...

A Conversation on Social Media

As discussed in class, there is a variety of potential pitfalls when using social media. It is likely in need of reforms although many of them require more societal changes than changes with the actual technology. Some of these issues I think include:

1. Self- Image Issues
   Social media has given the appearance that nobody is quite good enough in two respects. The first is that everyone is that everyone is actually living their "Instagram lives." People only post the best things that are happening to them because they want to brag about it, but when you are scrolling through, you think it is their status quo. When comparing it to your life, their life seems so much more exciting and interesting. The second part of this is that the objectification of individuals where people that are "hotter" get more likes, and if you do not get as many likes, you might see yourself as less than.
2. Cyberbullying
   There is a mask of anonymity that allows you to hide when on social media. Because you are not face to face, you might say things that are bolder or more aggressive. This leads to insults being lobbed without really thinking about the consequences or effects on other people. The more people think about how the other person will respond, the better things will end up.
3. Addiction
   Because of it always being accessible with your phone, tablet, or laptop, there are huge issues with the amount of time people spend on social media. This has become especially true during the pandemic as less time is spent face to face than ever. Scrolling through the vast endlessness of social media, bouncing from site to site makes it difficult to break away and see people for real.

Facebook, as discussed in class has some massive advantages where you can connect in different groups for like minded people and reconnect with people after years of being away. However, with great power comes great responsibility. Facebook has become a hotbed for misinformation, and groups sometimes talk in an echo chamber and get into a frenzy. There is also a lot of passive aggressiveness and objectification on Facebook.

One way to reform social media would be what Facebook is doing already, notifying you when someone posts something that is a potential source of misinformation. This gets dicey though since Facebook is the center for a lot of conversations and if they do not agree with a political view and censor it, opinions will not be heard.