According to the Pew Research Center, 68% of U.S. adults use Facebook, 73% use YouTube, 27% use Snapchat, and 24% use LinkedIn. Social media seems to have taken over the minds of many. We should be aware of the disadvantages associated with using social media. Here are 5 potenial disadvantages of social media to keep in mind while posting, tweeting, or snapping.
1. Identity Theft
Identity theft can be a concern when you put personal information on the internet. 8% of U.S. adults reported having their identity stolen more than once and 14% reported it happening at least one time as of September 2017. Many social media sites ask for personal information such as your name, date of birth, the town you live in, relationship status, and schools you have attended. That information may make it easier for someone to access your accounts and possibly discover more private information.
2. Less Face-to-Face Interactions
More and more people are using screens as their main form of communication. Social media allows us to connect with people all over the world. But there is a negative side to social media. Connecting with people through social media is a great way to broaden our horizons. However, we may be forgetting about the people right in front of us. Social media has created a realm of potentially anti-social individuals. People may be too busy taking selfies and recording videos instead of experiencing life in real time. Those who overuse social media should remember there can be an exciting world around them. What they least expect could be right under their nose.
3. Peer Pressure and Cyber Bullying
Peer pressure and cyberbullying are not a thing of the past. Even if you haven’t experienced it, that doesn’t mean that it has gone away. 47% of youths have been a victim of cyberbullying as of February 2018.
Face-to-face interactions do not limit the pressures of wanting to be a part of a group or to act a particular way. Feeling pressured to be a certain way on social media can be an act of peer pressure. Individuals may start to feel anxiety, stress, and depression in some extreme cases. It is important to feel comfortable in your environment and that includes the digital world of social media.
4. Distractions
Social media may become a distraction. Individuals could lose track of their tasks when they are constantly engaged on social media. They may use social media as a tool for procrastinating. Allowing social media to become the priority has the potential to cause other areas of your life to fall short.
5. Unprofessional
When using a personal social media account it may be a good rule of thumb to make sure that the content is appropriate. Most social media accounts can be accessed by future employers. When posting to social media, this may be a valuable idea to keep in mind.
Social media can be a great tool if used correctly. You should be aware of the risks of using it too much and for the wrong reasons. You may want to keep these disadvantages in mind when using social media in the future.