Effects of Social Media

Effects of Social Media

In today's society, it would be very difficult to find someone who does not have some kind of profile on a social website. Whether or not everyone is signed up to be on every social website such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, it is very likely that they are signed on to at least one. Having one of these profiles leads one to bigger risks, opportunities, and can take a toll on one's overall life. Although they can be very fun, there is also many downsides to them that can effect one's behavior and outlook on life.

Social media is one way of connecting others with people that they have lost contact with, or have drifted away from each other. This is one of the main reasons that many adults choose to become part of a social website. Websites such as Facebook have helped reconnect and bring long lost friends back together. You will find that most Facebook users are those who have already graduated from high school or college and are befriending those they went to school with. These sites help people keep in touch, and even though you may not talk to them directly on these sights, you can still see what one another are up to. This upside to social media can help one feel part of their old group of friends again, even if it is merely seeing their pictures and chatting every now and then.

Although the majority of adults use social media to reconnect with long lost pals, most teenagers and young adults use it to brag to their friends what they are doing, whether it is good or bad. Some do not understand the concept that as soon as you post it, someone will be able to forever see it. Nowadays, anyone with a smart phone can take a screen-shot of whatever you posted and be able to hold it against you even if you delete it on the site. Though some may not think that this will ever affect them, it most definitely will. Future job opportunities can be sabotaged from one's own words. Prospecting employers will search you on Facebook or Twitter to simply see if you are as good in your everyday life as you are on paper. For example, a student was "rejected by his local MP Richard Graham after applying for work experience as part of a school project. The MP wrote to the pupil, telling him: 'I'm sorry but I am turning down your request because although your letter and CV were acceptable, your attitude to your school and life in general on Twitter is inappropriate'" (Sherriff). The student said many offensive things on Twitter about his school and the work experience that he was applying for, thinking no one would see it and it would not matter, when in reality, the employer was wanting a person who actually cared about his job opportunity instead of downing it for everyone to see. This is how social media can affect one in a bad way by one being care-free. As soon as you post something on the internet it will be there for years and years to come. There is always a way to find something, even if it has been deleted.

Once you sign up for a social media site, you cannot forget that you are signing up for all of the drama that comes along with it. No matter how much you may try to avoid drama and conflict with other