social media blessing or curse essay pdf

• Corpus ID: 150821260

SOCIAL MEDIA : Blessing or Curse?

• Zsuzsanna Andrea Blau
• Published 2009

Related Papers

Showing 1 through 3 of 0 Related Papers

The Captable

Social Story

Enterprise Story

The Decrypting Story

Daily Newsletter

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Founder first

Announcement

Startup Sectors

Women in tech

Entertainment

Art & Culture

Travel & Leisure

Curtain Raiser

Wine and Food

Social Media: A Blessing or a Curse?

Friday June 21, 2019 , 6 min Read

Social media has fully developed in the last few years. A coin has two sides. So does this technology which has spread like wildfire. Life before this innovation was very different and now it has introduced many unrecognizable changes. Here are a few disadvantages and advantages of those changes:

Disadvantages

The more it’s growing, the more people are reaping its benefits along with its disadvantage. Here are six main disadvantages of social media:

1.    Cyberbullying

Before social media, everything was simple even when it came to bullying. With the advent of the internet, a new form of bullying has been introduced and it’s known as Cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is basically teasing someone by creating a fake account. With a fake account, you are able to do everything without anyone knowing about your real identity. Bullying like this has become easy through the internet. Before when there was no such thing as Cyberbullying; people bullying other people used to get caught easily. Sending threats, messages that contain intimidation and rumours are all part of Cyberbullying.  

2.    Hacking

In addition to Cyberbullying, another main disadvantage is hacking. Hacking is basically stealing someone’s personal data and invading privacy to share with other people. This can cause a big loss to personal lives. Similarly, stealing an individual’s identity can also result in major financial losses. It’s all now enabled because of hacking. Accounts on Facebook and Twitter have been hacked in the past and the hacker has posted inappropriate things from these accounts that have affected their personal lives.  

3.    Reputation

As mentioned earlier, hacking can ruin someone’s life. This also includes ruining their reputation. Through hacking, a person can easily create false stories and this can easily get spread all over the media like fire. Likewise, businesses that have a bad reputation on networking sites can face financial disaster and the inability to sell their products.

4.    Fraud and scams

Many frauds and scams have been reported on social sites where individuals have been duped by other people into believing something or buying something only to find out later that it was false all along. There are many influencers and bloggers on Instagram and Facebook and it’s hard to find out who offer authentic engagement and which ones are just flashy frauds.

5.    Addiction

Social media is quite addictive and this part of the technology is highly damaging and detrimental for personal lives. Teenagers have been the main target of these sites where they get extremely involved and eventually, isolate themselves from society. Their lives depend on it and instead of indulging in productive tasks and activities that can be beneficial for them and society; they choose to waste their time on social networking sites.

6.    Health issues

The excess use of networking sites has created many health issues. These health issues include both physical and mental instability. People who are addictive to these sites are experiencing many negative side effects such as headache, eye strain, social withdrawal, and sleep deprivation. Moreover, it’s triggering more sadness instead of wellbeing. We are continuously comparing our lives with other people and the pressure to look perfect all the time has made us go into depression.

Here’s how this technology is a blessing for us:

1.    Connectivity

The primary advantage of social media is connectivity. People from all over the world can connect with each other easily. Considering the fact, that our world has various religions and belief systems that separate us and create boundaries, networking sites are that one blessing that has eradicated these boundaries. Regardless of their beliefs, religion or culture, this technology has promoted peace in a way. It has made everyone stand equally on one platform without the existence of such differences. It is the actual beauty of social media. You are able to connect with anyone and share your thoughts and opinions with the world without the fear of being judged on who you are.

2.    Education

Similarly, networking sites have immensely benefited the education sector all over the world. With the arrival of online classes to the availability of all kinds of learning resources, every student can easily educate themselves. Regardless of your location and background, you can effortlessly increase your knowledge from anywhere anytime and watch videos on websites like YouTube without paying for any kind of expense and avail affordable services like assignment writing service UK .

3.    Help and assistance

Another primary advantage of this innovation has been how there are sections and groups on Facebook and Twitter which have dedicated all of their efforts and time to help people out who are facing any issues regarding their workplace, their educational institute or anything personal going on in their life like financial losses. People all around the world volunteer to listen to you and understand your problem.

4.    Information and regular updates

When technology did not give birth to this innovation, people had no idea what was going around the world. Now they are able to educate and update themselves with the current happenings. Televisions and print media have limitations on them and they do not convey the right information all the time, but this platform is guaranteed to provide with the right information and facts which will require a little bit of researching.

5.    Improve businesses reputation

Just like it can ruin the reputation of any business as mentioned above, it can also improve the reputation and increase their revenue. Positive comments and reviews can bring a huge difference to their sales and goodwill. Everyone knows how social media enables people to share everything freely. Therefore, sharing positive feedback and comments will let them know that you are not lying and the product the business is selling is actually good.

6.    Building communities

People with the same religion and belief systems can easily connect with each other and discuss their issues. It helps in building and participating in our own community. Individuals who love gaming can connect with other individuals who love gaming as well. In this way, they can promote peace and unification.

To conclude, the above-mentioned points are some of the advantages and disadvantages of this innovation. These points indicate that along with being a huge blessing, it also has some harmful side effects which can ruin an individual’s life.

• SocialMediaMarketing

MOST VIEWED STORIES

5 Blogging Websites You Must Know To Share Your Content!

Beginners Guide for Troubleshooting Basic Car Problems

Top 10 academic, content writing companies in India

7 hybrid app frameworks that are making it big in 2018

Social Media: A Curse or a Blessing?

Since 2005 the number of adults that use social media in the United States has risen from eight percent to 72 percent, according to Forbes.com. Social media use is on the rise, and though many may not realize it, frequent use can be seen as an addiction.

“I find myself clicking on my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram icons over and over, as if my newsfeeds are going to change and show me something incredibly different within seconds,” said Kelly Brockett, senior communication major. “I find myself more worried about what’s going on in the social media world rather than taking in what is physically around me, a bad habit I am trying to break.”

Use of social media has become very common among people. People are found using cell phones while in supermarkets, hallways, dinners and even in classrooms. A cell phone can be found in a student’s hands, pocket and even on top of their desk.

“When I am walking I use it to play music, text or for social media. I always have my phone on me, also if I can get away with having it on my desk then it’s usually there,” said Marcus McKenzie, Penn State University senior. “I check Twitter and Instagram every moment I get.”

George Kapalka, Chair of the Department of Psychological Counseling said he thinks the phone is a tool. “I think what people are attached to and crave is more what the activity is and the phone simply provides them an easy way to be able to do that,” said Kapalka.

Kapalka continued, “People now seem to crave being connected with the social media and that really has replaced social groups to a large extent.”

Craving social media is what is seen as an issue. The use of social media is one thing, although once feelings of distress and unpleasantness occur because a person is unable to access their accounts as a serious issue may be at hand.

A psychological fear has been diagnosed called “nomophobia” or no-mobile-phone-phobia, it is the feeling that people experience when their phone was left at home, dies or they are unable to access it, according to nomophobia.com. The fear causes high levels of stress that is created when unable to communicate through the cell phone at any time of the day. Some of the reasons people experience this fear is due to losing or forgetting their phone, SIM card failure, battery failure, running out of minutes, traveling, or from poor reception.

“I am guilty of experiencing a complete sense of panic when I leave my phone at home. I just feel completely disconnected and almost vulnerable,” said Kayla Horvath, communication major.

A Fox Business report found that Americans spend on average of 16 minutes every hour on social networking sites. The report stated, “Your intention might be to hop online to quickly update your status or tweet your latest life revelation, but social media is addictive and a major time consumer.”

The need to check a cell phone has become so common and even natural to people that the Huffington Post name the reaction a mechanical movement. “…You can’t help yourself, because checking your smartphone is a mechanical movement for you, as involuntary as breathing or blinking or producing saliva in your mouth.”

Brocket explains that when she does not have her phone she feels “sheer panic.” “I feel like my life is on that phone, all my contacts, my calendar, my email, everything … I’d be too worried I was missing someone trying to get a hold of me if I didn’t have my phone.”

Many have found that if they don’t check their phone or go a period of time without scrolling through non-existent notifications, they begin to feel a vibration that never actually happened. This feeling has been named, “phantom vibration syndrome.” The syndrome is a perceived vibration from a device that is not actually vibrating, according to a study done by Indiana and Purdue University’s Department of Psychology.

The study found that 89 percent of the 290 undergraduate students experienced phantom vibrations. The students in the study explained that they experienced phantom vibration syndrome about once every two weeks on average. The study also found that the students who expressed a strong reaction to a vibration or phone notification, experienced phantom vibration syndrome more often.

Many wonder what is so appealing about social media. “I think people are becoming so addicted to social media because it fulfills a certain drive or need that we never before had the means to like we do now, nosiness,” said Horvath. “Almost everyone likes to feel connected and is curious about what the big news is in their friends or families life.”

Horvath adds that social media is a mindless activity that is very easy to look at. “I use social media multiple times a day. Most of the time it is simply because I am bored and curious as to what else is going on around me.”

