It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago when we first started surging the web in our own homes. Many people will remember the sound of the computer connecting to the internet. Once connected we no longer had access to our phone line. Since this was before cell phones this was our only access to the phone. I never imagined that technology would advance into the world we live in today.

The advancement of the technology in cellphones has changed our society in more ways than most people can imagine. You always hear people saying they can’t live without their phone, including myself. Our phones contain information of our whole lives. We are able to do almost anything with our cell phones, go shopping, do our banking, pay our bills, and even work. One of the biggest tools used on the internet is social media. Social media is used for much more than sharing events and pictures with your family and friends. Even though social media was created to be used as a positive way for people to connect it has had many negative impacts.

There are many different social media platforms, all used to connect people in different ways. Social media can have many positive impacts, when used properly. I have seen it used to connect people who may have not seen each other in years. It allows family and friends to keep each other updated on what is going on in their lives. It allows people to inform others of events or parties, and then post photos of these events. But social media is just used for keeping people informed about their social lives.

Social media has also had a big impact in the business world. The platform LinkedIn is where people can create a page describing themselves and connect with other people in the same business. It is used to connect people in same business that can help each other, keep people informed about changes in that may be happening in their line of work, and help people who are looking for work find a job. A major part of being successful in business in today’s world is having a large network of contacts that allow people in the same line of work to help each other, keep each other informed, and help each other solve problems they may be having.

Social media has also become a primary source where people get their information about current events and news, both local and national. It has also become the main source for people to get their political news. Some of the biggest political issues this country is facing are get put on social media, which allows people to express how they feel about these issues. Many politicians post on social media, such as platform X, and allows them to get their message out to the American people without having to do an interview or hold a press conference.

These are some of the biggest uses of social media and when used properly is can be a huge advantage to people. The problem is social media is not used properly and it has created many problems, in many different areas. Every time the topic of social media is brought up people are always being warned of the dangers it may have. Some of the biggest users of social media are children, who are also prone to the most danger.

One of the biggest issues with children using social media is it is hard to monitor their activity. Children may be doing something they think is innocent but can cause a lot of harm. Social Media has become a place predators are using and a lot of times a child might be talking to a predator without realizing it. Most people are always posting pictures and sharing their lives it is easy for anyone to learn about you. Children are sharing posts like these all the time making it easy for a predator to find and go after children. Even though these are innocent posts and these children are doing nothing wrong it just shows how people can abuse anything and use it for the wrong things.

Something else that I have seen becoming more common is the bullying that occurs because of social media. Unlike times before the internet where you would call someone a name, only the people there would hear about it, and it would be forgotten about the next day. Now when you talk down about someone and put it on social media everyone hears about it and it remains on the internet forever. People are even using it to get revenge on someone by posting embarrassing photos of someone online. These have lasting, profound effects on a persons life and have even led to some people to commit suicide. This is not what social media should be used for and this is an issue we not be able to stop but should have severe consequences.

Once something is on the internet it is on there forever, You can delete it all you want but it will always be there somewhere. Many times people may post something out of anger or impulse but don’t realize the repercussions it can cause in someones life. The idea of using social media to connect people has exceeded its use in ways I don’t think anyone could of imagined. It has become a source for criminals, predators, and stalkers to use. It has allowed people to place misinformation and to mislead people.

Even in the world of news and politics it has become the main source of information for many people. This has created a whole new set of problems. Not only has it allowed other countries to post false information to mislead the American people to vote in a particular way it has also allowed our own politicians to claim any information they don’t agree with to be misinformation. Although I don’t think other countires should be using social media to influence the American people, our politician shouldn’t be telling American people what they can and can’t post. American citizens have been blocked from social media sites for posting information they don’t agree with, which is an assault on our first amendment right.

I personally don’t use social media very often because of the problems it creates. From my point of view it has become a place that causes division between people. Instead of discussing ideas and opinions in a mutual and educational way it has become a platform to attack and criticize people. I personally don’t think social media platforms like Facebook should be involved in politics but the problem is that it is social media is a source that reaches many people, much more than TV and radio.

Even with all the negative impact social media has it also has a lot of positives. Social Media can be a very positive outlet for people if it used correctly. It is a way for people to connect, to find people that you many not have been in contact with for years. It is a way to send invites to people about special events you may be having, such as birthday parties. It is also a platform where you share those experiences, post pictures and videos of events that you want to share with people. The days of buying invite cards to send to people have been taken over by special media. Sharing these experiences with people was the intended use of social media, but much like anything else that is intended for good, it becomes abused and used for bad.

The problem I struggle with is what to do about this issue. Social Media is never going to go away and as long as the platform is there to use it is going to be used for bad. But we need to find that line of what is good and what is bad and go after the bad. If these platforms are going to be used to commit crimes there needs to be severe consequences. However, censoring American citizens, or blocking them from these sites just because we don’t agree with what they say is a violation of the law itself. We can tell people and our children about the dangers social media can have but that doesn’t seem to help. I personally don’t know what the answer is and is one of the reasons why I am not on social media very often.

But to answer the question of whether or not social media has has a positive or negative impact on our society is a hard question to ask. It has had both and the fact is that it isn’t going anywhere. Social Media is a private company and the only time the government should be involved is when a criminal act occurs. It should not be used for hate, for extortion, for bribery, of from censoring people from excersicing their first amendment right. From what I have seen it seems like that is what the government is trying to do, to block people who say things they don’t agree with. The only thing we can do is be more alert of what you see on social media. If you use social media to get your new information, don’t let it be your only source.

One things that can be said with out a doubt is that social media has definitely changed the world we live in. Nothing is secret or safe anymore. There is always somebody watching and chances are it will be put on social media for the world to see. Social Media has also helped entrepreneurs, given people a platform to create a business. It has became a place where people can market themselves, expand and grow their business. It is a way for businesses to connect, even in different countries.

So in my final thought, I believe the impact of social media has been an overall positive one. No matter what we invent, or how far technology goes, it will always be used for bad. Nothing will ever change that no matter what we do. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to advance ourselves, continue to try and make our lives better and easier. For the majority people use social media for what it is intended for and we can let a few bad actors take that away from us. People are able to get their voices out now more than ever and that is a good thing, when those voices are being used for the better of mankind and each other. People will never agree on everything, but instead of attacking each other we should be listening to each other and trying to understand their points. I know everything I say people don’t agree with, but I would like to think that if someone tells me why they don’t I can listen to them with an open mind and understand why they feel that way. That is how we will grow, and that is how we will learn and be able to come together and social media has changed the world for us to do that.