Nowadays, social media is everywhere we look, and while being connected to anyone anywhere in the world has its benefits, there are also many negatives that you should watch out for. The number of social media platforms out there is endless, from Facebook to Snapchat, meaning that there are now so many different ways that we can now publicize every small detail of our lives online.
Social media has become the ‘norm’ and takes up a significant chunk of our everyday lives. While it can often be harmless, giving up your privacy online can cause problems, some more serious than others. It is also wrong to assume that only the younger generation is at risk to the dangers of social media, as no matter how old you are or which platforms you use, you never really know who is getting access to the information you share online.
Therefore, we have put together some of the 4 main dangers of social media and the things you should watch out for.
1. Cyberbullying
The rise in social media has also brought with it a rise in the modern-day concept of cyber bullying. Long gone are the days where a bully could only victimize its victims face-to-face. Now, through the use of social media and the internet, victims are now being targeted from the so-called safety of their own homes.
The development of social media has provided the perfect platform for the creation of ‘keyboard warriors’, a term describing people who use the internet to say hurtful and mean things anonymously from behind their computer screen.
2. Relationship Problems
Relationships can be difficult enough anyway, but the rise of social media has brought many more relationship problems to the door of modern-day couples.
Research has found that more individuals are being unfaithful to their partners through social media platforms. From online dating apps and secret and hidden conversations, social media allows people the chance to cheat on their other halves without being detected. For example, snapchat cheating is when this form of social media is used for unfaithful activities.
3. Comparison
Social media can very easily stir up resentment and jealousy amongst friends and strangers, as what is portrayed on the internet is often the most positive highlights of someone’s life and not their everyday reality. Therefore, individuals can spend a lot of time looking at posts of others having a ‘perfect life,’ and this can cause jealousy and sometimes conflict.
4. What You Post is Out There Forever
Many people forget that the information and posts you share on your social media will be available for anybody to see forever by anybody who goes looking. Many employers now spend time searching for potential employees before hiring them, and any negative comments that you have posted may be used against you even years after you have posted them.
While social media can often be a positive influence and benefit modern day life in many ways, there are also the dangers of social media that all users should be aware of so that they can keep themselves safe.