“I use Instagram the most. It’s just so dumb. I sit there and refresh, refresh, refresh the page. I know I’m better than that. I can be doing things that are actually worth whole with my time but no,” Raven Brunson senior communication major said.

Social media is an activity that is used by people almost every day but what uses are considered as an addiction? “I think that addiction to social media is when you are constantly on it. If you pick it up while in the middle of conversation with someone you’re not listening,” said Brunson.

Horvath said, “I think a person could be considered addicted when they post multiple tweets, Facebook posts, or Instagram posts per day.”

Brockett explains that social media addiction is, “people who are sometimes far too interested in what their newsfeeds look like instead of being mentally present while they are spending quality time with friends and family.”

To some, exhaustive amount of social media use is not seen as an addiction. “Addiction is a pretty heavy word that shouldn’t be thrown around too lightly,” said Jen Pacheco, senior psychology major. “People get addicted to heroin. But it’s not crazy to think that our impulse to constantly check social media time after time and scroll, scroll, scroll is detrimental to us in some way.”

Franca Mancini, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services said, “Addiction isn’t normal, and I hesitate to use that term other than in extreme cases, but there is the possibility that for some individuals that habit of the cell can get out of hand.”

Pacheco adds, “It’s becoming a societal norm, you’re weird if you’re not connected.” Based on the amount of social media users it has become “the norm.”

“I do not think people are consciously aware of the addiction because it has just become a part of our life,” said Horvath. “We are over-saturated by it. It is the new norm.”

As a result of increased social media use, people are finding themselves searching for help. In September of 2013 the first inpatient Internet addiction treatment center in the country opened at Bradford Regional Medical Center in Pennsylvania.

Psychologist Dr. Kimberly Young decided to open the center after spending the past 18 years treating patients addicted to the Internet. She felt that the issue was rising and due to the amount of requesting treatment options, something needed to be done.

The center offers a 10-day inpatient program available to adults over 18-years-old. The center currently offers 16 available beds and uses the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy principle, or “talk therapy” to help overcome their addiction through verbal communication.

The internet addictions vary from social media, eBay, pornography, and gambling addictions. The patients experience a 72-hour detox from the internet where they are slowly reintroduced to face-to-face communication.

“Is this a start of a new revelation?” said Andrea Gonzalez, political science major. “A revelation as in, do people really not know how to resist using social media? I am shocked to hear this but I fear that it will only lead to more addiction centers throughout the control.”

Many wonder how this continued use of social media may affect people and relationships in the future. Kapala explains that the relationships are not as personal as they were before. “I don’t want to be fatalistic, but I am not particularly optimistic of the effect that it is going to have,” he said.

Kapalka continued, “I am concerned that it’s going to turn us as human beings into more and more self-centered people that don’t know too much about empathy and how to express it, because you don’t develop as much close physical relationships … Because the interaction is through social media or over text rather than physically being there watching the person react to what you are doing.”

The first step to addressing the issue is first realizing that increased social media use is a problem and can create lasting effects. Checking a cell phone 10 minutes of every hour is seen as a societal norm, meanwhile others using social media excessively are checking in to internet rehabilitation centers.

“It should not affect your outside experiences. The screen is not your life and it should not be used constantly,” said Brunson. “I’m not Instagram famous, nor do I feel that way. I just think that I over use it.”

IMAGE TAKEN from wompmobile.com

PHOTO TAKEN from diggbuzzme.com

Related Articles

Path to Progress Town Hall

Senate President Stephen Sweeny held a town hall meeting to conduct a discussion about fiscal reforms in the “Path to Progress” report in Wilson Auditorium, on Monday, March 11. 

Ambassador of Israel to U.S. Gives Keynote Speech at Second Annual Commencenment

Winter commencement participation increases by 10 percent.

Prior to the ceremony, gradu-ates-to-be were floating in and out of Wilson Hall, donning bright smiles while getting their photos taken atop the grand staircase and other campus spots. 

Monmouth University Recognized as Top Green Power User

Monmouth University was recently recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a top green power user in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) for 2016-2017. The University is also encouraging and working for increased sustainability efforts for 2018.

A Blessing or a Curse?

The Role of Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa

• Living reference work entry
• First Online: 21 July 2023
• Cite this living reference work entry

• Johannes Bhanye   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9658-7755 7 &
• Alouis Bhanye 8  

48 Accesses

5 Citations

In the face of global disasters, social media has become a primary source of information. Social media refers to websites and applications that allow people to share content quickly, efficiently, and in real time such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This study examines the role of social media during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. On the one hand, social media was a “blessing” during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa by facilitating information dissemination and raising awareness, providing updated and real-time health-related information, giving citizens a platform to give their opinions on the pandemic, perpetuating associational life, bringing positivity during scary times, allowing education to continue through virtual learning, facilitating the performance of work and business functions, and acting as misinformation watchdogs. While social media helped curb the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa, it was also a “curse,” on the other hand. The dark side of social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic ranged from social media being a driver of conspiracy theories and the “infodemic” – an over-abundance of information, social media, and the misnomer of the magic bullet effect, increasing mental health and stress, and causing panic response to the pandemic by the public. This chapter recommends that African governments and public media authorities craft policies that promote the sharing of factual and up-to-date information while also addressing the spread of misinformation during global disasters. The public should also play a role by avoiding spreading fake news and always crosschecking social media information.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Abbas, J., Wang, D., Su, Z., & Ziapour, A. (2021). The role of social media in the advent of COVID-19 pandemic: Crisis management, mental health challenges and implications. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 14 , 1917.

Article   Google Scholar  

Abd-Alrazaq, A., Alhuwail, D., Househ, M., Hamdi, M., & Shah, Z. (2020). Top concerns of tweeters during the COVID-19 pandemic: Infoveillance study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22 (4), e19016.

Abuhashesh, M. Y., Al-Dmour, H., Masa’deh, R. E., Salman, A., Al-Dmour, R., Boguszewicz-Kreft, M., & AlAmaireh, Q. N. (2021, November). The role of social media in raising public health awareness during the pandemic COVID-19: An international comparative study. In Informatics (Vol. 8, No. 4, p. 80). MDPI.

Google Scholar  

Ahmad, A. R., & Murad, H. R. (2020). The impact of social media on panic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraqi Kurdistan: Online questionnaire study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22 (5), e19556.

Albarran, A. B. (2013). In A. B. Albarran (Ed.), The social media industries (pp. 147–148). Routledge.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Ali, S. H., & Kurasawa, F. (2020). COVID19: Social media both a blessing and a curse during coronavirus pandemic. The Conversation, 22 .

Allahverdipour, H. (2020). Global challenge of health communication: Infodemia in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Journal of Education and Community Health, 7 (2), 65–67.

Amani, F., Aghaie, B., Zeynizadeh, S., Tabrizian, S., Aslanian, R., & Jafarizadeh, R. (2020). Using social network rates among Ardabil city women over 25 years old . Universidad de Alicante. Área de Educación Física y Deporte.

Book   Google Scholar  

Banerjee, D., & Meena, K. S. (2021). COVID-19 as an “Infodemic” in public health: Critical role of the social media. Frontiers in Public Health, 9 , 610623.

Bilal, M., Simons, M., Rahman, A. U., Smith, Z. L., Umar, S., Cohen, J., et al. (2020). What constitutes urgent endoscopy? A social media snapshot of gastroenterologists’ views during the COVID-19 pandemic. Endoscopy International Open, 8 (05), E693–E698.

Bosslet, G. T., Torke, A. M., Hickman, S. E., Terry, C. L., & Helft, P. R. (2011). The patient–doctor relationship and online social networks: Results of a national survey. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 26 (10), 1168–1174.

Brailovskaia, J., & Margraf, J. (2020). Relationship between depression symptoms, physical activity, and addictive social media use. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 23 (12), 818–822.

Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., & Rubin, G. J. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: Rapid review of the evidence. The Lancet, 395 (10227), 912–920.

Bruns, A., Harrington, S., & Hurcombe, E. (2020). ‘Corona? 5G? or both?’: The dynamics of COVID-19/5G conspiracy theories on Facebook. Media International Australia, 177 (1), 12–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878x20946113

Bursztynsky, J. (2020, April 14). Zoom’s massive surge in new users is increasing costs, but the focus is on keeping video calls reliable . https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/14/zooms-new-users-increasing-costs-focus-is-keeping-the-platform-free.html

Carr, C. T., & Hayes, R. A. (2015). Social media: Defining, developing, and divining. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 23 (1), 46–65.

Chantal, O. (2021). Early theories of mass communication – 1. Magic Bullet. The Magic Bullet Theory or the Hypodermic Needle Theory. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@Omlette/early-theories-of-mass-communication-1-magic-bullet-f7a5281a4f07

Chimuanya, L., & Igwebuike, E. E. (2021). From COVID-19 to COVID-666: Quasi-religious mentality and ideologies in Nigerian coronavirus pandemic discourse. Journal of African Media Studies, 13 (3), 399–416.

Chouhan, V., Vasita, M. L., & Goswami, S. (2021). The impact and role of social media for consciousness of COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Content, Community and Communication, 12 , 250–262.

