Impact of Social Media on Society

INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, social media occupies an increasing role in both our daily lives and world. Thus, it is an urgent demand to develop a proper understanding about the long-term impacts of social media on human health. This review focuses on the positive and negative effects of social networking sites on human health. Social media is the collection of online communication channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. They are the websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. Social media are interactive computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks. Nevertheless, social media has created digital mental disorders such as fear of missing out, facebook addiction disorder, internet addiction disorder, social media addiction, fantum vibration syndrome, game addiction, digital pouting, etc.

1. Connecting the world Social media has brought the whole world to a global village. It has connectivity. People from anywhere can connect with anyone regardless of the location and religion. The beauty of social media is that the people can connect with anyone to learn and share your thoughts. 2. Educating the people Social media has a lot of benefits for the students and teachers. It is very easy to educate from others who are experts and professionals via the social media. The people can follow anyone to learn from others and enhance the knowledge about any field. Regardless of the location and educational background people can educate themselves, without paying for it.

People can share their issues with the community to get help and guidance. Whether it is helping in terms of money or in term of advice, people can get it from the community with whom they are connected. 4. Updating the information The main advantage of the social media is that people can update themselves from the latest happenings around in the world. Most of the time, television and print media these days are biased and does not convey the true message. With the help of social media people can get the facts and true information by doing some research. 5. Facility to business The business can be promoted with the help of social media whether offline or online. The market data are readymade available. This makes the business profitable and less expensive, because media to connect with the right audience. 6. Help for social cause Social media can also be used for the social causes such as to promote an NGO, social welfare activities and collecting donations for the needy people, flood affected people, earthquake affected people. People are using social media for donation for needy people and it can be a quick way to help such people.

Social media also create awareness and innovate the way people live. It is the social media which has helped people discover new and innovative stuffs that can enhance personal lives. From farmers to teachers, students to lawyers every individual of the society can benefit from the social media and its awareness factor.

It is also one of the advantages of the social media that it helps Governments and Security Agencies to catch criminals to fight crime. Social media help to CBI, police department, intelligence bereau.

Social media enhances the goodwill. It can ruin any business reputation, It can also improve business sales and reputation. Positive comments and sharing about a company can help them with sales and goodwill. Since people are free to share whatever they want on the social media, it can impact positively when good words are shared.

1. Cyberbullying According to a report published by pewcenter.org most of the children have become victims of the internet. Threats, intimidation messages and rumours can be sent to the masses to create discomfort and chaos in the society. 2. Hacking Personal data and privacy can easily be hacked and shared on the Internet. Which can make financial losses and loss to personal life. Similarly, identity theft is another issue that can give financial losses to anyone by hacking their personal accounts. Several personal twitter and facebook accounts have been hacked in the past and the hacker had posted materials that have affected the individuals personal lives. This is one of the dangerous disadvantages of the social media and every user is advised to keep their personal data safe. 3. Addiction The addictive part of the social media is very bad and can disturb personal lives as well. The teenagers are the most affected by the addiction of the social media. They get involved very extensively and are eventually cut off from the society. It can also waste individual time that could have been utilized by productive tasks and activities.

Several examples are available where individuals have scammed and committed fraud through the social media. The financial frauds are also made with the help of social media. Cybercrimes are emerging a challenging issue now a days in metro cities.

Now a days security agencies have access to personal accounts of people. They make the privacy almost compromised. People never know when they are visited by any investigation officer regarding any issue that they mistakenly or unknowingly discussed over the internet.

Social media can easily ruin someone‘s reputation just by creating a false story and spreading across the social media. For example. ―Mee too‖ is now spreading such news about the actors and directors of films. Similarly businesses can also suffer losses due to bad reputation being conveyed over the social media.

shadi.com, marathimatrimony.com. Most of the people have used the social media platform to propose and marry each other through such sites. However, after some time they turn to be wrong in their decision and part ways. Similarly, couples have cheated each other by showing the fake feelings and incorrect information.

