Social Media Today

Social media can be found on just about every smartphone in the United States, and even throughout the world. Social media is used for many different purposes, Such as dating, buying and selling, connecting with new friends, and sharing compelling news quickly and efficiently. Social media can be a bad thing that children and adults alike can cause physical and mental harm to others when mistreated On the other hand, Many argue that social media is a helpful and resourceful tool for everyday life.

Examples of the misuse of social media become present every day, and some may argue that it gets worse as time goes on. The most common argument against social media is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is an extreme problem in the United States, affecting many children ages 12-18. The act of cyberbullying occurs when someone threatens or targets another using social media. Cyberbullying comes in different forms like defamation, threats, and use of harsh language directed at someone else online. In extreme cases, cyberbullying has gone as far as to cause self-harm, and children being scared for their lives due to the presence of someone else. Social media companies have shifted some focus on the issue, implementing the use of A.I. into their applications to reduce cyberbullying. The use of A.I. helps to ensure the safety of children by catching hurtful language, and making their investigation departments focus on account reports. While these efforts help, the presence of cyberbullying is still there, and it is important to ensure that it isn’t happening to you, or someone else you know.

Personally, I believe that social media can be used for good things. I have used social media to connect with close friends I wouldn’t have ever met otherwise. Social media being so widespread, crucial information is able to be distributed faster to the public such as severe weather reports, or information regarding the area you live in. Online dating is also a common form of social media, allowing individuals to search for people with similar interests that they might not be able to connect with otherwise.

While I can agree that some aspects of social media are not used for good, social media has produced countless positive outcomes in our lives. I think it’s important that we stay connected with each other and are able to reach friends and loved ones with the touch of a button. Social media will constantly evolve as time goes on, and I believe that social media is used for lots of good. With a little bit of reform from society, social media will continue to be used as a tool in the future.

“Cell Phone” by KB35 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.