Unable to Embrace Installation of Social Media Platforms in Today's Digital Era
In the digital age, social media has become an integral part of our lives, with approximately 4.9 billion users worldwide, accounting for around 60.49% of the global population. However, its origins can be traced back much further than many might think.
The concept of social media evolved gradually from early networked computer communication technologies, with the foundational technology of the Internet itself being built through innovations like packet switching in the early 1960s and the development of ARPANET in 1969. The first official social media websites, such as SixDegrees and Classmates.com, were launched in 1997.
Marshall McLuhan, a Canadian philosopher, provided early media theory relevant to social media with concepts like "the medium is the message" and the idea of the "global village," which presciently foresaw the impact of interconnected media on society decades before the World Wide Web was invented.
Early social media platforms faced numerous controversies, primarily technical, cultural, and privacy-related. The first ARPANET message transmission in 1969, for instance, crashed the system after sending only part of a word. As the early Internet and social media platforms were dominated by academics, programmers, and technologists, cultural clashes arose when new users joined, lowering communication standards temporarily until they learned the cultural etiquette of the communities.
Privacy and security concerns also emerged with the growth of mailing lists and bulletin boards, with issues related to data privacy, user control over personal information, and moderation being less regulated compared to today. Early social media was largely restricted to academic and technologically savvy communities, creating a divide between users who had access and those who did not.
Fast-forward to the present day, and a teenage girl has never downloaded Instagram, Twitter, Discord, Facebook, Snapchat, or YouTube. She got her first phone during the summer before eighth grade, unaware of social media until then. Her peers' use of social media during her ninth grade year at Bronx Science isolated and excluded her.
The teen is wary of the rising cancel culture fueled by social media users and the contribution of social media to the mental health crisis caused by cyberbullying. She recommends researching the risks of social media before using it, not judging others' use or disuse of social media, and being careful with what is said and done on social media.
The age restriction on most social media is 13+ as suggested by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). However, the teen does not provide a specific age restriction for social media use. The teen does not mention any studies claiming a direct causation between social media and depression, but numerous studies claim that social media is "linked to" or "related" to depression.
One example of privacy violations on social media is the #planebae livestream incident, where a user live-streamed interactions between two strangers without their consent and romanticized it for views, leading to the individuals involved being harassed and their personal information being published online.
Despite these concerns, social media has also been used for positive change, helping to spark movements such as Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movement. However, it has also been used by indicted former President Donald Trump and played a role in the January 6th attack.
In conclusion, while social media has undeniably transformed the way we communicate and connect, it is crucial to approach its use with caution, awareness, and understanding of its potential risks and benefits.
- Mental health concerns, particularly relating to cyberbullying, have become a significant issue associated with social media use, especially among today's youth.
- The concept of social media's impact on our culture and society can be traced back to the theories of Marshall McLuhan, who foresaw the influence of interconnected media on global communities.
- In the early days of social media, controversies regarding technology, culture, and privacy were prevalent, with issues like data protection and communication etiquette taking center stage.
- In the present digital age, education-and-self-development is crucial in understanding the potential risks and benefits of social media before diving in, as highlighted by a pensive teen who has refrained from joining popular platforms.
- Social media has not only fueled rising cancel culture and contributes to mental health crises but has also been harnessed for positive change, catalyzing movements such as Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo campaign.
- The ever-evolving landscape of social media, interwoven with history, psychology, and technology, continually challenges our perception of privacy, as seen in incidents like the #planebae livestream Example, where individuals' personal information was compromised for entertainment purposes.
