Being social media smart

Everything. Literally everything on social media exists to make you buy something or believe in something (except my really funny statuses, that’s just me being a doofus). All major media content, especially the news you consume on social media is meant to serve an agenda. If you’re yet unaware of Facebook’s algorithm, I suggest you read it up. So, Facebook works on an algorithm that very selectively shows you stuff that it believes you like (Not sure about the CIA, but someone is surely reading your messages). And what you like might not necessarily be what’s true.

A special study by The Wall Street Journal revealed how different the news feeds of left-leaning and right-leaning people looked like during the US Presidential campaign. With 80 per cent of America consuming news solely on social media, you can see how much of a problem this can be. You only see what you want to see. It’s like a parent telling you that your visit to the dentist’s clinic isn’t going to be painful. But that’s what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. Images and videos can always be manipulated and projected in a completely different light. It’s as easy as putting out a blog post, even a blog can be taken seriously. The easiest way to escape this maze is to fact check. Arguing on Facebook threads based on wrong facts is the most unforgivable waste of time. I’d suggest you rather doodle or water your plants. 

A recent game called ‘Blue Whale’ became the latest trend in Russia. A game that set goals of self harm and suicide resulting in many teens ending their lives. There’s no denying that the Internet is a scary place, but it’s also a useful tool. It just needs you to be a little smart. Cyber bullying today is also a rage. Refrain from being too emotionally invested on social media thus. 

Apart from news and facts being distorted on social media, it has also given rise to the creation of different self-identities among teenagers (the benefits of which are debatable). It is often said that people act differently on social media and real life. This has led to new studies researching the influence of social media on individual personalities. You really don’t deserve to be a person with a distorted self identity.

Memes and jokes also don’t exist in a vacuum. Nowadays, memes are becoming highly political statements and tend to be very offensive, and are totally not permissible in some instances. However, they are excused because, well, they are memes. We are breeding a culture that encourages a lack of empathy as a form of entertainment.

The Internet and social media are a boon to humanity, and there’s no way we’d know how to live our lives without them anymore. It thrusts great power upon us. And I’d like to change this well-known phrase a bit and say, ‘With great power, comes great corruption’. And it’d only do you good to not slip into the ‘dark side of the Internet’. 

The writer is an 18-year-old illustrator and poet who uses her art to express her opinion on various issues.