Gordon, 14, Atlanta, GA
What would the world be like today if there were no presence of social media?
In a world where there is constantly so much going on and so many current events to talk about, would it be a complete disaster, or could it possibly be a good thing? It is important to understand that the world today is hugely informed about current events and issues widely thanks to social media. A large portion of my generation does not watch the news much and is hugely reliant on social media. Learning about the news through social media has both positive and negative sides to it. In addition to the absence of social media’s impact on the way information spreads, it would also affect many other aspects of people’s daily life.
Those who rely on social media for education on current events are vulnerable to a huge amount of media bias and misinformation. While it can often be a good way to get information, you can find yourself in an extremely biased part of the internet. Most media is built to show you posts that contain the same ideas as you. But not only are you only being shown things that go hand in hand with your own opinion, all of the other people that also got shown the post agree and either “like” or make positive comments on it. This is how you get trapped in a bubble of people that agree with you and put the other side down.
When there are thousands and hundreds of thousands of people that share your political opinions and that is all you see, it is very easy to become closed-minded and even hateful towards the other side. This can be seen hugely on algorithm-based social media such as TikTok and Instagram. On TikTok, you have almost no control over what you get shown, but TikTok will analyze what videos you like and don't like or what comments you agree with and so on. It will then feed you more of this type of content and therefore trap you in an echo chamber. With no social media presence, this would not be as big of a problem, and I think that there would not be so much politically charged hatred. This is a reason why it might be a better world without social media.
While there are definitely downsides to social media, it is also very informative. Instead of having to actively look for any articles or information, it gives it directly to you. Also, if you manage to stay out of a one-sided bubble you can see both sides of the argument or event. You are able to see other people’s opinions, which is crucial to maintaining a good education about current events.
In a world without social media, the news would be shared primarily through websites, broadcasts, print news media, and word of mouth. The news cannot possibly cover everything there is to talk about, so much of what we see on current events is personal experiences and videos coming directly from the people that had the experience and took the videos. This can be seen especially now with the Black Lives Matter movement as people all over social media are sharing their own stories and speaking out against the way that the media portrays the protesters. Without social media, it would be much harder to start any type of movement such as the #metoo or #blacklivesmatter movements. Recently, there was a large movement over TikTok to sink a Trump rally in Tulsa. This was only possible because of social media. Also, word of mouth is very unreliable, where voices can go unchecked. At least on social media, people can provide counterarguments or label items as false, with evidence.
The absence of social media would have a huge impact not only on the spread of information but also on many other aspects of daily life as well. Social media is a huge part of many people’s lives when it comes to meeting new people, communicating with your friends, sharing your experiences online, or even just using it for entertainment. Large numbers of people are on social media for extensive amounts of time every day, and while it is true that social networking is a great way to connect with your friends, it can be unhealthy.
Researchers have liked increasing lengths of time spent on social media with inclining rates of depression and insecurity specifically in developing teenagers. On social media, people display the best aspects of their lives and the best-looking photos, which can lead others to believe that their own lives are boring or not as good. Also, they also compare themselves to the people that they see online. Because of this, it may actually improve many people’s lives to not have social media. Not only would it give them more time to be productive, but it would likely help them mentally as well. It may seem that you could just get off social media whenever you want and be productive, but this is not the case for many people. So many people are so attached to numbers such as “likes,” comments, and shares that they become so reliant on the validation of others that they’ve neglected the importance of validating oneself. Without social media, many people who hold other people’s opinions about themselves above their own would likely see improved moods and mental health.
Overall, I believe that social media has a great deal of useful features and information despite its harmful effects. Just like anything else it is good in moderation and without obsession. Of course, the fact that the platforms are designed to keep you on them as long as possible is not helpful. If there were no social networking platforms, we would have a much less educated and informed population, even if you do have to do some fact-checking here and there. It is an easy way to stay in tune with current events. As for the social side of it, social media is a good way to stay in touch with friends and family and should be self-moderated.
Social media has had both a positive and negative impact, but I would say that the impact has been more positive and a world without it would be worse.
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