The excess usage of social media can also have a negative impact on the health such as on brain, neck, back, hand. Since exercise is the key to lose weight, most of the people get lazy because of the excessive use of social networking sites. It brings disorder in the routine life. The people are not getting proper sleep at night due to social media. Many hours are spent unnoticeably for watching the whatsapp messages, videos and photos. Changing DP and putting selfy on mobile is one more addiction. 9. Social media causes death Not just by using it, but by following the stunts and other crazy stuffs that are shared on the internet. For example bikers doing the unnecessary stunts, people doing the jump over the trains and other life threatening stuffs. The stunts are performed by the teenagers because of the successful stunts made and shared over the social media. 10. Glamorizes drugs and alcohol

Social media has become such a big part of our lives; we sometimes don‘t even realize how much time we spend scrolling through our feeds. It‘s the last thing many of us look at before we go to bed and the first thing we check when we wake up – but does interacting with social media hurt our mental health? A recent finding published in the Journal of Mental Health found that 70 studies conducted over the last ten years to examine how social media affects mental health came back with differing conclusions. Some studies found social media to have a positive impact on people‘s lives, while others warned against the possible connection between social media and depression or anxiety. uses the platforms. Finding a balance and developing healthy habits for using social media is essential for making sure it has a positive presence in your life. If the social media are not properly used, they have adverse effects on the physical and mental health of the people. The most pronounced concerns lie in: 1. Decreased self-esteem (which often works hand in hand with eating disorders and body dysmorphia) 2. Anxiety, boredom, laziness, inactive postures and no time management 3. Depression/depressive symptoms, tension, stress, brain problems 4. A feeling of a lack of connection, loneliness, Fear to accept challenges 5. Feelings of inferiority, low aims, fictitious goals and communication 6. Deterioration in concentration and other symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Brain, eyes, hand, neck and back problems. 7. Addiction to social media

It is said that sitting is the new smoking. Social media has reduced the time spent on playing games. To use social media, people sit hours together and the brain, hand, eyes are damaged slowly. The people are becoming now a days the slaves of social media. Given the number of diseases to which sitting is linked, and the number of people it apparently kills every year, sitting is one of the worst things we can do for health. But possibly as concerning is the thing that we often do while we're sitting: Mindlessly scrolling through our social media feeds when we have a few spare minutes (or for some, hours). And as we probably know intuitively, and as the research is confirming, it's not the best habit when it comes to our collective psychology. The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned about the potential for negative effects of social media in young kids and teens, including cyber-bullying and "Facebook depression." But the same risks may be true for adults, across generations. Here's a quick run-down of the studies that have shown that social media isn't very good for mental

Experts have not been in total agreement on whether internet addiction is a real thing, let alone social media addiction, but there‘s some good evidence that both may exist. A review study from Nottingham Trent University looked back over earlier research on the psychological characteristics, personality and social media use. The authors conclude that ―it may be plausible to speak specifically of ‗Facebook Addiction Disorder‘…because addiction criteria, such as neglect of personal life, mental preoccupation, escapism, mood modifying experiences, tolerance and concealing the addictive behavior, appear to be present in some people who use social networks excessively. And studies have confirmed that people tend to undergo a kind of withdrawal: A study a few years ago from Swansea University found that people experienced the psychological symptoms of withdrawal when they stopped using (this went for all internet use, not just social media). Their recent follow-up study found that when people stop using, they also undergo small but measurable physiological effects. Study author Phil Reed said, ―We have known for some time that people who are over-dependent on digital devices report feelings of anxiety when they are stopped from using them, but now we can see that these psychological effects are accompanied by actual physiological changes.‖ Whether this is true of social media per se is unclear right now, but anecdotal evidence suggests it may be.

