SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES: THE EMERGING ‘FAKE’ WORLD

A Term Paper on the Negative Effect of Social Media on Building Social Relations

INTRODUCTION

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, among others play a significant role on our day to day lives. Social
media is an online platform which people use to build social networks or social relations with
other people who share similar personal interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life
connections. The impact of social networks on young people is significant. It is becoming
increasingly clear that social networks have become part of people’s lives. Many adolescent
people are using their laptops, tablet computers and smart phones to check Tweets and status
updates from their friends and family or even keeping them updated with their favorite KDramas.

There has been a massive increase in the use of social networking media in recent years, as
illustrated by the fact that Facebook had grown to 800 million users in eight years (Dijck, 2013)
Prior research has not yet led to an agreement as to the relationship between internet use and social
interaction with some research suggesting that that it leads to decreased communication between
family members (Zukin, Keeter , Andolina, Jenkins, 2006) and others that there was little or no
relationship between internet use and social interaction (Zhang, 2009).

However, this relationship may have changed in recent times due to the increase in numbers of
people spending time on social networking sites such as Facebook. Access to the internet has
grown enormously. Most people now have internet access in their homes and do not have to rely
on visits to internet cafes or having to use work or college based computers. Many people now
have smart phones which allow easier access to the internet and social media sites (Zhang, 2009).

This term paper focuses on the use of the social networking sites and its negative effect on face to
face communication. This research also addresses gaps in existing knowledge regarding the use of
social networking sites. This paper also examines whether the levels of self-esteem of users affects
the way in which they use social media.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Social media has some of the most incredible potential; it can connect people oceans away from
each other, it can create support groups for those in need, it can provide a platform for those without
a voice to gain one–the possibilities are endless. Yet there are some negative social media effects
becoming more apparent as its use increases in day to day life.

Since the beginning of the Internet, many people have worried that computer communication
would have a negative effect on our social networks. Instead of going out and interacting with
others in traditional settings, they feared that people will stare at their computers all day typing
messages to people they’ve never even met. And if you’ll look up from your phone a moment,
you’ll see that everyone around you is engrossed in theirs. So maybe these people were right.
This paper posits that the use of social media has lead a negative effect on face to face
communication and that it has lead to self-esteem issues among users

According to O’Keefe and Clarke-Pearson (2011), whether using social media makes you lonely
or not depends on what you do with the social media. According to them, the more time students
spent online, the less they had for building new friendships on campus, leading to increased
feelings of loneliness.

Many people use social media as a substitute for in-person social exchanges. Particularly for those
who suffer from social anxiety—that is, the fear of interacting with other people, especially
strangers—social media seems like a safe alternative. These people lack the necessary social skills
to successfully navigate interpersonal exchanges. As a result, their social networks are fragile and
fail to support their need for connectedness. But when they go online, they carry with them this
same set of inappropriate social behaviors (Jelenchick, Eickhoff, Moreno, 2013).

NEGATIVE EFFECT OF FACE TO FACE COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL ESTEEM

OF USERS

According to Seidman (2012), there are two pitfalls in social media use. The first pitfall is what
they call “social snacking.” This involves activities such as browsing through other people’s
profiles or reading other people’s comments without making any of your own. Social snacking
may feel like social engagement, and while you’re doing it you might temporarily forget your own
feelings of loneliness.

The second pitfall is self-comparison. On Facebook, other people’s lives seem so much more
exciting and glamorous than your own. Of course, the socially savvy know when someone is just
boasting, and they discount what that person says. But when you’re all alone in the wee hours of
the morning, the tall tales people tell on social media can make your own life seem insignificant
by comparison (Seidman, 2012).

Before, magazines and advertising have long been criticized for upholding dangerously unrealistic
standards of success and beauty, The models wearing Size 0 clothing are just that: models. And
even they are made-up, retouched, and photoshopped. These days, however, the impossible
standards are set much closer to home, not by celebrities and models but by classmates and friends.
With social media, teens can curate their lives, and the resulting, showing only the best and most
enviable moments while concealing efforts, struggles, and the merely ordinary aspects of day-to-
day life. And there’s evidence that those images are causing distress for many kids.