Cinelli, M., Quattrociocchi, W., Galeazzi, A., Valensise, C. M., Brugnoli, E., Schmidt, A. L., et al. (2020). The COVID-19 social media infodemic. Scientific Reports, 10 (1), 1–10.

Contreras, C. M., Metzger, G. A., Beane, J. D., Dedhia, P. H., Ejaz, A., & Pawlik, T. M. (2020). Telemedicine: Patient-provider clinical engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 24 (7), 1692–1697.

Coursera. (2021). Serving the world through learning. Impact report . Retrieved from https://about.coursera.org/press/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021-Coursera-Impact-Report.pdf

Cuello-Garcia, C., Pérez-Gaxiola, G., & van Amelsvoort, L. (2020). Social media can have an impact on how we manage and investigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 127 , 198–201.

Dastani, M., Mohammadpour, A., & Bagheri, J. (2019). The opportunities and damages of virtual social networks from students’ perspectives; the experience of Iranian users. Library Philosophy and Practice, 2956 , 1

DataReportal. (2020). Digital 2020 : July Global Statshot . DataReportal – Global Digital Insights. Retrieved from https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2020-july-global-statshot

DeFleur, M. L. (2016). Mass communication theories: Explaining origins, processes, and effects . Routledge.

Dredze, M. (2012). How social media will change public health. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 27 (4), 81–84.

Emanuel, E. J., Persad, G., Upshur, R., Thome, B., Parker, M., Glickman, A., et al. (2020). Fair allocation of scarce medical resources in the time of COVID-19. New England Journal of Medicine, 382 (21), 2049–2055.

Eyewitness News. (2020). Panic buying forces South African supermarkets to ration food . https://ewn.co.za/2020/03/19/panic-buying-forces-south-african-supermarkets-to-ration-food

Eysenbach, G. (2009). Infodemiology and infoveillance: Framework for an emerging set of public health informatics methods to analyze search, communication and publication behavior on the internet. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 11 (1), e1157.

Freelon, D., & Wells, C. (2020). Disinformation as political communication. Political Communication, 37 (2), 145–156.

Fuchs, C. (2021). Bill gates conspiracy theories as ideology in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. In Communicating COVID-19 . Emerald Publishing Limited. Retrieved from https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/doi/10.1108/9781801177207

Gerts, D., Shelley, C. D., Parikh, N., Pitts, T., Ross, C. W., Fairchild, G., et al. (2021). “Thought I’d share first” and other conspiracy theory Tweets from the COVID-19 infodemic: Exploratory study. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 7 (4), e26527.

Gilsenan, K. (2020). Closely connected: Social media’s role during COVID-19 . GlobalWebIndex. Retrieved from https://blog.globalwebindex.com/trends/social-media-COVID-19

González-Padilla, D. A., & Tortolero-Blanco, L. (2020). Social media influence in the COVID-19 pandemic. International Brazilian Journal of Urology, 46 , 120–124.

Government of South Africa, Department of Health. (2022a). Summary of Level 1 Regulations ( as of 23 March 2022 ). Retrieved from https://sacoronavirus.co.za/2022/03/23/summary-of-level-1-regulations-as-of-23-march-2022/

Holone, H. (2016). The filter bubble and its effect on online personal health information. Croatian Medical Journal, 57 (3), 298.

Hughes, K. (2022). Social media use and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic . Electronic Theses and Dissertations.

Hussain, W. (2020). Role of social media in COVID-19 pandemic. The International Journal of Frontier Sciences, 4 (2), 59–60.

Instagram Blog. (2020). Doing more to support creators on Instagram | Instagram Blog. https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/supporting-creators-on-instagram

Johnson, N. F., Velásquez, N., Restrepo, N. J., Leahy, R., Gabriel, N., El Oud, S., et al. (2020). The online competition between pro-and anti-vaccination views. Nature, 582 (7811), 230–233.

Kamel, B. M. N., Peng, G., & Vopham, T. (2019). An overview of GeoAI applications in health and healthcare. International Journal of Health Geographics, 18 (1), 7.

Konac, A., & Barut, Y. (2021). The role of social media in preventing the COVID-19 pandemic. In Handbook of research on representing health and medicine in modern media (pp. 436–445). IGI Global Publisher.

Kushner, J. (2021). The role of social media during the COVID-19 pandemic . Retrieved from https://khoros.com/blog/social-medias-role-during-COVID-19

Lachlan, K. A., Spence, P. R., Lin, X., Najarian, K., & Del Greco, M. (2016). Social media and crisis management: CERC, search strategies, and Twitter content. Computers in Human Behavior, 54 , 647–652.

Leelawat, N., Tang, J., Saengtabtim, K., & Laosunthara, A. (2020). Trends of tweets on the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Journal of Disaster Research, 15 (4), 530–533.

Li, H. O. Y., Pastukhova, E., Brandts-Longtin, O., Tan, M. G., & Kirchhof, M. G. (2022). Youtube as a source of misinformation on COVID-19 vaccination: A systematic analysis. BMJ Global Health, 7 (3), e008334.

Littlejohn, S. W., & Foss, K. A. (2009). Encyclopedia of communication theory . SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412959384

Lockwood, D. (2020, May 27). QuarantineChat brings back spontaneity (and distraction). The New York Times . ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/arts/quarantinechat-virus.html

Madziva, R., Nachipo, B., Musuka, G., Chitungo, I., Murewanhema, G., Phiri, B., & Dzinamarira, T. (2022). The role of social media during the COVID-19 pandemic: Salvaging its ‘power’for positive social behaviour change in Africa. Health Promotion, 12 (1), 23.

McKee, N., Manoncourt, E., Yoon, C. S., & Carnegie, R. (2008). Involving people, evolving behaviour: The UNICEF Experience1. In Communication for development and social change (p. 254). SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd.

Merchant, R. M., & Lurie, N. (2020). Social media and emergency preparedness in response to novel coronavirus. JAMA, 323 (20), 2011–2012.

Moorhead, S. A., Hazlett, D. E., Harrison, L., Carroll, J. K., Irwin, A., & Hoving, C. (2013). A new dimension of health care: Systematic review of the uses, benefits, and limitations of social media for health communication. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15 (4), e1933.

Mutanga, M. B., Ureke, O., & Chani, T. (2021). Social media and the COVID-19: South African and Zimbabwean netizens’ response to a pandemic. Indonesian Journal of Information Systems, 4 (1), 1–14.

Ong, E. K., Lim, C. H., & Wong, A. J. (2020). The role of social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore, 49 (6), 408–410.

Ostini, J., & Ostini, A. Y. (2002). Beyond the four theories of the press: A new model of national media systems. Mass Communication and Society, 5 (1), 41–56.

Oxford. (2020). Panic buying | definition of panic buying by Oxford dictionary on Lexico.com . Retrieved from https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/panic_buying

Pariser, E. (2011). The filter bubble: How the new personalized web is changing what we read and how we think . Penguin.

Quartz Africa. (2018). WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in Africa . Retrieved from https://qz.com/africa/1206935/whatsapp-is-the-most-popular-messaging-app-in-africa/

Radwan, E., Radwan, A., & Radwan, W. (2020). The role of social media in spreading panic among primary and secondary school students during the COVID-19 pandemic: An online questionnaire study from the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Heliyon, 6 (12), e05807.

Rajabiyan Dehzireh, M., Aliabadi, K., Esmaeili Gujar, S., & Khedri Lilus, L. (2018). A survey the relationship between the use of virtual social networks with the enthusiasm and academic engagement. Education Strategies in Medical Sciences, 11 (3), 18–27.

Rössler, P. (Ed.). (2017). The international encyclopedia of media effects (Vol. 4). John Wiley and Sons.

Servaes, J. (Ed.). (2007). Communication for development and social change . SAGE Publications India.

Seymour, J. (2018). The impact of public health awareness campaigns on the awareness and quality of palliative care. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 21 (S1), S-30.

Shoaei, M. D., & Dastani, M. (2020). The role of social media during the COVID-19 crisis: A narrative review. Health Technology Assessment in Action, 4 (1), 1–4.

Stassen, M. (2020, March 24). Coronavirus quarantine appears to be driving a global TikTok download boom . https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/coronavirus-quarantine-appears-to-be-driving-a-global-tiktok-download-boom/

Statista. Most popular social networks worldwide as of October 2021 , ranked by number of active users . Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/

Stewart, R., Madonsela, A., Tshabalala, N., Etale, L., & Theunissen, N. (2022). The importance of social media users’ responses in tackling digital COVID-19 misinformation in Africa. Digital Health, 8 , 20552076221085070.

Tang, Z., Miller, A. S., Zhou, Z., & Warkentin, M. (2021). Does government social media promote users’ information security behavior towards COVID-19 scams? Cultivation effects and protective motivations. Government Information Quarterly, 38 (2), 101572.

Taylor, D. (2020). COVID-19 : Social media use goes up as country stays indoors . https://www.vicnews.com/news/COVID-19-social-media-use-goes-up-as-country-stays-indoors/

WHO. (2020a). Novel coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV ): Situation report—13 . https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200202-sitrep-13-ncov-v3.pdf

WHO. (2020b). Infodemic . Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/infodemic#tab=tab_1 . Accessed 14 Dec 2022.