The more we use social media, the less happy we seem to be. One study a few years ago found that Facebook use was linked to both less moment-to-moment happiness and less life satisfaction—the more people used Facebook in a day, the more these two variables dropped off. The authors suggest this may have to do with the fact that Facebook conjures up a perception of social isolation, in a way that other solitary activities don‘t. ―On the surface,‖ the authors write, ―Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling such needs by allowing people to instantly connect. Rather than enhancing well-being, as frequent interactions with supportive 'offline' social networks powerfully do, the current findings demonstrate that interacting with Facebook may predict the opposite result for young adults—it may undermine it.‖ The negative effects of social media have been well documented, with even Facebook executives admitting that the platform may pose a risk to users‘ emotional well-being. But while some studies have benefits.Amid all the conflicting research, The Week looks at whether the emotional risks of digital technologies outweigh the rewards.

MORE NEGATIVE EFFECTS

A number of studies have found an association between social media use and depression, anxiety, sleep problems, eating issues, and increased suicide risk, warn researchers from the University of Melbourne‘s National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, in an article on The Conversation. The CNC in America recently revealed the suicide rate in the US has grown nearly 25% since 1999, with Dr Nassir Ghaemi telling CNN part of the blame must lie with the rise of social media. A 2015 study by the University of Missouri found that regularly using Facebook could lead to symptoms of depression if the site triggered feelings of envy in the user. ―Facebook can be a fun and healthy activity if users take advantage of the site to stay connected with family and old friends and to share interesting and important aspects of their lives,‖ said Professor Margaret Duffy, who co-authored the report. But if it‘s used ―to see how well an acquaintance is doing financially or how happy an old friend is in his relationship - things that cause envy among users - use of the site can lead to feelings of depression‖, she adds. Another link has been made between sleep disruption caused by excessive mobile phone use at night and depression and unhappiness. A study published in The Lancest Psychiatry found people who spend the night checking social media are more likely to suffer from mood problems such as neuroticism and bipolar disorder, and rate themselves as less happy and more lonely. Analysing data from 91,000 middle-aged people, researchers found those with ―poor sleep hygiene‖ - such as checking Facebook late at night - were 6% more likely to suffer from depression, 11% more likely to have bipolar, and scored their own happiness as 9% lower than those who had good sleep hygiene. To counter this, Professor Daniel Smith, from the University of Glasgow, who led the research, suggested a 10pm cut-off point for mobile use would give the average adult time to wind down before switching off the lights. His recommendation echoes advice from England‘s chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, who warned: ―There is increasing public and policy concern about the impact of computer/smartphone screen use, and ‗blue light‘, upon human health‖. However, care needs to be taken when making a direct link

Most studies examining social media and mental health ―aren‘t able to determine whether spending more time on social media leads to depression or anxiety, or if depressed or anxious young people spend more time on social media‖, they say. ―The pathways to mental illness are many and varied, and to suggest mental health problems can be attributed to social media alone would be an oversimplification.‖ It is also important to note that social media does not affect all people equally, the researchers add, as some individuals may be more susceptible to the negative aspects than others.

