Can Social Media Be Good? Edited by Whitney Edna Ibe

This article shows the good side of social media and how it can be helpful in today’s society. 

All types of social media have taken the world by storm, such as Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, and Youtube, etc. Millions of people each day scroll for hours through these apps gathering information faster and more efficiently than they ever could before. With a click of a button, someone could figure out how to change a tire from a YouTuber, find out who won an election on Snapchat, and check out their favorite celebrities' best make-up hacks on Tik Tok. It is expected that social media is also linked with decreased mental health, and for a good reason. For example, you can see what your friends are up to if you were not invited and compare yourself to the celebrities that photoshop out their pimples. On the contrary, social media can bring a loss of their members, and it's essential to learn how o correctly use social media.

First, building relationships is an essential part of being human; social media makes it more accessible. You can join specific groups on Facebook or follow certain accounts on Instagram that pique your youngest. If used responsibly, you can meet new friends and bond over your shared interest. Additionally, dating apps can also be considered social media. Hopefully, you can complete your long-time significant other on apps such as Hinge, Tinder, Bumble, etc. Moreover, you keep in contact with friends and family members that you do not see a lot. For example, if one of your friends is going on a vacation, they may post about it on their social media, and you get to see all the fun activities they are doing n real time! 

Second, gaining knowledge daily is an excellent way to become a well-rounded person; social media makes it more accessible. Equally important, there are no limits on what you can learn on the internet and social media platforms. Even if you don’t realize it, every social media platform is a learning tool. 

According to The University of Arizona, “Social media shapes and presents information in a way that makes sense to and excites students more than traditional tools do. Furthermore, sharing posts and information with other students, rather than simply submitting assignments to the teacher, promotes deeper engagement and better performance from all students. If students know from the start that they and their peers will interact with course materials and each other on various social media platforms, they may put more effort into both their work and online presence.”

Some examples of social media used to expand student’s knowledge are using blogs to discuss information, Twitter and hashtags to encourage debates, Zoom or Skype to share information without leaving the house in real-time, Pinterest can be used for inspiration on a project, Google Docs can be used to collaborate with peers on writing material, and inkedIn to build a connection for future or current jobs. 

Thirdly, social media can reduce a lot of stigmas. Some taboo subjects, such as mental health, race, sexuality, etc., are not discussed enough. Instead, on a large platform such as tik tok, these stigmas are talked about all the time, and people can not feel as alone when following their favorite transgender, African American hairstylist, gay couple, republican, etc.; despondingly, these people can share tips and experiences to help someone else and guide them. To explain further, social media can help reduce the stigma that has been around forever by offering real-time viewpoints of people with different backgrounds and situations. 

Lastly, a lot of people have social anxiety, which makes it hard to connect with people in the real world. Social media may help people dip their toes into the water by talking to parking online or posting videos of themselves discussing their interests. Not to mention, there is a calmness in knowing that your identity can be protected on the internet if you so choose. To point out, you can disguise your voice, face, and real name. Likewise, social media can be anonymous. 

In conclusion, social media is not all bad; there are some excellent points to it. You can gain tons of information that you would never have before from thousands of people that didn’t have a platform before social media.

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