Kripa BhandariDr. Felicia GodwinEnglish Composition IDate: 04/18/2019 Research Essay: Positive and Negative Effect of Social Media in Society Social media is computer facilitated technologies that provides facility of sharing and creating the information through various networks. Users normally uses social media through various web base technologies on their computers or smart-phones. Users can also create various platforms through which people can share and discuss ideas. Some of the most popular social media websites are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google + etc.Social media has been growing so vastly in the last few years.
From 2006 the growth rate of users is very high. Specially Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have grown much faster and according to the record social media has managed to capture 3.484 billion users. It has brought a lot of advantages for the society and encouraged interaction and made communication easier. It has also helped to get updated with what is going around the world. Social media has also proven to be the life savior on same cases.
Facebook has stream where people can write how they are feeling and what is on their mind with the help of that Facebook has record of saving people as well. Likewise, every other country social media is very popular in my own country Nepal. It has played vital role in developing Nepalese society. Social media platforms provided Nepali people with a platform to raise their voice against injustice and inequality. People of lower caste society have always been suppressed by the upper class. Such kind of people are now bringing their cases to social media to let the world know what is happening to them and seeking justice. People who are having problem either it is health issue or financial issue they are bringing their issues in social media and getting donation from people around the world. In context of Nepal the biggest help social media ever made was when Nepal was hit by 8.1 Ms Earthquake on April 2015 Nepal earthquake which nearly killed nearly 9,000 people and injured nearly 22,000. Within hours of the earthquake Mark Zuckerburg, Chief Executive Officer of Facebook announced the launch of Facebook Safety Check. That day social media timelines were overflowed with charities that had reacted immediately and set up fundraising campaigns. The drone footage by filmmaker Paul Borrud, that shows the devastating results of the earthquake around Kathmandu, has been used as a fundraising tool by UNICEF UK. Social media is not just limited to the common people but also the politicians. It has played huge role in creating good image of the politicians. Social media has become a medium for politicians to put their works to influences the public. For example; Former Prime Minister of United States of America Mr. Barrack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard hosted conference on Google +.Social media has also played very important role in business market as well. Various brands have been using social media to promote the products and spreading awareness about the products. Also, provides useful information about the behavior of customer to the organization on regular basis.There are times when companies face a scenario where disgruntled employees speak their minds defaming the company’s good name. Social media platforms have also been famous for defaming and negatively portraying brands, companies, celebrities as well as members of general public.However, everything has its positive and negative side and just like that social media has its negative side as well. It has various negative impacts like identity theft, security issues and internet fraud. Though various social sites has Privacy Setting” facilities, but there is still privacy issues and leakage of personal information and not just that researchers have found that social media is leading people towards laziness, depression, isolation, violation or even in the cases which may even lead to suicide.Social media has made the world a small space by allowing mass cultural exchange and intercultural communication. Such cultural mergers have proved to be ruinous for the Indian society. India being a secular country is a home for the people of various religious and cultural beliefs. When these beliefs clash the consequences are unpleasant. A mere comment or opinion on a certain belief on social media spreads like fire leading to ugly riots and destructive rallies. Thus creating disturbance in life of common man.Social media and use of social networking sites is a trend that almost every Indian follows. Social media helps to improve an individual’s sense of connectedness with the real or online communities. It is an effective marketing tool for corporations, entrepreneurs, NGOs, etc. At the same time, concern have been raised about possible links between its heavy usage and its ill effects on health issues or cyber bullying, online harassment and trolling. Just as everything has some good and bad side so is social media. Its impact on Indian society totally depends on how and why we Indians use it.