VALUE CREATION BY SOCIAL MEDIA

The same University of Missouri study that a link between Facebook use and depression also found that people who use the platform primarily to connect with others do not experience the negative effects. ―In fact, when not triggering feelings of envy, the study shows, Facebook could be a good resource and have positive effects on well-being,‖ Psychology Today reports. There is also compelling evidence that social media can benefit people already dealing with mental health issues by helping them build online communities that provide a source of emotional support. The UK Mental Health Foundation says it is ―undeniable‖ that online technologies can be used to reach the most vulnerable in society, as well as helping to reduce the stigma attached to seeking treatment. Social media is ―invaluable for people with health conditions to know that they are not alone, that there are other people who have gone through this and got better‖, says Professor John Powell, a public health researcher at Oxford University, who has researched how social media can be used to support people with chronic illnesses. Matthew Oransky, an assistant professor of adolescent psychiatry at New York‘s Mount Sinai Hospital, also says many patients make social connections online that they could not find elsewhere, reports USA Today. This is particularly true of marginalised teens, such as kids in foster homes and LGBT adolescents, Oransky says. Research suggests that the manner in which social media is used is key to determining if it likely to have a positive or negative impact on well-being. For example, active, as opposed to passive, social media use can be beneficial, say the Melbourne researchers. ―Although browsing Instagram has been associated with increased depression, talking to others online increases life satisfaction,‖ they say. far more time than over-25s on social media, the problem appears even more serious. Speaking to the BBC, GP Rangan Chatterjee says he has seen plenty of evidence of the link between mental ill-health in youngsters and their use of social media. Numerous surveys appear to bear this out. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine last July examined whether young people‘s use of 11 social media sites - Twitter, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Vine, Snapchat, Facebook and Reddit - correlated with their ―perceived social isolation‖. ―Unsurprisingly, it turned out that the more time people spent on these sites, the more socially isolated they perceived themselves to be. And perceived social isolation is one of the worst things for us, mentally and physically,‖ says Forbes.A separate survey of young people conducted by the London-based Royal Society for Public Health found that social media sites such as Instagram, which primarily focus on people‘s physical appearance, are ―contributing to a generation of young people with body image and body confidence issues‖. Repeated studies showing the effect of social media on children‘s mental health recently promoted a group of US child welfare experts to write to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg urging him to close down Messenger Kids - a messaging app developed for children - saying it was irresponsible to encourage pre-teens to use the platform. There is, however, a simple solution says Dr Chatterjee. Teenagers should attempt to wean themselves off social media. One patient ―reported a significant improvement in his wellbeing and, after six months, I had a letter from his mother saying he was happier at school and integrated into the local community‖.

With technology evolving every minute, it‘s only natural that social media – and how we use it – is constantly changing. Basic instant messaging has evolved into a dizzying array of ways to create, day, and long into the evening on computers, tablets and laptops. It‘s completely changed the way we communicate, interact and even how we feel about ourselves and others. Without a doubt, there are upsides to social media, such as a feeling of community and being able to reach out to others almost anywhere at any time. Social media has provided access to opinions and information that can expand our minds and points of view. Some research even suggests that certain platforms may have a positive impact on mental health by providing opportunities for connections that may otherwise not happen; others suggest social media behaviour and posts can be useful identifiers or predictors of depression. There‘s a darker side to how social media can affect us, however. According to researchers, the more time you spend on social media, the more likely you are to suffer from mental health issues. This is especially true in children and teens, however, prolonged and excessive use presents dangers that have become more evident in adults as well. Multiple studies have begun to focus on the disturbing association between online social networking and a variety of negative feelings and psychiatric disorders. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and LinkedIn offer great ways to socialize and connect with friends and others who share similar interests or to network professionally.However, it‘s easy to hide or alter one‘s identity using any of these platforms. And if you haven‘t met the person in real life, it‘s hard to know their true identity or their real intentions.Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself online, as well as some tips to help you assess online interactions and connections.

As with most things, balance is the key to having healthy habits on social media. You can set aside time when you can surf the web, and times when you log off and ignore notifications. It is particularly important when you‘re spending time with friends or family and before you go to sleep. It may be helpful to use an old-fashioned alarm clock to wake up in the morning, so you can leave your phone in the other room when it‘s time to go to bed. 2. Be clear about what your purpose is when logging onto a social media site and stick to it. We‘ve all gone online to check the time of a birthday party next week and found ourselves, an hour later, watching video after video. Be thoughtful about why you‘re logging into a site and then make sure you band – without letting what other people are posting take over. 3. Use other people‟s posts as inspiration rather than comparison. Seeing other people broadcast their successes and post magazine-perfect moments of their lives might make your daily life pale in comparison. But remember that these moments aren‘t representative of someone‘s whole life, and the person posting them is probably struggling with a lot of the same things you are. Looking at these posts as inspiration for you to work toward your own goals, rather than directly comparing your daily life to their Instagram, is a healthier way to view posts on social media. It‘s also good to be selective about who you follow. If someone‘s posts consistently make you feel bad about yourself or get you frustrated, then consider unfriending or unfollowing that person. 4. Think before posting. Likewise, think about what you‘re sending out to the world. Before you hit send on a post, consider whether it‘s spreading positivity. You can help make your feed an encouraging place to be by avoiding trolls or online arguments and fostering a community of support and positivity among your friends or followers – at least on your page.

