Controversies on Using Social Networking Services

Controversies on Using Social Networking Services

Controversy is an important element of scientific development. Richard Feynman, a revered physicist, once said “Science is the belief in the ignorance of scholars” (“The 10 most controversial psychology studies ever published”, para 1). All scientific assumptions are exposed to further analysis, nothing is taken for granted. Therefore, it is a good sign that psychological studies continue to create notable controversies. Often, the arguments are about the ethics or logic of the techniques, but at other times, they are due to disagreements on the implications of the findings to the general understanding of human nature (Jarrett, 2014). This paper discusses an important controversy in psychology that has been popular for more than a decade: Social media addiction and deterioration of psychological well-being versus the benefits of technology for learning and self-improvement.

The social network services, or more broadly the Internet, have become an important part of everyone’s lives. Although the Internet is being used to connect with people since the 1980s, the last decade has shown tremendous growth in its use. Social networking has become a widespread practice, particularly among the youth and teenagers (Collin, Rahilly, Richardson, & Third, 2011).

Many scholars believe that social media is a blessing to the new generation where information and services are freely available, whereas some other scholars and researchers believe that social media plays a huge role in depression and isolation. The impact of social media on people has been a topic under debate for a long time. Psychology professionals are continually researching on the relationship between social media and psychological well-being of people as it is a very complex relationship with a lot of confounding variables that need to be studied in depth.

Benefits of Using Social Networking Services

Several research studies indicate that there are various significant benefits of using social networking services, such as enhancing education opportunities, supporting relationship building, forming self-identity, and boosting self-esteem. Furthermore, the strong sense of belonging promoted by social networking services fosters resilience, which helps people cope with changes and stressful events (Collin et al., 2011). Some of the benefits of social networking services are briefly described below.

• Media literacy: Research shows that media literacy can be developed through the use of social networking services. As photos, music, animation, written text, and so forth are core components of social network services, young people understand the nature, use, and production of different forms of content, which might not be taught as part of school curriculum. Media literacy would help young people to be confident in participating in the new digital environment by educating them about using social networking services sensibly and by preparing them to remain safe in such an environment by making them alert against various media abuse, like cyberbullying (Collin et al., 2011).

• Education: Social networking services serve as a platform for both formal and informal learning. They support the extension and continuation of discussion and learning outside a formal classroom setting that is more interactive, peer-based, and self-directed.

Research indicates that social network sites can help students collaborate and share thoughts about their assessments. Also, creating interactive media such as blogs will help them reinforce skills in creativity and language (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Social network services also promote deeper learning among young people as they are

engaged with the material for a longer period and are thereby able to relate to the content and incorporate it in their daily lives. Students belonging to low socioeconomic backgrounds and living in remote areas gain confidence in educational activities and have enhanced interactions with their teachers by pursuing learning through social networking services. Another psychological benefit of social networking services for young people is improved relationships because of its feature of supporting peer-to-peer learning and discussion (Collin et al., 2011).

• Individual identity and self-expression: According to Collin et al. (2011), social networking services are designed in a manner that promotes individual customization. They help people find and explore their cultural, sexual, or ethnic identity and enable them to express these aspects freely. This form of individual customization and socialization provides the much required psychological development for young people.

• Strengthening interpersonal relationships: Today, offline and online worlds interconnect often. Social network sites such as Myspace and Facebook allow their users to meet new people who may share common interests and skills. Thus, social network sites play a key role in developing new relationships and strengthening existing relationships. The presence of positive relationships in life is essential for an individual’s wellbeing. This strengthening of relationships helps young people deal with various stressors that they face during their transition from childhood to adulthood. Young people experiencing marginalization can have their self-esteem enhanced developing friendship through interaction with others having similar views, experiences, and needs through social networks (Collin et al., 2011).

• Sense of belonging and collective identity: Digital technologies provide various possibilities to generate and share creative content. Research indicates that social networking services have a major role in the creation of collective identity. Sharing audio, visual, or written information on social networking services creates community experience and invites other users to relate and engage. This helps young people develop individual and collective creativity, foster their unique social skills and individual identity, and provides scope for the development of tolerance, respect, and increased discourse about global and personal issues among each other (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011).

• Civic engagement and political participation: As social networking services facilitate the sharing of information and building new networks for action, they establish new spaces for political participation and civic engagement. Research conducted by Collin et al.

