Category: Unit 3

week 8

Social media can be dangerous because it brings negative impact on society and around the world. Social media use is associated with a variety of issues including emotional and mental issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, and low self-esteem, physical issues .For example, Maria was arrested several times for cyberlibel. She was arrested because of the conspiracy theories and misinformation that were being spread by social media against her and which jeopardize her career. Ressa was just staraightfoward and typical journalist. Also, Social Media made a baseless conspiracy theories about Covid-19 and Vaccine misinformation that were being spread by the unvaccinated people and which makes people hesitate to take the vaccine. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platform didn’t take action properly and they just want to let these conspiracy theory continue. Another example, when Trump made a false allegation and conspiracy theory about 2020 election that there was a widespread voter fraud and the election was RIGGED on Twitter. This conspiracy theories makes people believe it and which escalated to January 6th US Capitol Hill insurrection attack which was darkest day of US History. This is why social media is dangerous to the society.

Are the Dangers of Social Media Real?

Maria Ressa is the CEO of Rappler and is a journalist herself. During this interview, she discusses how she wants to fight for freedom for the Philippines where she was born. But has a fear that the social media platform of Facebook might lead its audience to the wrong aspect during the Philippines presidential election. Mostly the American platforms play an important role. She also expresses how especially Facebook can lead its audience to spread lies, anger, and hate.

Herself being a journalist she understands the role of spreading information, finding the truth, and protecting the people’s rights. Ressa does not understand how the role of a journalist can at some times be challenging and she states “It is more dangerous, it requires more sacrifices, just to do what journalists have always done.”

 

I do believe that every day more and more people get the hang of social media and with this technology that everyone is learning and using the platform of Facebook and I think Instagram also is an important social media regarding appearances which is also a big impact on its audience.

Instagram social media is all about appearances, having a perfect body, skin and etc. I am a user of this platform and all of these filters and women but also including men can get to be so perfect with no worries in their life when behind the phone it is another reality that they don’t show. This can affect their followers as to what that person is representing. such as how Facebook can state/publish misleading information and it has a very big audience that they can control. So I do think that social media is dangerous to anyone.