Wong, C. A., Merchant, R. M., & Moreno, M. A. (2014, December). Using social media to engage adolescents and young adults with their health. In Healthcare (Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 220–224). Elsevier.

Woodward, S. D. (2021). Will the COVID-19 vaccine become the mark of the beast? Retrieved from https://faith-happens.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Will-the-COVID-19-Vaccine-Become-the-Mark-of-the-Beast.pdf

Zarocostas, J. (2020). How to fight an infodemic. The Lancet, 395 (10225), 676.

Zhang, J., Chen, Y., Zhao, Y., Wolfram, D., & Ma, F. (2020). Public health and social media: A study of Zika virus-related posts on Yahoo! Answers. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 71 (3), 282–299.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

University of the Free State, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Bloemfontein, Republic of South Africa

Johannes Bhanye

Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Alouis Bhanye

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Cite this entry.

Bhanye, J., Bhanye, A. (2023). A Blessing or a Curse?. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68127-2_367-1

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68127-2_367-1

Received : 15 January 2023

Accepted : 31 January 2023

Published : 21 July 2023

Publisher Name : Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-030-68127-2

Online ISBN : 978-3-030-68127-2

eBook Packages : Springer Reference Social Sciences Reference Module Humanities and Social Sciences Reference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

A Blessing or Curse: The Role of Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa

2023, Book Chapter

In the face of global disasters, social media has become a primary source of information. Social media refers to websites and applications that allow people to share content quickly, efficiently, and in real time such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This study examines the role of social media during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. On the one hand, social media was a “blessing” during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa by facilitating information dissemination and raising awareness, providing updated and real-time health-related information, giving citizens a platform to give their opinions on the pandemic, perpetuating associational life, bringing positivity during scary times, allowing education to continue through virtual learning, facilitating the performance of work and business functions, and acting as misinformation watchdogs. While social media helped curb the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa, it was also a “curse,” on the other hand. The dark side of social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic ranged from social media being a driver of conspiracy theories and the “infodemic” – an over-abundance of information, social media, and the misnomer of the magic bullet effect, increasing mental health and stress, and causing panic response to the pandemic by the public. This chapter recommends that African governments and public media authorities craft policies that promote the sharing of factual and up-to-date information while also addressing the spread of misinformation during global disasters. The public should also play a role by avoiding spreading fake news and always crosschecking social media information.

Related Papers

Health Promotion Perspectives

Itai Chitungo

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a significant global public health crisis. The unique evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen social media emerging and growing into an important vehicle for rapid information dissemination. This has in turn given rise to multiple sources of information, leading to what has come to be known as ‘infodemic’, associated with the plethora of misinformation and conspiracy theories. In this perspective, we explore the growth of the social media industry and the impact it has had during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. We argue that while the multiple information pieces circulating on social media cause misinformation and panic, this might not necessarily and in all the cases influence sustained behaviours in the target population groups. We offer suggestions on how the power of social media can be harnessed and integrated into social and public health for a better digital balance for communication for development.

mathias isiani

OBEHI LUCY ORIBHABOR , Simon Okaiyeto

Background: Anti-COVID-19 pandemic campaign became a major global health crisis issue within three months of its breakout; making social media to serve as a major source of spreading information and setting agenda to the public. Objective: The study investigated social media coverage and public perception of anti-COVID-19 pandemic campaign. Methods: A content analysis of Facebook posts from May 2020 to April 2021 coverage of Anti-COVID-19 using simple random sampling, yielded 1,315 COVID-19 posts. A cross-sectional online survey of social media users' in FCT, Abuja through google form designed questionnaire (n=375) was conducted. Frequency, tables, percentages and standard deviation were used to present the findings, While Spearman and Pearson Correlations were used to test the hypotheses. Result: Findings reveals that respondents have much exposure to social media content and give much attention to COVID-19 posts. The study found that facemask is the dominant COVID-19 social media post and public attributes. Dominant agenda of social media COVI-19 corresponded with public perception on COVID-19-pandemic(rs=.443, p=.038).Affective tune of COVID-19 campaigns also corresponds with public perception of the Pandemic. There was correlation between social media COVID-19 pandemic agenda and public supports (r =.502, p= .01). Conclusion: The study shows hoe social media was used to raise the banner of COVID-19 crisis, thereby making them salience among the authorities and the public. Unique Contribution: social media is now a major media in setting agenda among the public most especially during emergencies. Key Recommendation: Users of social media should utilise the medium during health crisis; by making the crisis salience on the consciousness of the authorities, stakeholders and the general public.

Media Communication Current

Kelvin Inobemhe

Fake news and conspiracies are often associated with outbreaks such as pandemics and epidemics. Nigeria reported its first confirmed coronavirus case in February of 2020 and since that time, a tsunami of information on the disease has been seen online and offline. Myths, fake news and Covid-19 related conspiracies doubled across social media spaces. The threat of such infodemic on public health can only be imagined as it is impossible to quantify the collateral damage. Decisions taken based on falsehood or conspiracies can have adverse consequences on the health of individual members of society or the entire population. With the use of library research technique, this paper discusses how myths, fake news and conspiracy theories across social media platforms pose threats to public health in Nigeria. The paper with the use of activation theory of information exposure explains the need to create effective health communication to help reduce the impact of infodemic on Nigeria's public health system even in the face of a pandemic. It therefore concludes that fake news, myths and conspiracies pose serious threats to public health as individuals could rely on them to take decisions that portends immediate and long term danger to the health of individuals and public health in general. Fake news on social media portends danger to public health as uncontrolled information can send consumers of such content into some form or panic mode, just as the chances of ignoring safety protocols may also be high on the part of those exposed to certain information on social media platforms.

Journal of Media and Information Warfare

Tsegyu Santas

Social media has in recent times become part and parcel of human daily living. People easily get addicted to staying glued to their digital devicesmobile phones, laptop computers, tablet computers and many more which are all gateways to the Internet in general and social media in particular. This addiction comes with a price as it puts many users face-to-face with all forms of personalities, information and situations. COVID-19 took the world by surprise when its outbreak was reported in December 2019 following a report of a mysterious illness in Wuhan, China. Infodemiology is not new and scholars have made attempts to understand the pattern of information flow on platforms such as the Internet and social media. However, the word infodemic recently got into the mix. It was used to describe the spread of falsehood on COVID-19 and social media is recognised as the main diffusing point. This study is a discourse on the influence social media conspiracies and fake news has on the fight against Coronavirus. Through existing literature, that is library research, the study sought to identify conspiracy theories that trended during the Covid-19 pandemic whilst also exploring the implications of such conspiracies on the fight against the pandemic vis á vis its impact on Nigeria's public health. It is anchored on Uses and Gratifications and Conspiracy Theories. The paper, among other findings revealed that Coronavirus-related conspiracies trended in the middle of the outbreak and asserted that social media owing to its ubiquitous nature weighs so much power, and therefore had a mix of negative and positive impacts on the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria. It concludes that unverified reports were shared on social media to the detriment of Nigeria's public health.

Global Perspectives of COVID-19 Pandemic on Health, Education, and Role of Media

Ash Pachauri

Social media has evolved from being a set of rudimentary tools to a complex instrument that has had both positive and negative consequences, often leading to widespread circulation of misinformation impacting societies and institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic, significantly, is the first health crisis, witnessed globally in the age of social media and amidst unprecedented connectivity. Throughout the pandemic, the world has witnessed a widespread use of social media. The medium has not only enabled isolated people to remain connected with their friends and families but also to communicate with medical experts. At the same time, myths about COVID-19, its treatment, and effects have circulated on the same platforms leading governments to issue guidelines in several countries including India. While social media has enabled a regular flow of information, it has also led to unverified content circulating on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, fueling panic in people about the virus an...

Joshua-Luther Ndoye Upoalkpajor

Joshua-Luther N D O Y E Upoalkpajor

This study examined the impact of social media within the fight against misinformation on coronavirus pandemic. The study therefore assessed the character of coronavirus pandemic information shared on social media sites by undergraduate students in central region of Ghana. Structured questionnaire copies were administered to 355 undergraduate students in University of Education, Winneba, University of Cape Coast, and Cape Coast Technical University. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Result showed that 71.3% of the scholars across the chosen universities were conscious of social media and made used of it. Facebook was the foremost favourite social media platform followed by Instagram and WhatsApp, while Kinschat, LinkedIn, Skype and BBM were least preferred social media sites. Independent samples test result showed there was no significant gender difference within the preference of social media sites (t = 1.039, p>0.05). The result showed that 81.4% of the scholars had encounter coronavirus pandemic information on social media, while only 24.8% had shared coronavirus pandemic information on social media. Prevention methods and general coronavirus pandemic knowledge were the most sorts of information shared. ANOVA result further revealed significant variation within the sort of coronavirus pandemic information shared on social media among the three universities (F = 5.177; p<0.05). The Post Hoc Test of multiple comparison indicated that the type of coronavirus pandemic information shared in Cape Coast Technical University differed significantly from those shared in University of Education, Winneba and University of Cape Coast respectively.