(2011) indicates that social media and social networking services are increasingly being used by political candidates, advocacy-oriented groups, and others. This political participation and civic engagement through social networks allow young people to develop and voice their political opinions and create their customized public selves. The youth also get an opportunity to participate in government and community decision-making by being active on social networking platforms.

• Well-being: Social networking services play a vital role in strengthening life skills, general knowledge, self-efficacy, and social connectedness, which are important for the overall well-being and mental health of people, especially the younger generation. The sense of ownership over online space enhances the sense of empowerment and accomplishment among the youth, which strengthens the feeling of attachment and

 Comment [DSMGUAA2]: Ruby, This is a great summary of the research. And solid analysis of the sources. For distinguished, it also asks the you show how the research is valid and credible. I did not see this discussed.

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belonging to a community. A sense of belonging and communion promotes resilience among the young generation and helps them successfully deal with change and stressful events (Collin et al., 2011).

The given discussion highlights that using social media services is beneficial to the young generation. It helps them carry out certain tasks that are essential for them offline like staying connected with family and friends, making new friends, sharing content, learning and developing new skills, and getting access to education, all of which would gradually boost the self-esteem of the youth. Hence, in today’s world of technology, use of social media is essential for the overall well-being of individuals (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). The above benefits of social networking sites are derived from detailed research conducted on a range of disciplines such as sociology, health, education, and so forth, by drawing on reports and articles supplied by industry, academics, government, and non-government researchers.

Risks of Using Social Networking Services

Over the last couple of decades, there has been a growing concern regarding the relation between use of social media and mental health disorders. Numerous research studies indicate that there is a link between social networking services and certain undesirable outcomes such as anxiety, loneliness, and compulsive behavior in people (Strickland, 2014). Some of the other potential negative outcomes or risks of using social networking services found by researchers are listed below.

• Cyberbullying: Cyberbullying is the intentional use of social networking services to spread hostile, false, or embarrassing content about another individual through e-mails, text messaging, and so on. It is one of the most dangerous and common risks the youths

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of this age are exposed to, which can cause serious psychological outcomes such as depression and suicide (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Cyberbullying can happen anytime anywhere as it is done online and through technology. Because the victims of cyberbullying have no control over acts of bullying, this may lead to feelings of powerlessness and subsequently to elevated depressive symptoms that might result in suicides (Kanyinga, Roumeliotis, & Xu, 2014).

• Sexting: Sexting is “sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, photographs, or images via cell phone, computer, or other digital devices” (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Usually the content shared through sexting rapidly spreads over the Internet and causes some profound negative outcomes such as severe isolation and anxiety.

• Depression: Research indicates that when teenagers and youths spend longer hours on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, they tend to display the common symptoms of depression. Teenagers and youths usually feel a need to sense acceptance and connectedness with their peers, which may or may not happen through the use of social networking services, hence leading them to social isolation and self-destructive behaviors (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Social media researchers found that teenagers who used social media 24/7 and had emotional involvement in it had low self-esteem, poor sleep quality, and high rates of anxiety and depression. The reasons for these problems are the pressure to be online 24/7, the inability to respond immediately to messages, and the fear of missing out on events, all of which lead to anxiety (Vernon, 2015).

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• Privacy issues: One of the major issues of social networking sites is the safety of the youths and their privacy. Current research indicates that many youths disclose their private information on the social networking sites and share too much information about themselves or others, which leads to violation of privacy (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Every move made by social media users leaves behind cyber footprints. Private companies get access to such footprints and are able to gain insights to all aspects of users’ everyday life, thereby violating their privacy (Jayson, 2014).
• Digital footprint: When users browse on the Internet, the evidence of the sites that have been browsed is left behind. This becomes a huge threat to the users’ future reputation and digital footprint. If any inappropriate content is viewed or shared online by the users, the event is captured as evidence and might jeopardize any future career opportunities. Preadolescents and adolescents put inappropriate content online without being aware of the privacy issues involved and the fact that whatever is posted online remains online. These young generation then become the target of fraudsters and marketers and are at risk of hampering their college and job acceptance because of their online image, which can be stressful (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011).

• Psychological well-being: Research indicates that the longer use of social networking services is connected to increased loneliness, depression, and anxiety, as people are less involved in social circles. The research findings also show that the use of social media detaches people from their family and friends. It has a huge deteriorative impact on people’s psychological well-being because when people are away from their friends and families and involve less in social circles, they can be prone to loneliness and depression