7 negative effects of social media

by | Jul 20, 2015 | Online Marketing | 0 comments

Have you ever wondered why you wake up drained in the morning, after a long relaxing sleep? It has something to do with the bright light in your face after waking up in the middle of the night to update your social media. The list of negative effects of social media are many.

Social media can be an addictive platform, we never get enough of using it, as we’re constantly looking for better ways to enhance its features.

We use social media in our personal lives, for our businesses, events, campaigns and various reasons.

We often look at the positives of social media and shy away from the negatives. When we speak about the effects of social media, we should consider awareness of the following:  A false sense of connection, privacy, decreased productivity, it messes with your ability to think independently, it might make you spend more money, and it alters your appetite and online-offline influences.

  1. A false sense of connection

Since the introduction of social media, there’s been an increase in less real-life conversations. More people are building relationships online and drifting away from the real world. The more we post, comment and like, the more we feel closer to other people (whether or not we know them in person). Phones are smart enough to become a studio of conversation with people across the world. When was the last time you had a real chat with your neighbor?

  1. Privacy

  “Check-in, at home, on the couch, with my popcorns, watching Star-Wars”.

Social media is encouraging people to become more public with their private lives, users are easily giving out information they could never reveal on a face-to-face conversation.

  1. Decreased productivity

“A journey of a thousand sites begins with a single click”.

Social media can either increase or decrease productivity. It all begins with a single click of searching for some very important content, and then you come across a curious post about the first man on Mars, you ‘accidentally’ click on it. After deciding to share the news to your friend, your friend comments, and ten more friends comment and it carries on… This and many other examples can decrease your productivity, work with discipline and try to avoid social media distractions.

  1. The disability to think independently

An HP Lab’s computer scientists study revealed that more users are influenced to change their way of thinking based on the majority rule – their online circle. Peer pressure continues to be an influence on a lot of users, this is a negative trait that disallows a person’s own idea or implement of thought, as they fear criticism, their self-esteem is lowered.

  1. It might make you spend more money

 “It’s not about ‘don’t spend time on Facebook’, but just be aware of what it might be doing to you”, Professor Keith Wilcox, Columbia University.

More business is entering the social media world and it is luring more consumers to buy products online. Online purchasing is cheap and doesn’t consume time, which is exactly what the consumer wants – no delays. However, that’s debatable why more people buy online: the cheaper the product, the more bulk consumer’s purchase – the more money being spent.

  1. It modifies your appetite

A study from Women’s Health reveals, more people tend to feel hungry after they’ve viewed a couple of @ItsFoodPorn images online. A photo of a mega-food plate can trigger a part of the brain to compel observers to overeat. Beware of the content you see on social media, as it may have a major impact on your daily habits. Also if you need to learn more about women’s health check the reports healthcare: what is average height for women? blog.

  1. Online-Offline influences

A lot of people enjoy online entertainment just as much as they enjoy online shopping. For a parent and teenager, there’s a better line of connection online than of relationship couples. Often, more couples fall a victim of jealousy or breakup, from online occurring posts. For instance, a partner is caught keeping up with their ex in conversations. Social media is not a platform for sensitive people, as a lot of negative content can be posted, however, if you see something you don’t like online, you can either hide it or report it.

Social media has its negative side, reaching harmful self-esteem problems for numerous people, whether it may be through depression, lower grades, psychological disorders, online/cyber bullying and future health problems, even with hair loss problems.

The above can be cured. Studies show that users who are educated enough on social media understand how to use it effectively and safely, which is in fact why every user should research and get trained on the effective ways of using social media.

For guest blog projects please contact Brian

Brian Mawdsley author negative effects of social mediaWritten by Brian Mawdsley Follow on Instagram  

Unpacking businesses and then creating elegant digital solutions is a passion. I actually can’t help myself at times, analysing people’s business and creating answers to questions they have not even asked.

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