IMSU Journal of Communication Studies

Lateef ADELAKUN

Reports of COVID-19 pandemic dominated different social media platforms during the intensity of the crisis. Such reports ranged from its modes of transmission, prevention, figures of confirmed and cases of deaths. They came from anonymous and verifiable sources. This study sought to examine the proliferation of false reports and fake cures/vaccines of COVID-19 pandemic among social media users in Apa LGA of Benue State. It was anchored on the Health Belief Model and employed survey research design with questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The sample size for the study was 400, arithmetically determined using the Taro Yamane formula. A total of 392 copies of the questionnaire were used for data analysis. The study used multi-stage, stratified sampling technique which further broke Apa LGA into council wards to ensure even distribution of the instrument. The findings revealed that Facebook and WhatsApp were the main source of information on COVID-19 in the area. It also revealed some challenges like false reports of government relieve funds, infected facial masks in circulation and confirmed cases in some states of the federation were recorded constraints in the course of social media use for COVID-19 reports. The researchers recommended that the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), health related NGOs and coalition of health bodies and authorities should proactively design and popularize their own pages on various social media platforms in a bid to curb false health reports, thereby, creating more veracity and credibility of health reports on social media.

Abiola Hamzat

Corona virus is a form of respiratory ailment that ravaged human health and social interaction. Since its emergence and subsequent spread to various countries of the world, various governments, organisations, agencies and individuals have been making frantic efforts to curtail the disease using different media. Prominent among the media being used is social media. However, the preliminary investigation of the researchers indicated that the social media are being wrongly used to disseminate information on the emergence, causes, prevention and curtailment of the disease particularly in a developing country like Nigeria. The need to address these challenges and to drum home the contribution of Library and Information Scientists necessitated this study. Self-structured questionnaire administered at various online fora (NLA, NALISE and individuals) was the instrument used for the collection of data among the library and information scientists (librarians and library and information scien...

Dilkur Academy

Desmond Okocha

An extensive amount of information and news related to the novel coronavirus pandemic was disseminated by social media in Nigeria. Up-to-date, there is little evidence on how this information may influence the psycho behavioral responses to this pandemic in Nigeria. This study aim is to investigate the influence of social media on psycho behavioral responses among Nigerians during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study used the survey method, the presentation of data was simple frequency and percentage tables. Quantitative analysis was used to interpret the data that was collected from the questionnaire. The sample size was 150 samples as the study distributed 150 questionnaires to residents/respondents in Masaka area of Nasarawa State. The purposive sampling technique was applied in this study. The results show a significant increase in social media and streaming services during the pandemic. Given that Nigerians usually place elevated value on social media networking and connectivity. Nigerians are far more susceptible to social media influence and information/news expectation, which often heightens their risk taking behaviours. However these behaviours are only exacerbated in stressful times. The findings also revealed the concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic and compulsive social media use significantly predicted high scores of escapism and to overcome depression and loneliness. The study also suggests various methods for correcting misconceptions about health through social media, including timely expert advice, regular public health awareness, and correction programs with periodic communication among general people and media algorithms. With the current proposed recommendations, one should always address the audiences' intellectual and emotional dimensions during this phase of fear and anxiety. However, social media can be an important component of sharing professional information to the public and keeping in contact with family and friends in the pandemic, its wild unsecured nature may expose users to misinformation, panic or hysteria.

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

RELATED PAPERS

Ogaraku Henry

Academia Letters

Danjuma Saidu

ANSU Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

Jammy S E I G H A Guanah

Nasarawa Journal of Multimedia and communication Studies

Kelvin Inobemhe , Nick-Tansi Saint Udeh

Takura Bhila , tawanda mukurunge

Dr. Simon Reazanyi Sheyigari

Galactica Media: Journal of Media Studies

Mainasara Kurfi

European Journal of Social Sciences

SAU College of Management and Social Science 2021 conference

Chimeremeze U . Odionyenma

New Media and Mass Communication

John Demuyakor

Trends in Psychology

Bizuwork Derebew

Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research

Qudsia Khan

Pakistan Journal of Surgery and Medicine

Md Imran Raza

Alochana Chakra Journal

Jayaseelan Rathinaswamy , Kadeswaran s , Brindha D

Media Watch

Joshua A . Erubami , Paul Bebenimibo

International Journal on Emerging Technologies

Hussein Khalifa

COVID-19 and Psychological Distress in Africa

RICHARD GUTO , Hellen J . Magut

Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Doaa Abdeldaim

Alex B Owusu

International Journal of Innovation in Management, Economics and Social Sciences

Prof. Joshua Chukwuere

sapana khadka

Comunicação e Sociedade

Rita Espanha

Social Science Research Network

Kundan Kaushal

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

The Internet: A Blessing or a Curse? Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

The internet, a blessing, the internet, a curse.

The invention of the computer and the subsequent birth of the internet has been seen as the most significant advance of the 20th century. Over the course of the past few decades, there has been a remarkable rise in the use of computers and the internet and these two have revolutionized the way in which we carry out our day to day activities. In addition to this, the unprecedented high adoption rate of the internet has resulted in it being a necessity in the running of our day to day lives. With this wide-scale penetration of the internet into many facets of our life, it has become apparent that the internet has both positive and negative effects on individuals and society at large.

In light of this reality of the two faces of the internet, there has risen the question of whether the internet is a blessing or a curse to mankind. This paper shall argue that while the internet does pose many real dangers, the internet is overall a blessing to humanity and its positive impacts far outweigh its ills. To reinforce this assertion, this paper shall highlight the significant merits of the internet and demonstrate how the ills can be mitigated for the good of all.

One of the most monumental effects of the internet is that it has led to the speeding up of globalization which is a process characterized by a major integration of economies and cultures. Globalization is characterized by a reduction in barriers between nations as the world strives to become a harmonic society. Sahay (2005, p.36) asserts that the ability of computing technologies to traverse geographical and social barriers has resulted in the creation of a closer-knit global community. The internet is to a large extent responsible for breaking down the barriers between different nations and therefore making the move towards making the world a global village feasible. This is because the internet exposes people to varying cultures and traditions therefore making us appreciate the differences.

Knowledge has always been seen to be critical to the advancement of any civilization. As such, man has always sought for ways to accumulate and disseminate information for the betterment of his kind. The internet has greatly aided this task by enabling the sharing of information among people at a previously unprecedented scale. This sharing of information has resulted in an increase in knowledge as people exchange ideas through the internet. With the help of the internet, are no longer confined to physical libraries as their only source of information. They can now tap into the vast resources that computers present through the internet. The internet’s connectivity has also led to more collaboration among students and scientists in their quest for knowledge thus further enhancing their educational experience.

The internet has afforded people the chance to get an education at their convenience. In the early years, one had to physically attend school facilities for educational purposes. This locked out multitudes of people who had the will to obtain an education but lacked the time to make it happen. Computers have changed this by enabling learning to be more dynamic by the use of online classes. This is in the form of the phenomenon known as “online education”. Students can take classes from wherever they may be and at any time by using virtual classrooms. The internet has therefore increased the number of people currently enrolled in higher learning institutes thus making education more universal than it was before the inception of computers.

The internet has led to a shift in the power bases by taking power from the political and economic elites, big businesses and governments and transferring the same to ordinary people. Ward (2003) suggests that through its distributive ability, the internet will decentralize traditional media channels, therefore, allowing for the interactive community which will result in citizen-based, participatory democracy. Therefore, as a result of the internet, people are no longer privy to government misinformation or even propaganda since they can report the news for themselves. This is a desirable change especially in countries whereby power is wielded by a few elites who control mainstream media and oppress their people.

As more people give information or perform activities online, the internet continues to cause a great infringement on individual privacy which is defined as “the right to be left alone” (Moran & Weinroth 2008, 46). This is especially through online shopping whereby one may be forced to enter personal details. When a person accesses the internet, their activities online may be monitored and information about them stored. User privacies have been violated by the use of tracking software and cookies which have enabled organizations to profile individuals. This information is normally collected without consent and sometimes without the knowledge of the user. Moran and Weinroth note that a more daunting reality is the possibility of this data being accessed and utilized for activities that may negatively impact the individual.

The internet has brought about the creation of a new class of people known as Hackers who are people who break into computer systems mostly for the fun of it. Hacking is one of the things which make the internet a very dangerous place. This is because hacking might lead to the exploitation of the vulnerabilities of a system resulting in harm or obtaining some illegal gains for the hacker.

While computer hacking is a criminal act under federal laws, this has not helped to deter the hackers and the fact that some countries do not have laws against hacking only makes dealing with hackers more difficult. While some hackers present themselves to the public and the hacking community as good or fighting for a good cause, this is not always the case as some hackers do use their skills for destruction or even blackmail (Jones & Valli 2008). As such, usage of the internet exposes one to dangers from hackers who may steal ones identity and use it to commit fraud.

One of the uglier effects of the internet is that it has made the world more dangerous for children. This is especially with regard to sexual exploitation since the internet has exposed children through its great connectivity power. The Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime (2000) states that pedophiles may and actually do use the internet to find potential victims and trade in child pornography. By use of chat rooms, children may be lured into meeting strangers who may then proceed to sexually abuse them.

