Social media is a kind of technological application that humans use to share information, thoughts or feelings, and other events. The use of this online media takes part in building many kinds of virtual networks over time. It has made human life easier with both positive and negative consequences in the world. Through time, social media has changed just like people have and is much different from when it was first created. 

Facebook, for example, is one of the earlier uses of social media platforms, as it was created to connect people around the world with informative postings and views. Some recent popular ones are ones that almost everyone knows, like Instagram, which is for visual objectives like images or videos, as well as people who compete for likes and views. The infamous Youtube also gains millions of views with videos about almost anything people think of. With this social forum, people gain and share everything from creations, knowledge, and different modes of entertainment.

Another one is Twitter, which was mainly used for things like status updates and keeping up with others’ daily lives, but now it has turned into an even bigger space of millions of situations ranging from politics, entertainment, global news, and much more. Besides the use of text and images on Instagram and Twitter, another famous one is of course Snapchat, where snap messages can be sent anywhere to anyone along with the many filters for users to view. 

With all these communication apps also come many harmful effects. The online world can be called one of the best creations these days, but there are many consequences that have appeared and are negatively growing. One of the biggest effects is the spread of misinformation and fake news for all to see and take in. Spreading things that are fake can make people believe them to be true, and they will most likely keep it in their mind, leading to an unwillingness to be open-minded. Examples of this can be seen in the way politics are involved with the online community. While online people can communicate and express their views on things like the government and the people involved who set up the whole system of rules and regulations. Through the use of the many platforms at hand people can share things ranging from fats to lies and it is one of the main causes of widespread misinformation. Contributing to these are images, cartoons, jokes, or personal statements shown as facts which would then stay in one’s mind in a negative or positive way by how they interpret the information.

Another bad use of the network is things like cyberbullying or spreading rumors. Everything written or posted online becomes public and can cause damage in different situations. One of those damages people, especially teens, receive is a lack of confidence caused by negative attention from others. Online bullies can target someone’s position or appearance in their life to make fun of who they are, where they come from, or what they look like. Those comments can make people feel like they do not belong and they need to be like for example the popular ones who seem to have everything from a good background, home, or many friends. This can be seen in Instagram where you can share pictures, words, and personal videos for others to see, and when the bullies send negative responses, the self-confidence drags to making them feel like they don’t matter. 

With all the negative aspects of the internet, there are also many good things. One of those can be that it is easier for people to reach out to others or find new communities that are of interest to them. In an online organization, people can even offer or seek support for their mental health, problems, or advice on something. With social media, it is also very easy to stay up to date about almost anything going on around you. When something happens while you were not there or you cannot even be at that place, you can easily find out through shared knowledge. This also means bringing awareness to peoples’ surroundings about the many events such as natural disasters, the weather, or such important issues. The issues that spread through the media can motivate people to join and stand up for what they think is worthwhile and of importance. More positive effects that the online community offers is an outlet of a kind to share their ideas, creativity, and self impressions. Through TikTok for example people share with others basically anything they want with a long-range from dancing, singing, art, food, opinions, stories, and a lot more.

With social media people can communicate better with others and share major news and knowledge about the world. But others don’t realize how much social media can control people and maybe even what they do, meaning they have to be wary of the bad things and maintain personal safety.