Social Media

Social media are new media technologies that facilitate the creation, sharing and aggregation of content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongst virtual communities and networks. Common features include online platforms that enable users to create and share content and participate in social networking, user-generated content like text posts or comments, digital photos, or videos, and data generated via online communications, service-specific profiles that are designed and maintained by the social media organization, and social media that helps the development of online social networks by connecting a user's profile with those of other individuals or groups. The term social in regard to media suggests platforms enable communal activity. Social media enhances and extends human networks. Users access social media through web-based apps or custom apps on mobile devices. These interactive platforms allow individuals, communities, businesses, and organizations to share, co-create, discuss, participate in, and modify user-generated or self-curated content. Social media is used to document memories, learn, and form friendships. They may be used to promote people, companies, products, and ideas. Social media can be used to consume, publish, or share news. Social media platform can be categorized based on their primary potentials. They are social networking sites such as Facebook, and Linkedln that concentrate on establishing personal and professional connections, microblogging platforms, like Twitter(now known as X), Threads and Mastodon, emphasize short-form content and rapid information sharing, media sharing network,  including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat, allow users to share images, videos, and live streams, discussion and community forums  like Reddit, Quora, and Discord facilitate conversations, Q&A, and niche community engagement, live streaming platforms like Twitch, Facebook Live, and YouTube Live, enable real-time audience interaction, and decentralized social media platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky aim to provide social networking without corporate control, offering users more autonomy over their data and interactions. Social media outlets differ from old media (e.g. newspapers, TV, and radio broadcasting) in many ways, including quality, reach, frequency, usability, relevancy, and permanence. Social media outlets operate in a dialogic transmission system (many sources to many receivers) while traditional media operate under a monologic transmission model (one source to many receivers). For instance, a newspaper is delivered to many subscribers, and a radio station broadcasts the same programs to a city. Social media has been criticized for a range of negative impacts on children and teenagers, including exposure to inappropriate content, exploitation by adults, sleep problems, attention problems, feelings of exclusion, and various mental health maladies. Social media has also received criticism as worsening political polarization and undermining democracy. Major news outlets often have strong controls in place to avoid and fix false claims, but social media's unique qualities bring viral content with little to no oversight. "Algorithms that track user engagement to prioritize what is shown tend to favor content that spurs negative emotions like anger and outrage. Overall, most online misinformation originates from a small minority of "superspreaders," but social media amplifies their reach and influence". I am writing this to create awareness about use of social media, as I read the news that the boy who murdered a girl was suspected to be influence by video games, or social media. That is why the government restricted underaged individuals to use, especially under 16. There are a lot of ways to use social media wisely. Use it. Don't abuse it. Do not post spiteful, sensitive or nasty comments, rumors or pictures on social media. Parents should supervise their children on the use of social media. Governments should tighten the laws on the usage on social media. Thank you.