While such acts were there before the internet era, the internet has made prying on children easier and more effective than was in the past. The internet is also used to facilitate the sex trade through websites that offer detailed information as to the counties where pedophiles may go to exploit children owing to the place’s lax child protection laws. The fact that the internet gives anonymity to people is one of the features which have led to the increase in child sexual exploitation through the internet.

The internet has brought about the possibility of cyber terrorism which is defined as “the premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer systems, computer programs, and data which result in violence against noncombatant targets by sub national groups or clandestine agents.” (Bidgoli 2004, p.354). The most notable of these attacks was perpetrated against Georgia and Estonia following the dispute with Russia. Korns and Kastenver (2009) note that these attacks resulted in the disabling of communication means for the Georgian government. These realities are bleak considering the fact that a small terrorist group may make use of the internet to severe essential infrastructure of a country.

For all its good, the internet remains as a dangerous and unregulated highway whereby crimes are committed and accountability is low. From the discussions presented above, it is clear that there are a number of real dangers that exist as a result of the internet. Some of these dangers e.g. the risk of children falling prey to molesters may be resolved by the use of a police force that has the power to monitor the internet.

The creation of global and enforceable laws which will make people legally accountable for their actions will also result in making the internet safer for all. While this goes against the basic idea of the internet as a place without any restrictions, every day realities dictate that law enforcement is necessary online to contain crimes that are continually being instigated through the internet. By so doing, some form of order can be brought to the internet, therefore, making it safer for all.

The threat of hackers is very real and presents a big challenge especially to organizations handling critical data. To cope with this, there are tools in place to secure computer networks against attacks. These tools ensure that threats against a network are identified and neutralized and that vulnerabilities are identified and protection measures are adopted. By detecting and defeating the intruders, the advantages of the internet can be reaped without any real danger to the individual or the organization.

The threat of terrorist attacks is very real in today’s world. Wilson (2005) notes that many international terrorist groups are actively using the internet to communicate amongst themselves, spread propaganda and even recruit new members. This raises the possibility that the internet could be used to carry out a well coordinated cyberattack on the critical infrastructure of the country. Wilson (2005) declares that it is unlikely that cyberterrorism will pose the same threat that physical attacks such as Nuclear, Biological or chemical threats pose. As such, the internet does not greatly empower terrorists to carry out their actions and as such, the fear of terrorists causing significant harm through the internet is unfounded.

This paper set out to argue that the internet is mostly benevolent to man. To reinforce these claims, this paper has highlighted some of the positive impacts of the internet on man. The negative impacts have also been stated and a discussion on how real the dangers are undertaken. From the findings in this paper, it is clear that some of the dangers associated with the internet are exaggerated and the real once can be gracefully handled through available means. This paper has noted that by adopting these measures against the dangers inherent in the internet, the dangers can be mitigated or even extinguish all together. Once that is done, the positive attributes of the internet can be exploited therefore making the internet a blessing to mankind and his endeavors.

Bidgoli, H 2004, The Internet encyclopedia, Volume 1. John Wiley and Sons.

Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime (2000), Child Sexually Exploitation and the Internet . Web.

Jones, A & Valli, C 2008, Building a Digital Forensic Laboratory, Butterworth-Heinemann.

Korns, WS & Kastenverg, EJ 2009, Georgia’s Cyber Left Hook . Web.

Moran, JT & Weinroth, J 2008 , Invasion Of Privacy On The Internet: Information Capturing Without Consent, Journal of Business & Economics Research, Volume 6, Number 7.

Sahay, R, 2005, The causes and Trends of the Digital Divide . Web.

Ward, D 2003, Impact of New Technology on the Traditional Media: A Special Issue of Trends in Communication, Routledge.

Wilson, C 2005, Computer Attack and Cyberterrorism: Vulnerabilities and Policy Issues for Congress, Congressional Research Service.

• The Importance of Web Portals
• Free Speech on the Internet Overview
• The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness - Folks and Fairy Tales
• Oil Dependency and Economic Crisis in Venezuela
• Journalism as Industrial Art: The Problem of Journalism History
• The Terms in Online Communication Tools
• The Credibility of Web Pages
• A Revolution in the Making, Preparing for the Google IPO
• The Critical Success Factors for IPv6 Uptake and Likely Future
• Just-in-time Purchases and Extranets
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, March 21). The Internet: A Blessing or a Curse? https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-internet-a-blessing-or-a-curse/

"The Internet: A Blessing or a Curse?" IvyPanda , 21 Mar. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/the-internet-a-blessing-or-a-curse/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'The Internet: A Blessing or a Curse'. 21 March.

IvyPanda . 2022. "The Internet: A Blessing or a Curse?" March 21, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-internet-a-blessing-or-a-curse/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Internet: A Blessing or a Curse?" March 21, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-internet-a-blessing-or-a-curse/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Internet: A Blessing or a Curse?" March 21, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-internet-a-blessing-or-a-curse/.

Recommended for you

Social media is a blessing and a curse, whether we realize it or not..

Social media: A phrase we hear on a daily basis, and something that, whether we like it or not, continues to grow bigger every single day. In this day and age, people not only use social media to share pictures, opinions, and life events with people, but they also use it to stay updated on news and current events, something that once upon a time was done only through newspapers, word of mouth, and evening news shows.

Social media has evolved greatly from the days of AIM and Myspace into the powerful, life-consuming empire that is it is today. There are many perks of the interconnectedness that social media has to offer, but with these perks come a downside that shapes social media in a way that it’s both a blessing and a curse.

Social media is hard to escape. Some people embrace it, but others resent it and the presence it has in today’s society. Part of this is due to generational differences, as older generations are just being introduced to the concept of social media as they’re already entering the middle to later stages of their lives, whereas those of the millennial generation are being introduced to it at a younger age. Those of older generations are used to the days of landlines and most things being printed on paper, whereas now almost everything is transitioning into being wireless and digital. Not everyone of older generations are embracing the change, and a lot of people still prefer the more traditional manners of communication. As a result of social media, those of the millennial generation have developed this habit where we feel the need to document anything and everything, even if it’s something as simple as getting dinner with a friend or watching a sunset. This is great because it’s a way to keep up with people’s lives and what they’re up to, especially with long distance family/friends, but it can be bothersome in real life, when instead of enjoying your surroundings or company of whatever you’re doing, you become focused on making sure the world knows you’re doing it and putting it on social media. This is what we have become accustomed to, and although it has its perks, it definitely has the potential to take away from what’s happening in the moment around us. We have begun to spend our time living our lives via social media, instead of being present in the moment and embracing it without feeling the need to document it.

Social media makes it easy to share what we’re thinking and feeling with just a few swipes and taps of the finger. This is great when it comes to events that are time-sensitive or require immediate attention, and having a smartphone makes it especially easy to share thoughts and opinions without even thinking twice about it. This power to share things instantaneously manages to create a few problems, however. Since people have this ability to share their thoughts and opinions instantly on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, etc., people have begun to post or share things without giving it a second thought, which has the potential to cause conflict among their social media friends/followers. Some people have a tendency to refrain from sharing their opinions on social media, while others voice their opinions loud and proud for all to see. It depends on the user and their preferences, and sharing things on social media sometimes has the ability to reach a large amount of people in a short amount of time. This can either be really awesome or really disastrous depending on the circumstances.

Overall, social media is great because it allows us to communicate in a different and more advanced way than we have before, but we are definitely still adjusting to it. We’re still learning how to balance real life with virtual life, whether we realize it or not. We have a tendency to forget that social media is still relatively new to us because we’re around it so much, and it’s only getting more advanced as the days continue. Social media has gained a large presence in our culture overall, and it truly is both a blessing and a curse.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Epic creation myths: norse origins unveiled, what happened in the beginning, and how the heavens were set in motion..

Now, I have the everlasting joy of explaining the Norse creation myth. To be honest, it can be a bit kooky, so talking about it is always fun. The entire cosmos is included in this creation myth, not just the earth but the sun and the moon as well. This will be a short retelling, a summary of the creation myth, somewhat like I did with Hermod's ride to Hel.

The Norse cosmos began with two worlds, Niflheim and Muspellheim. These two worlds, the worlds of primordial cold and fire , were separated by a great fissure called Ginnungagap. The waters from the well Hvergelmir, at the center of Niflheim, by many rivers flowed into Ginnungagap and "when those rivers, which are called Elivagar, came so far from their source, the poisonous flow hardened like a slag of cinders running from a furnace, and became ice. ...Then layer by layer, the ice grew within Ginnungagap" (Byock 13). The northernmost regions of the gap filled with hoar frost and rime, but the southernmost were "the regions bordering on Muspell [and] were warm and bright" (Byock 13). Where the cold of Niflheim's ice and the warmth of Muspellheim's fire met in Ginnungagap the ice thawed, and "there was a quickening in these flowing drops and life sprang up" (Byock 14). From the ice came Ymir, known as Aurgelmir by the giants, the origin of all frost giants. As the wise giant Vafthruthnir says, "'down from Elivagar did venom drop, / And waxed till a giant it was; / And thence arose our giants' race, / And thus so fierce are we found'" (Bellows 76-77).

