Impact of Online Social Networking on Contemporary Human Societies

Social Media
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Social Media: Impact of Online Social Networking on contemporary human societies
ABSTRACT
Even though Social Media was developed to facilitate human communication and interaction, it has come to have adverse effects on the very societies it is meant to serve (Scheff, 2011). This growing trend calls for an examination of the negative effects involved in terms of thought and behavior of people in the context of modern societies. This forms the primary focus of this paper, which endeavors to describe verifiable facts of how social media has influenced human thought and behavior basing on available literature on the topic. In particular, the paper explores the subject matter in relation to collective behaviors of children, teenagers and adults. The discussion will revolve around issues of brainwashing, digital relationships and other forms of computer-based threats and risks drawing from a cause and effect perspective. Overall, the study elaborates negative impacts of social media on the larger global society.
Introduction
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary (2014), the term social media refers to "form(s) of electronic communication (as [in specific] websites for social networking and micro blogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content ([including] videos)". It is well understood that emergent forms of social media, which facilitate global-wide communication, have great influence on people in terms of behavior, and thought. However, besides the many invaluable benefits of social media, there exist a number of risks and threats posed by this electronic form of communication and interaction. The use of social networking sites (on platforms that include personal and professional, adult and children, secular and religious among others) results in far reaching influences on large-scale online communities (Scheff, 2011). The foremost social networking sites worth mentioning include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, MySpace and LinkedIn. It is important however to note that numerous large-scale Social Networking Sites are in existence today. Of the essence however, Social Networking Sites have become an unfiltered parcel of our identity; and without restrictions on the content allowed online, social media will have more negative than positive authority over society's existence.
Social media in the context of online or internet-based communication involves the use and application of Social Networking Sites, which largely form the main platform for electronic data transfer, and so communication and interaction. These Social Networking Sites (SNS), like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have become not only prevalent but also rampant in use and application by people all over the world, particularly for the past decade. Today, almost all teenagers and young adults in the developed world have knowledge of these sites and use them on a regular basis (Carr, 2010).
According to Disalvo, (2010), social media cannot replace physical interaction, in fact and in some instances, it makes feel lonelier. From a psychological point of view, the author believes that these sites can easily ‘mess up' somebody's ‘head'. Undeniably, many users of social media spend a lot of their time on these sites for the benefit of curbing loneliness and or boredom but they end up overdoing this practice and so they diminish their productive capacity and social skills as well. This represents a worrying trend whereby even when opportunities to interact face to face do occur; most young people prefer to communicate on their electronic gadgets, which they have become addicted to (Fowlkes, 2012).
Another problem associated with the use of social media is over-sharing of personal and or confidential information. Such results i...