Privacy And Social Media

In the year of 1971, the very first email was sent and delivered. Since then, the world has seen tremendous advancements in technology and social media. Long distance communication has transformed from hand writing and mailing someone a letter in order to reach him or her, to typing someone a quick text message on a smart phone. These advancements have significantly improved the way the world communicates with one another and has connected lives in ways never thought possible. But at what cost? Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have provided a popular means of communication, but not without the expense of privacy, self-esteem, and a sense of connection. Privacy is an issue for many users of social media sites because

Furthermore, browsing sites such as Facebook may lead to low morale, as people begin to measure their self-worth with the amount of “likes” they receive. Ironically, although social media sites boast their ability to connect people, they mainly separate society even more as people become isolated behind their screens. Social media is damaging to a person’s life because it can lower self-esteem, isolate people from real relationships, and cause privacy concerns as marketers, employers, and school officials can view information posted online.

Social media sites make it easy to access and share private information, which allows users to be manipulated by marketers who use this information to present specific advertisements. People who have accounts on websites such as Facebook and LinkedIn often reveal more personal information than intended, making it easy to become careless with posting things online. In the Forbes article “Social Media Privacy: A Contradiction In Terms?” Naomi Troni states “With all the time we spend online and all the forums we frequent, it’s no wonder most of us have grown accustomed to doling out little snippets of personal information with

If a person does not have a sufficient amount of “likes” on pictures or statuses, they come to assume they are not good enough compared to others who get more attention on social media. Moreover, simply browsing though pictures can cause negative feelings in users of these sites. In the article “Why Facebook Makes You Feel Bad About Yourself,” Alexandra Sifferlin states “…skimming through photos of friends’ life successes can trigger feelings of envy, misery and loneliness…” (Sifferlin 2) Seeing other people’s photos on vacation or at a party can make a person feel as if their life is not as good as others who are posting these pictures. They begin to compare themselves with the images they see online, failing to realize that they are posed and not necessarily representative of reality. Moreover, if a user does not post as many pictures as others they begin to feel as if their life is not satisfying or interesting. As a result, content and happiness is measured by how a person’s profile appears online. Social media sites can connect people socially, but it can also often make users feel as if they are left out by the people on their friend lists. People who use these sites may feel dissatisfied with their lives after viewing their friend’s profiles and comparing their