Check in with yourself and if you‘re feeling down, maybe go outside for a walk or grab coffee with a friend rather than spending time online. If getting notifications throughout the day makes you feel stressed or anxious then it would be a good idea to delete the social media apps from your phone or disable push notifications, so you only see alerts when you sign in manually. Being on social media can help enhance your life, but it can also easily become an additional stressor, and potentially exacerbate symptoms of anxiety or depression. Using some of these tips can help you create healthy social media habits that create balance in your life, protect your mental health, and make your social media use a positive force rather than a negative one. If you feel that social media is impacting your mood more than it should, and taking a break isn‘t helping you find relief, then consider reaching out and speaking with someone. If you aren‘t sure who to talk to or how to start the conversation, you can take a free, anonymous online screening that will provide you with more information about how

When was the last time you Googled yourself? Doing so regularly is a good way to see what kinds of information about you or images and videos of you are publicly available. You can also set up a Google Alert for yourself so you‘ll be notified whenever a new item about you is posted online.

Every social media platform offers ways to control what information you‘re sharing with whom. Check these settings often as they change all the time. Here are some guides on how to set your privacy settings for Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram.

One way to control who sees your posts or has access to information about you is to only accept friend requests from people you know on platforms like Snapchat, Facebook and LinkedIn.

When checking in somewhere or sharing your location, be aware that you‘re essentially sharing your whereabouts with everyone who has access to what you post. You‘re announcing where you are to your friends, but also, potentially to strangers.

Some platforms, like Facebook, allow you to view posts you‘re tagged in so you can decide if you want to share them or not.

Regardless of what platform you‘re on, don‘t share personal information like your phone number, home address, email address or student ID number. If you need to share that information, do it privately and make sure you know who you‘re sharing it with and why they need the information.

Even if you have your privacy settings set to the max, don‘t share anything online you wouldn‘t want your grandma to see. Assume that once you‘ve posted it, it‘s online and findable forever. email address and other personal information online because, because this makes you a potential target for phishing scams and texts, emails or other communication with malicious software attachments. Don‘t open suspicious emails or other messages. Don‘t reply to them. Don‘t click on links contained within the communication and don‘t provide your phone number, email address or any other information on a web page you may be directed to.

We all have too many passwords, but it‘s important to ensure that all your passwords are different and as obscure as possible. A good password should contain a few capital letters, numbers and a symbol. Don‘t share your passwords and be sure to change them regularly. Also, make sure you have a password lock on your phone. Use apps like ―Find My iPhone‖ to protect the data on your phone should it be lost or stolen. Always opt for two-way authentication whenever it‘s available (i.e. when you need your username/password along with a piece of information that only you know, to log into a site). Opt for email notifications for every log in. Check third-party apps regularly to see which has automatic access to your social media accounts. De-authorize ones you‘re no longer using.

For more information, check the community guidelines on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Following these tips and trusting your instincts will help you stay safe when interacting on social media.

