Social media is a huge part of our culture and society and our dependence on it is increasing by the day.
KARACHI: Social media is a huge part of our culture and society and our dependence on it is increasing by the day. Millions of applications, websites and other platforms are online for people to communicate, interact, share and learn. This is the real power of social media.
Recently, I’ve seen a rise in the number of people on my Facebook feed writing or posting long articles about why social media is destructive to teenagers? Many people seem to have a negative outlook on social media and its influence on today’s youth. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of negative aspects of kids having so much freedom on the internet in this day and age. Advertisers have endless opportunities to manipulate and influence us. Privacy is not really an option for most social media users. Plus, the internet is now an environment that allows people to easily and anonymously hurt others. Cyber bullying has become a huge problem in the last few years. These are all the negative aspects of being a part of online communities. That being said, I don’t think social media is bad altogether. I actually think being part of the social media world is beneficial to teenagers. It provides a space for the youth to share opinions, stories, thoughts and ideas. It allows us to connect with people all over the world. It can be used for bad things, but it can also be used for much good. The majority of student’s in Pakistan turn towards social media either to earn or to learn. Therefore, before coming to a sudden decision of good and bad, it is important to weigh all the pros and cons as the power and role of social media is significant.
Yarsila Shaikh
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2020.
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