With the rise of social media, instead of interacting with those around them, they stand back and
watch as others chit-chat, laugh, and seem to have a grand old time. In the end, the spectacle only
makes the socially awkward feel even lonelier. Because other people seem to have much happier
and more fulfilling lives than they do, their self-esteem takes a heavy hit as well.
Researchers have since agreed that Facebook can cause mild depressive symptoms. This
phenomenon is called “Facebook depression.” Facebook depression develops when users spend a
great amount of time on Facebook. These frequent active members, in turn, will begin to exhibit
classic symptoms of depression (O'Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Adolescents of this era are
known to place more importance on the need to belong and the need to seek for approval, or to be
accepted for what they are. This is, in fact, their fundamental drive and motivation to use Facebook.
Facebook, like any other social networking sites, is perhaps a perfect virtual forum for them to
fulfill their belonging needs and to present their alternate selves (Seidman, 2012). And when such
expected needs are not fulfilled, they tend to get depressed. Moreover, according to a recent
research, Facebook users are more likely to suffer from depression when: i) they have more online
friends, ii) they have a habit of spending most of their free time reading social updates, most of
which tend to be of bragging nature posted by one's wide pool of friends. In other words, the more
one reveals oneself online, the greater is the tendency for negative social evaluation (Blease, 2015).

Another example of such scenarios is when a lonely individual logs onto Facebook, they will then
tend to compare themselves with other members of Facebook, whose posts on their timelines may
perhaps seem way more lively and triumphant as opposed to theirs. Such situations will result in
lonely individuals feeling more isolated.

It is only reasonable to say that Facebook, among other social media platforms, unintentionally
allows social comparisons to transpire. It must also be noted that mildly depressed users are likely
to log on to Facebook than those who are not. They are often online on Facebook because they
wanted to seek social support to invalidate their depression. And this is where they get very
unlucky, If anything, Facebook use only intensifies depressive feelings among such users (Blease,
2015). Another cause of depression among such members is envy. We may call this phenomenon
as “Facebook envy.” Such envy may be triggered when a mild depressive user encounters a peer
of his/hers, whom he/she perceives to be of similar social status but faring way better in life. They
couldn’t seem to comprehend the thought that their online peers are doing much better in life
compared to them. They then get depressed over such an idea. It is rather poignant to think of what
a Facebook timeline could do to such a person. Notwithstanding the fact that there are 7 billion
people on the planet Earth, most if not all of them were connected through Facebook, doesn’t,
however, diminish the fact that many of us are still feeling lonely

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Every creation that humans have invented has its advantages and disadvantages. The Internet and
social media are one of the many aspects of technology. We cannot deny the fact that most if not
all of our creations have its two-faced implications. The use of social media has many benefits but
its negative effects should also be made known to us. This paper had shown that social media use
has negative effects on users’ self esteem.

When users, particularly teens, see through a screen that everyone partaking in different social
activities in the real world–and they’re not part of it, this can cause a teen to feel even more alone
than before, leading lower confidence and motivation to engage in social interactions. When a teen
logs onto social media and sees that they’re friends are doing something without them, it could
elicit feelings of being left out or even more hostile emotions such as jealousy.

Another one of the potentially negative social media effects is using it as a security blanket in
uncomfortable situations. As much as we all hate awkward moments in school, it’s how we learn
to navigate the real world. Now, it’s easy to escape those moments of silence by simply checking
your phone or acting like you’ve received a notification. If someone has an unhealthy attachment
to technology or having issues with social isolation, it’s important to seek out a professional for
further guidance.

RECOMMENDATION

Perhaps what’s called for is a return to old values. In the world of technology, a return to former
ways of doing things is viewed as old thinking and lack of progress. This term paper is not calling
for an abandonment of many of the benefits that the new electronic media provide us and our
organizations, but rather, a balance. Maybe we would leave school, work or whatnot at 5:00 P.M.
and be physically and emotionally present for the remainder of the night to those we love. On the
weekends, we would engage into face to face interactions with real people.

To avoid the negative effects on social media, this term paper recommends:

To Social media users: Take social media seriously. Don’t underestimate the role social media
plays in the lives of users, particularly, teenagers. The power of a visual image is so strong.
Unrealistic standards of beauty, negative comments, cyber bullying are among some of the issues
prevalent on social media. These are real issues that should be dealt with seriously.

Go on a “social holiday.” If you’re worried that you are getting too wrapped up in social media,
try taking a social holiday. Have a social media hiatus. Try to reconnect with the real world.

To Parents, Guardians, Teachers: Encourage users to think outside the box. When a parent talks
to a child, or a teacher to a student, encourage them to explore it in a more critical way. Encourage
them to surround themselves with positive people , to follow those who share positive content and
the like.

To everyone: Trust people, not pictures. Finally, don’t rely on social media to let you know how
others are really doing. Some may post smiling selfies all day long, but if he or she seems unhappy
or sounds unhappy on the phone, don’t let it go. Make sure he/she knows it’s safe to talk to you
by encouraging him/her to share his/her feelings and supporting him/her when she does.

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