THE IMPACT THAT SOCIAL MEDIA HAS ON SOCIETAL AND INDIVIDUAL RELATIONS

Social media has reached and is still reaching the heights since it is mostly used amongst society and individuals for different purposes. This assignment tackle down some of the impacts that social media poses on people's lives, personal, social and relationships. In his book The Global of Social media (2011), Dedria Bryfonski state that" Though social media make the lives of individuals easier especially in having access and exploring some important stuff e.g news at any specific time but there are some impacts that the social media may compress on one's life, these impacts may either be positive or negative". ●Positive impacts that social media has on societal and individual:Reference:Syed Ali on www.humankinetics.com/excerpts ●Friends and Relations Social networks started as a place to connect with friends in an easy and convenient way. It provided the opportunity for individuals to connect with other people to build relationships even though they are unable to meet personally. ●Reducing communication Barriers Allows people to communicate their thoughts and perceptions over different topics with a large number of audiences and raise their voice. New New Media, Second Edition, Paul Levison" The media that allow consumers to become producers are undoubtedly social and far more interactive than older. ●Opportunities for business Social media have become a crucial part of many people. Businesses have noticed the value of social networks in lives and are using different techniques to promote their products. Negative impacts that social media has on societal and individual relations:Reference:Chapman University on Journals.chapman.edu ●Leads to addiction Studies have shown that the extensive use of social media can actually cause addiction to the users. Posting something on their pages throughout the day or checking others posts can become important part of life. ●Leads to Isolation Extreme usage of social media has reduced the level of human interaction. Because of social networks the interaction with other people has become effortless and people have isolated their lives behind their online identities. Face to Face communication has been reduced. ●Affecting productivity Mostly businesses use social media to find and communicate with clients. But it is a great distraction to employees, who may show more interest in what their friends are posting than in their work tasks. ●In his book Alone Together, Rob James discuss two points regarding impacts of social media which are: 1.Isolation "Perhaps the strongest criticism that can be made of social media networks is that they deprive people of human interaction and create virtual substitutes that still maintain emotional distance. Sherry Turkle has argued that social networks only provide illusion of companionship and the kind of interaction people experience and cannot replicate quality interactions, in this context individuals can be in the same room but still devoting others attention to online networks. The potentially damaging effect of this social media use can be tied to the fact that individuals are addicted without realising it". 2.Unity "On the other hand, however, studies are suggesting that social media users are aware of the dangers of being online too much and take a more active approach to their networks, rather than isolating themselves, they use local networks and business groups in order to socialise and develop a broader range of contacts". "This is the ability to view social media as an extension, or rather complement to being more sociable. Social media selectively and making the most of networks as a way to meet friends or learn more about opportunities in a local area can encourage a stronger sense of unity". ●Conclusion Based on the assignment, social media has some few positive and negative points but it does not mean that the social media is a good or bad thing . It stand somewhere in between. So it depends on how different societies and individuals view it, whether they think it is bad or good. The use of social media may turn bad it is over used for inappropriate stuff, so it is better for a society to realise that the good use of social media may lead to positive perspectives and make life a lot more easier. There should be time for social media and a time to socialise physically with other people, this will prevent isolation and build a balance between the two.