A World Growing Every Day
Social media, which has become almost indispensable in our lives, continues to welcome new users every day. With the advancement of technology, we can easily follow and learn about events and information happening around the world through our smartphones. Of course, social media is not only used to follow the agenda. One of its most common purposes is to stay connected with people around us, keep up with well-known figures, and discover new individuals.
Considering all its uses, we can conclude that social media has both positive and negative effects on our daily lives.
The Positives — Time and Connection
Without spending time buying a newspaper or visiting a news site, we can instantly learn what is happening in the world through notifications on our screens. Moreover, we can view various types of content that interest us in a single feed. These features are among the time-saving advantages of social networks.
The Negatives — The Trap of Comparison
When we look at the negative effects of social media, we can relate this especially to the desire to stay connected. We can directly see what people in our lives are doing, where they go, who they meet, and even what they own on our main feed. In fact, this situation unconsciously pushes us to compare our lives with others. Instead of being content with what we have, we postpone our happiness with 'what ifs' and refuse to live in the moment. As the time we spend on social media increases, the time we allocate to ourselves decreases, leading us to neglect ourselves. Sometimes, by considering the likes, comments, and opinions of others on our posts, we unknowingly base our self-worth on their standards. While positive feedback may satisfy our need for approval and trigger happiness hormones, the opposite situation can lead us to feel unhappy.
To protect our self-respect and self-worth, we must never forget this: every moment shared on social media does not fully reflect reality. Like the unseen side of an iceberg, there may be pain, sorrow, and struggles behind what people share. Keeping this in mind and using social media more cautiously can slightly change our perspective toward ourselves and others.