some of the many ways people can
overcome the overwhelming effect of social media.

Assignment 2 A00161093 Kenimalava Frank Dominiko

REFERENCES

Bolatiki, M. (5th June, 2019), ‘Beware of social media addiction, it can ruin lives. The Fiji
Sun. https://fijisun.com.fj/2019/06/05/beware-of-social-media-addicition-it-can-ruin-lives-
especially-of-young-people/

Dhaval, A. 2023. What is Cyberbullying and how it impacts work productivity? Project
Cubicle. https://www.projectcubicle.com/what-is-cyberbullying-and-how-does-it-impact-
work-productivity

NapoleonCat, 2021. Facebook users in Fiji. European Union.

https://napoleoncat.com/stats/social-media-users-in-fiji/2022/

Robinson, L., Melinda, S. (n.d.). Well being and happiness: Social media and mental health.
HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-
health.htm

SCTC. (2020, October 20). How social media affects student productivity.

https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-ituctivity | St. Cloud Technical Community

College

Stopbullying.gov, 2021. What is Cyberbullying.

https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it

Assignment 2 A00161093 Kenimalava Frank Dominiko