25 Throwback Songs You Forgot About

But you know you still know every word..

We all scroll through the radio stations in the car every once in a while, whether its because we lost signal to our favorite one or we are just bored with the same ol' songs every day. You know when you're going through and you hear a song where you're just like "I forgot this existed!" and before you know it, you're singing every word? Yeah, me too. Like, 95% of the time. If you're like me and LOVE some good throwback music, here's a list of songs from every genre that have gotten lost in time, but never truly forgotten.

1. "Big Pimpin'" - Jay-Z ft. UGK

Jay-Z gives us a ballad about, you guessed it, pimpin' big in NYC. Jay-Z's rhymes paired with that catchy beat is just bound to get stuck in your head for the rest of the night.

2. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers

If you say that you don't know any of the words to this song, you're the worst kind of person... a liar. This classic has left stamps of its lyrics on 99% of the population, and has a forever spot in my soul.

3. "Lose Yourself" - Eminem

This song always leaves me feeling like I could sign a record deal and launch my career as a rap/hip-hop legend... and craving spaghetti.

4. "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American) - Toby Keith

A ballad for the ages that brings the overly patriotic American badass out of all of us.

5. "Drop It Like It's Hot" - Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell Williams

SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!

6. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" - Green Day

This song makes me want to walk down a lonely road, preferably a dark one, and reflect on all of my life choices. Nevertheless, it's still a fantastic song.

7. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" - Panic! At The Disco

If your friends don't "chime in" by screaming the chorus at the top of their lungs in the car with you, it's time to leave them there and find new friends. Also, did anyone ever tell the groom what his bride has been up to?

8. "Semi-Charmed Life" - Third Eye Blind

A life anthem for all of us. Third Eye Blind has recently released another album. My inner child is tingling.

9. "Baby Got Back" - Sir Mix A Lot

Nicki Minaj sampled this in her song "Anaconda" in 2014. Take a minute to realize that some people have heard that, but not the REAL jam that the sample came from. Now, cry.

10. "Get Low" - Lil Jon ft. Ying Yang Twinz

The real question is which version is better: Lil Jon's or Sandra Bullock's?

11. "Check Yes Or No" - George Strait

You don't have to be a country lover to know this song. My hardcore rocker/screamo friend even knows the chorus. Don't try and tell me you don't. I don't like liars.

12. "Ride Wit Me" - Nelly

"Ayyyyye, must be the monaaayyy!" - frequently screamed lyric

13. "Pony" - Ginuwine

Even though I can't hear this song without seeing Channing Tatum's half naked body in my mind, it's still one of my favorite songs to hear. Instant day brightener when I hear that funky beat at the beginning.

14. "Cleanin' Out My Closet" - Eminem

As sad as these lyrics are, Eminem really hit this one out of the park.

15. "Gangstas Paradise" - Coolio

10/10 would recommend listening to Weird Al's parody of this song.

16. "It Was A Good Day" - Ice Cube

The first time I heard this may have been on Grand Theft Auto, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a great song.

17. "What's Your Fantasy" - Ludacris

Another song that I knew most of the lyrics to that I probably shouldn't have at a young age.

18. "Everybody (Backstreets Back)" - Backstreet Boys

They really were back, and we all wish they had stayed.

19. "Misery Business" - Paramore

I can't tell if I want to be Hayley Williams or be ON Hayley Williams. I'd be okay with either. #girlcrush

20. "Steal My Sunshine" - Len

This feel good song makes me want to rip open a popsicle and ride my bicycle around town.

21. "Fly" - Sugar Ray

As repetitive as this is, this song will never get old.

22. "Song 2" - Blur

23. "buddy holly" - weezer.

Weezer may have hated this song, but we are glad they recorded it.

24. "No Rain" - Blind Melon

Maybe it's just me who is obsessed with this song, but if you haven't heard it, I highly recommend.

25. "99 Problems" - Jay-Z

I have 99 problems, and this playlist solves all of them.

27 Hidden Joys

Appreciation for some of life's most discredited pleasures..

Life is full of many wonderful pleasures that many of us, like myself, often forget about. And it's important to recognize that even on bad days, good things still happen. Focusing on these positive aspects of our day-to-day lives can really change a person's perspective. So in thinking about the little things that make so many of us happy , I've here's a list of some of the best things that often go unrecognized and deserve more appreciation:

1. Sun showers

3. tight hugs, 4. discovering new foods you like., 5. laying in bed after a long day., 6. and being completely relaxed, 7. "this reminded me of you", 8. breakfast foods, 9. over-sized clothes, 10. contagious laughs, 11. car rides with that one person, 12. random (i miss you/ i love you) texts, 13. the city at night, 14. surprises, 15. blanket cocoons, 16. good hair days, 17. really good coffee, 18. days where you're in a good mood naturally and for no particular reason, 19. conquering a fear, 20. when they give you a lot of guac at chipotle, 21. being so comfortable with someone that you can literally talk about anything, 22. home-cooked meals, 23. tattoo stories, 24. leaves changing color in fall, 25. butterflies in your stomach, 26. peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, 27. when you can't stop laughing, cool off with these 8 beers.

Summer is hot and humid, and it's almost like summer was made specifically to drink the refreshing, cold, crisp wonderful, delicious, nutritious nectar of the gods. Which is none other than beer; wonderful cold beer. With summer playing peek-a-boo around the corner while we finish up this semester, it's time to discuss the only important part of summer. And if you haven't already guessed, it's beer. There are few things I take more seriously than my beer, in order are: sports ... and beer. Here are my favorite summer brews:

Coors Light Summer Brew:

This summer shandy begins this list, it's a mix of lemon, lime and orange. While this is by no means a craft beer, it still has it place as a refreshing summer brew to enjoy.

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy

Solid choice for any summer get together, great taste with a hint of citrus.

Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat

Distinctly reminds me of Fruity Pebbles, but nonetheless is a wonderful summer beer.

Want to know more about beer?

Summertime is the perfect time for beer, and that's why International Beer Day is on August 2nd. Our community has you covered with more stories about beer, including:

• The Benefits of Drinking Beer : Let us count the ways. There are more than you might think.
• Delicious Beer Substitutes : Is beer not typically your thing? Try one of these instead.
• Unique Beer Flavors to Try : Whether it's hard apple cider or the tase of wild blueberries, these are great options.
• If College Majors Were Beers : Business, sports medicine, design – there's a beer for every major.

Sam Adams Summer Ale

Sam Adams is known for their traditional Boston Lager, but their Summer Ale is damn good.

Hell or High Watermelon

Made with real watermelon, not much is more summer-esque than juicy watermelon in July.

Blue Moon Summer Honey

I love me some Blue Moon, so the summer brew is a no-brainer on this list.

LandShark Lager

Fun fact: LandShark is owned by Anheuser-Busch, and is more commonly know as the signature drink of Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.

Obviously Corona had to take the number one spot. To me, there's nothing more refreshing than a cold Corona with lime on a hot summer day.

So whether you're on a sandy beach, a fishing boat, or at a pool, just remember what our dear friend Jack Nicholson said, "Beer, it's the best damn drink in the world."

Drink responsibly and never drink and drive.

7 Reasons SoCal Rocks!

75 degrees and sunny, plus, no humidity. I mean do I really need to say more?

SoCal summers are the best summers by far, and honestly, no argument is needed. But, if you aren't sure why SoCal summers are the best, here are 7 reasons why!

Perfect Weather

You'll get an effortless tan.

Being outside is inevitable when the weather is this nice, so slap on some low SPF and enjoy the perfect weather as you become a bronzed beach babe!

You can exercise with a view

Who said working on your summer bod has to stop when summer starts? In SoCal there are hundreds of gorgeous hiking trails in the mountains or on the cliffs overlooking the beach, so maintaining your summer bod is easy on the eyes and a lot less of a drag!

You don't have to worry about bug bites

The likelihood of you getting bit by a bug is slim, so you don't have to worry about smelling like bug spray whenever you want to go outside.

In n Out all day, every day

No explanation needed.

We have outdoor concerts

At the county fair or on the beach, summertime means outdoor concerts with good music and great friends.

We live where people vacation

We're lucky enough to live in paradise and we don't take that for granted. We take advantage of our sunsets on the beach and backyard staycation without spending a pretty penny on visiting somewhere that isn't nearly as perfect as SoCal. We're pretty spoiled.

Trending Topics

Songs About Being 17 Grey's Anatomy Quotes Vine Quotes 4 Leaf Clover Self Respect

Top Creators

1. Brittany Morgan,   National Writer's Society 2. Radhi,   SUNY Stony Brook 3. Kristen Haddox , Penn State University 4. Jennifer Kustanovich , SUNY Stony Brook 5. Clare Regelbrugge , University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Trending Stories

Waitlisted for a college class here's what to do, 19 lessons i'll never forget from growing up in a small town, grateful beyond words: a letter to my inspiration, five bible verses to help you during sorority recruitment, 11 signs you grew up in hauppauge, ny, best of student life 8 beer date ideas, 43 high school lessons, 25 lyrics for selfie captions, bruce springsteen's top 7 lyrics, new england summers are the best summers, subscribe to our newsletter, facebook comments.

