Social media is a platform where people can stream content, interact with loved ones, get news, entertain themselves, and so much more. Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Snapchat are famous and most used social media platforms.
Videos, photos, news, memes and jokes are some of the content shared on these platforms. People mostly use it for entertainment, marketing their skills and services, earning money, etc.
Increase in use of social media during lockdown
Studies have shown an 87% increase in social media usage during the lockdown. Indians spend more than 4 hours on sites such as WhatsApp and Facebook. This is because people do not know how to kill time. Social media provides a simple and easy way to kill boredom. Â
Before the lockdown, the average usage of social media was about 150 minutes per day, but now it has jumped over 280 minutes per day.
Television, OTT platforms such as Netflix, Hotstar, and internet browsing have also seen a spike of 72% during the lockdown. Â
Effects of increased usage of social media Â
Social media can be accessed via phones, tablets, laptops or any screen. Hence it leads to an increase in screen time. This can cause headaches, nausea, eye pain and dryness. Incorrect postures can cause body pain, back pain, and headphones can lead to hearing problems or deafness.Â
Increased use of social media can be a symptom of depression, loneliness, insomnia and social anxiety. It can create social issues and make the individual distant from the people who matter in life, for example, their parents.
Negative implications
Scrolling social media the entire day can make you lazy. Physical activities such as walking, sports activities will be replaced by virtual activities, videos and games. This harms your physical and mental health and well-being.
Meeting your friends physically is now replaced by liking their posts and comments. This creates a bridge in the relationship. It affects your lifestyle and social interactions.Â
Sleep patterns are also disturbed due to the increased usage of phones. The light of the screens does not allow your body to release the essential hormones in the correct quantity to make you feel sleepy. This leads to lifestyle diseases such as PCOD, insomnia, osteoporosis, obesity etc.
Educational and social impact
social media can spread lots of misinformation, reinforce stigma, spread hate speech, violence against minorities like women. As there is no control over the information circulated on social media, it can cause a lot of negative social impacts.
Due to the pandemic, schools and colleges are also shut; hence children believe what they see on social media. They cannot differentiate right from wrong. Children and teens are very impressionable, and one wrong information can create a profound impact.
Artificial intelligence is also very developed, and it understands what an individual likes and dislikes. It filters content accordingly. Hence you never get the full picture on social media. It is not objective, and there is no credibility of the information spread on social media.
Hence, the increased usage of social media has innumerable negative impacts on the lifestyle, physical, mental and social well being of an individual. Screen time control and control of the usage of apps should be exercised. These platforms should be used only for entertainment and nothing else.
Parents should keep a check on the usage of their children too. If used in control, social media is a great platform to stay connected with your near and dear ones.
Published By – Ranjit Gohite
Edited By – Kritika Kashyap
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