Media has become a huge part of our lives. From performing its function of connecting us with different members of the community to providing news about what is happening all around the world- it is the most powerful weapon on Earth with the ability to make the innocent guilty and the guilty innocent. And that is power because it is able to control the minds of the masses.
Social Media: Is it Really ‘Social’?
Social media, like a two-sided coin, has both positive and negative impacts on society. However, undoubtedly, the negative side of the issue is being overweighed by the positive one. We no longer interact with each other the way we used to. Instead of having meaningful conversations with a person, we prefer spending our time on gadgets. Our addiction can be explained in one way. There are no stopping cues that were earlier present in the 20th century.
A stopping cue is basically a signal that it is time to move on and do something different. While reading newspapers, for instance, we come to the end, fold it, and put it aside. But the way we consume media today is such that there are no stopping cues. The news feed just rolls on. Everything is bottomless- Twitter, Facebook, text messaging, Instagram. Thus, ironically social media is making us unsocial.
With social media taking over teenagers’ lives there has been an increase in cyberbullying as well. This is becoming more popular because bullies find it easier to harass someone anonymously on the internet rather than doing it face to face. But the most horrifying consequence of the consumption of massive amounts of media by the youth is their low self-concept and confidence in themselves, especially among girls.
The magazines, newspapers, and advertisements often carry stereotypical images of women as uniformly beautiful, obsessively thin objects of male desire. Girls’ confidence frequently drops in the pre-teen years and instead of focusing on the worth of their knowledge, capabilities, and skills, they begin to base their feelings of self-worth more on appearance and weight.
Technology, media and networking are miraculous. But the way we are using it is a lot like driving down a fast, long road. And you’re in a car where the accelerator is mashed to the floor and it’s hard to reach the brake pedal. Now, you have a choice.
You can either glide by past, say the beautiful ocean scenes, and take snaps out the window. That’s the easy thing to do. Or you can go out of your way to move the car to the side of the road, to push that brake pedal, to get out, take off your shoes, take a couple of steps onto the sand and feel what the sand feels like under your feet, walk to the ocean and let the ocean lap at your ankles. Your life will be richer because you breathe in that experience and because you’ve left your phone in the car.
About the Author
Kavya Chugh is a second-year college student pursuing Psychology Hons. at Kamala Nehru College, DU. She is passionate about writing among other things such as dancing and singing and is currently also working on her own novel. An equally ardent change-maker, she has been volunteering with Wishes and Blessings since June 2021 and wishes to contribute to society through both her actions and words.