PROS CONS

It starts a conversation Addictive

Can stay connected despite distance Government is doing nothing to stop this
Learn new information Manipulation by companies
Stay updated on news cyberbullying
Great market research tool Risk personal information being stolen or misused

Social media began as a benefit to the human race but has turned into yet another way to

generate monetization. Despite the many benefits it still has like educating ourselves and keeping

in touch with distant family, the disadvantages it brings to the table will always outweigh them.

Social media launched as simply a way to keep in touch with those around you and has now

become something we cannot make it one day without. This is the fault of our kind; using

psychology against us, to keep us continually engaged thinking they have mastered the art of

manipulation to a T, when in the end they fall prey to their own creation. It’s a vicious cycle.

Companies have made it exceedingly addictive by design that there’s no way around it. For

example, snapchat has us logging in everyday in fear that we might lose ‘streaks’, which is yet

another design tool used to keep us engaged every day. This didn’t exist before. Instagram

stories, WhatsApp statuses, snap stories etc. all designed to disappear within a day so we have a

reason to open the app so we’re updated on everyone everywhere every day.

Features like comments and tweets are made so easy to manipulate. The opinions of billions of

people available at the palm of our hands is THE most dangerous factor on social media to date.

Yes, it helps marketing and organizations understanding the needs of the people. However, I say

so, because of the suicide rates plummeting nonstop since these apps were first made. Adults of

many skills and talents made to think they are not ‘good enough’ in the eyes of society. A

thought instilled in our minds that we need to alter our personalities to fit a certain requirement

to be accepted in today’s world. Innocent teenagers programmed to believe there is an unrealistic

standard of beauty they are expected to live up to when in reality its just a ‘beauty filter’ or a
heavily edited version of the what/who the person really is. Plastic surgeons have also explicitly

stated that social media comments and the opinions of other people is the largest resource for

patients, not an actual need for their service.

Every pro that social media has comes with a con. Let’s take the cons I have listed above for

example; Yes, you can keep in touch with family you live miles away from, but you also meet

for the first time on social media, connect, then begin feeling upset you’re far away from them

when it was already a given that this would be a drawback in your relationship.

So much data and information we can educate ourselves with available at mass with one search.

However, we don’t realize that this too is designed to fit our personalities. Companies spend

years tracking our every move that they know exactly what information to feed us with, to get

the result they expect and require from us.

All these benefits social media apparently have, it’s just a facade.

Why is no one doing anything about it?

Simply because they don’t want to. Businesses need to track information about each consumer as

means of marketing. Advertisers need to put up commercials to fund their campaign. People

want to stay updated on what everyone around the world has going on in their lives. Influencers

need it because it is their only source of income.

We complain about the addiction and the countless disadvantages social media brings to the

table. We realize everyway it damaging our world, but we enjoy it all too much to actually make

a difference.