The Pros and Cons of Social Media: A Blessing or A Curse

The pros and cons of social media: a blessing or a curse.

In the current digital era, social media has ingrained itself deeply into our daily lives. It has transformed how we connect, share information, and consume content. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have taken the world by storm, offering exciting opportunities and challenges. 

This article delves into the pros and cons of social media, exploring whether it is a blessing or a curse for society. Let’s dive in and explore the impact of social media on our lives.

Image by Freepik

1. The Power of Connection 

Social media has revolutionized communication, allowing us to connect with people worldwide. Social media platforms help us in two ways. 

• First, they help us reconnect with old friends. 
• Second, they assist us in making new friends. 

These platforms make social bonding easier and give a sense of a smaller and more connected world. According to a survey, over 4.5 billion people use social media daily, illustrating its widespread influence on global communication.

2. Information at Your Fingertips 

One of the greatest advantages of social media is instant access to information. News, updates, and trends spread like wildfire on platforms like Twitter. Social media is very useful in times of crisis. For example, it allows information to spread quickly during emergencies or natural disasters. 

3. Opportunities for Businesses 

For businesses, social media has opened up a treasure trove of opportunities. With over 3.8 billion social media users worldwide, companies can tap into a massive audience for advertising and brand promotion. Social media analytics can give us important information about how consumers behave. It allows businesses to adjust their marketing tactics for improved outcomes.

4. Fostering Creativity and Expression  

Social media has empowered individuals to express their creativity and showcase their talents . Whether through photography on Instagram, short videos on TikTok, or thoughtful posts on personal blogs, users can share their passions with the world. This creative outlet has led to the discovery of numerous influencers and artists who might not have gained recognition otherwise.

5. Social Activism and Awareness 

Social media has catalyzed social change, enabling activists to raise awareness about various causes. Movements like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter gained momentum through online platforms, reaching millions of people worldwide. It has encouraged conversations on important social issues and allowed marginalized voices to be heard.

6. Negative Effects on Mental Health 

Despite its numerous advantages, social media has also been associated with several negative effects on mental health. Always comparing yourself to others’ seemingly flawless lives on social media can make you feel like you’re not good enough. Studies have linked excessive social media use to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, especially among teenagers.

7. Spread of Misinformation 

One of the significant challenges of social media is the rampant spread of misinformation. False news and rumors can go viral within minutes, leading to confusion and panic. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, just under half – about 48% – of American adults admit they frequently or occasionally get their news from social media. This is a 5% drop compared to 2020’s statistics. Making it crucial for platforms to address the issue of misinformation and fact-checking.

8. Privacy Concerns  

Privacy breaches and data leaks have raised concerns about the safety of personal information shared on social media. With cyberattacks and hacking becoming more sophisticated, protecting users’ privacy has become paramount. A study revealed that 68% of social media users are worried about their data being accessed without consent.

9. Addiction and Time Wastage 

The addictive nature of social media is a significant concern for many individuals. Always scrolling and getting many notifications can make you feel like you must always check these platforms. It can lower your productivity and impact your face-to-face relationships. Studies have shown that social media users spend an average of 2 .5 hours per day on these platforms.

10. Impact on Relationships 

While social media facilitates connections, it can also strain real-life relationships. Using social media too much could mean we’re talking less in person. It can lower the quality of our real-life relationships. Furthermore, misunderstandings and conflicts arising from misinterpreted posts or comments can damage relationships.

11. Cyberbullying and Online Harassment 

The anonymity provided by social media can sometimes lead to cyberbullying and online harassment. Teenagers in particular may find it difficult to avoid persistent cyberbullying. Serious emotional and mental health issues may result from it. According to a report, 7 in 10 young people have experienced cyberbullying at least once before they hit the age of 18.

12. Influence on Political Discourse 

Social media plays a significant role in shaping political discourse and public opinion. Social media has created a place where different opinions can be shared. However, it also gets blamed for creating groups that only share similar views. Plus, it is often used to spread content that divides people. A Pew Research Center study found that 62% of American adults believe social media has a negative impact on political discussions.

Social media is a double-edged sword with benefits and drawbacks. Its power to connect people, disseminate information, and promote businesses is undeniable. At the same time, it poses risks to mental health, privacy, and interpersonal relationships. The key lies in responsible and mindful use of social media as individuals and as a society. We can make the most out of social media if we understand its risks. By working towards creating a safe and positive online space , we can reduce the negative aspects that can sometimes feel like a curse.

1. Can social media really impact mental health?

Several studies show a connection between heavy social media use and raised anxiety levels. Many also found that it can lead to more depression. On top of it all, there’s a link between using too much social media and feeling lonely. Social media often makes us compare ourselves with others. It also shows us unrealistic standards. Both of these factors can harm our mental health.

2. How can businesses benefit from social media?

Social media provides businesses with a vast audience for advertising and brand promotion. It also offers valuable analytics to understand consumer behavior and tailor marketing strategies accordingly.

3. What are some ways to protect personal privacy on social media?

Users should take steps to keep their personal information safe on social media. One way to do this is by regularly checking their privacy settings. It’s important not to share sensitive information so that everyone can see it. Also, be careful when someone you don’t know sends a friend request or asks you to follow them.

4. Can social media be a tool for social activism?

Absolutely. Social media holds a key role in increasing awareness about different social issues. It provides a platform for activists to share their views and rally for change. This leads to worldwide discussions that can trigger positive actions.

5. How can we combat misinformation on social media?

Combatting misinformation requires collective efforts from platforms, users, and fact-checking organizations. People should double-check information before they share it on social media. At the same time, social media platforms need to have strong systems in place to check facts. These systems should be able to flag any false content automatically.

Eric Smith is an experienced SEO Consultant currently working at Ajroni . His expertise in SEO strategies helps businesses improve their online visibility and attract more audience. Eric continues to apply his knowledge and skills to support the digital growth of several businesses.

Tech Company Pulls Ads from Olympics Over Controversial Opening Ceremony Performance C Spire, a Mississippi-based tech company, withdrew its Olympi…

Hurricane Beryl, Caitlin Clark Triple-Double, French Elections

Nba draft 2024, rivian stock, rapidan dam, subscribe to the skinny.

Top Tools and Techniques for Text Summarization

Chipotle’s brian niccol is takes over for starbucks’s laxman narasimhan, top tips for accelerating medication prior authorization, best practices for building a robust deal flow pipeline, elon musk reveals latest breakthrough in neural technology, antitrust ruling against google threatens apple partnership, eco-friendly bakery packaging: benefits of biodegradable and compostable solutions, web design vs. web development: understanding the key differences.

Social Media; Blessing or Curse

##article.authors##.

• Ojas Patil American High School; Fremont, California

This research paper is going to go over social media and the power it gives with influence. It will talk about online trends and social media influencers that have influence and power over others. It includes information about virality and how it works. I also go over how people with this power try to use it to better online platforms as a whole.

Alaniz, M. (2022, August 3). Dangerous TikTok Trends You Should Never Try. Legacy Marketing. https://www.legacymarketing.com/blog/dangerous-tiktok-trends-you-should-never-try/

Bonifazi, G., Cecchini, S., Corradini, E., Giuliani, L., Ursino, D., & Virgili, L. (2022). Investigating community evolutions in TikTok dangerous and non-dangerous challenges. Journal of Information Science, 01655515221116519.

https://dpl6hyzg28thp.cloudfront.net/media/01655515221116519.pdf

Doyle, B. (2023, January 20). TikTok Statistics – Updated Jan 2023.Wallaroo Media. https://wallaroomedia.com/blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/#:~:text=TikTok%20is%20available%20in%20over,be%20on%20TikTok%20right%20now

Konnikova, M. (2014). The six things that make stories go viral will amaze, and maybe infuriate, you. The New Yorker. http://opgaver.kvuc.dk/Engelsk_B_aug2015/files/51083_the_six_things.pdf

Kriegel, E. R., Lazarevic, B., Athanasian, C. E., & Milanaik, R. L. (2021). TikTok, Tide Pods and Tiger King: health implications of trends taking over pediatric populations. Current opinion in pediatrics, 33(1), 170-177.

https://dpl6hyzg28thp.cloudfront.net/media/TikTok_Tide_Pods_and_Tiger_King__health.23.pdf

Public Broadcasting Service. (2016). Inside the Teenage Brain. PBS. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/inside-the-teenage-brain/ .

Wadbring, I., & Ödmark, S. (2016). Going viral: News sharing and shared news in social media. OBS-Observatorio, 10(4), 132-149. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1056284/FULLTEXT01.pdf

• Social Media; Blessing or Curse.pdf
• Social Science

Copyright (c) 2023 Ojas Patil

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

The Research Archive of Rising Scholars is an open-access preprint archive for scholarly articles by the most curious and bright young minds of our generation. It is a repository for articles in any and all academic fields in STEM and the Humanities. Materials on this site are not peer-reviewed by the Research Archive. The purpose of this archive is to offer an open-access space to house the work of budding scholars as they ready their articles for peer-reviewed publication elsewhere.