HEALTHY USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

For all the hazards associated with social media, it has opened up a world of increased connection, idea sharing, learning and an unprecedented opportunity to expand one‘s worldview. When gauging what is the healthiest use of social media for you, look for things that expand your mind, world and feelings of clarity, compassion and happiness. Try using social media to Subscribe to and participate in communities that are supportive, educational and provide insight into events or areas that interest you. Use these virtual neighbourhoods to help feel connected and to look for articles, research and resources you might use to improve your life offline. Enhance and enrich existing offline bonds and relationships through positive feedback, posts and comments. Become an active citizen! Get involved awareness using social media to get their messages out – you can be a part of that too. Foster goodwill, empathy and support for others by dropping positive, constructive and helpful comments. Seek out information and insights from trusted sources to learn more about yourself and the world around you. There‘s no telling what shiny, new platform is on the horizon or what impact it will have, but one thing is certain: social media is here to stay and it‘s a life changer. The next time you use it to watch, generate, share, comment and engage, keep a close eye on how it‘s impacting your mental health. It‘s up to you – and completely possible - to avoid social media‘s pitfalls and use it to enrich your well-being and happiness.

MEDIA

Social media has become an integral part of our kids‘ relationships, lives and education; even very young students are often prompted to bring devices to school as part of new curriculums that frequently include online socializing. There‘s no avoiding it, so safeguarding children and educating them on what is considered a healthy use of social media is crucial. Perhaps the most alarming aspect of social media use is how it can affect our children‘s emotional well- being and physical safety. It‘s well documented that those most profoundly and negatively affected by online interactions are children and young adults. Along with the serious mental health implications of social media use, kids must also contend with the threat of cyberbullying, and online stalking or harassment by peers and adults. As a parent or guardian, you can help to ensure your kids stay safe in all of their social media dealings by: 1. Discuss the risks and possible effects of social media with the children, so that they can make more informed decisions when online. For guidance, resources such as The Door that‘s not Locked, created by Canadian Centre for Child Protection, helps parents educate their children on the risks of online sharing, and what they should be doing to protect themselves online. 2. Discuss positively with them about self-acceptance and self-esteem. Explain the dangers of social comparison and approval-seeking both on and offline. For support, look at resources from Canada‘s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy. Their website provides support to parents who are looking to discuss the potential effect social media can have on self-esteem and self-acceptance. social media for over two hours a day are more likely to rate their mental health as ―fair‖ or ―poor‖ when compared to other users. Be sure your young ones unplug, switch off devices or password protect Internet access when the agreed upon time limits are up. 4. Work in tandem with the school, administrators, local and national organizations to draft or get support with age and curriculum-appropriate guidelines for the healthiest and safest types of platforms for social media interactions. 5. Tell them exactly what course of action to take and whom to tell if they feel unsafe or threatened due to any online interaction. Don‘t develop a habit of watching TV or mobile immediately before sleep Immediately after getting up from sleep, don‘t rush to check the mobile messages and calls Keep the mobile in silent mode in meetings and don‘t develop a habit of opening mobile therein. Don‘t open mobile without intimation of any notification Don‘t show your availability on phone even on the reserved leave Pay attention to the person speaking to you and don‘t divert your attention to mobile in such case.

1. Hana S Noor Al Deen, John Allen Hendricks (2013) Social media usage and impact, Lexington Books UK 2. P. W. Singer, Emerson T. Brooking (2018). The Likewar The Weaponaisation of social media, Eman Dolan Book Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston New York 3. Christian Fuchs (2017). Social media a critical introduction, Sage Publication Chennai 4. Hiren Mehta (2018) Invisible addiction of smart technology, Chitralekha 5th February, 2018 5. Report of National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences Bangalore 6. Rachana Shanbhag (2018) Computer Vision Syndrome Sakal 3-9-2018 7. Kishor Khairnar (2017) Artificial Intelligence and Challenges before Human Beings, Tarun Bharat 18-9-2017

9. https//:Wikipedia.org 10. www.socialmediatoday.com 11. www.forbes.com/socialmedia/ 12. https//:socialmediaweek.org 13. www.businessdictionary.com 14. www.socialmediaexplorer.com 15. www.ignitesocialmedia.com

Assistant Professor and HOD of Commerce, Bhaurao Kakatkar College, Club Road, Camp, Belgaum, Karnataka mspbpositive@gmail.com