1. Introduction
The widespread availability of the Internet has provided opportunities for the development of social media in modern society. Starting from the emergence of Friendster in 2002, social media has now proliferated in various models and forms such as Facebook, MySpace, hi5, Bebo, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and many more. Each social media has its uniqueness, but essentially all of these social media have the same core function as a means to socialize and communicate with other people personally, directly, and publicly. With a little touch of difference in character and function, social media has become an integral part of daily life. The growing community of internet users, especially Facebook users in the last five years has made social media a form of public space in modern society (Ghifrani Alimin, 2024).
Public space is a space that is open to everyone, and any discussion in public space can involve all affected parties without exception. In a public space, people can freely express their thoughts, opinions, and views to others. In the view of Jurgen Habermas, public space can be formed as a result of people's awareness to come together and establish a communicative action free from the domination of authority. The proliferation of social media like Facebook in modern society raises questions regarding its role as a public space in public life. Does social media create a new public space? What public life phenomena are emerging from the use of social media? What public opinion issues are social media users concerned about? These questions need to be addressed to understand the impact of social media in contemporary life and to examine how social media users shape their public opinion. (Zimmerman, 2012)
2. The Evolution of Social Media
Social media has become integral to daily life in the 21st century, influencing public opinion significantly. This transition from traditional media to social media platforms poses both opportunities and threats to democracy. The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and the Arab Spring highlight the dual impact of social media on socio-political stability. Dependence on social media can lead to polarization through echo chambers and filter bubbles, while disinformation can manipulate public opinion. This paper examines the sociological implications of social media on public opinion formation. The origins of social media trace back to the 1970s and 1980s with early online forums, fostering community conversations. The rise of the World Wide Web in the 1990s greatly expanded these forums, leading to social media platforms where users created profiles and connected with others. This evolution was driven by technological advancements and changing user demographics, transforming media engagement and societal implications. Social media has revolutionized communication. Platforms have replaced email and text messaging, allowing users to like, share, and comment on content. Different platforms offer unique functionalities, from connecting with friends to microblogging and sharing media. The shift in focus from explicit social interaction to more indirect engagement highlights how social media encourages users to interact with diverse content. Today, social media shapes societal interactions, creating numerous platforms and evolving to meet changing needs. However, concerns about its future raise the importance of critical engagement with social media's trajectory. (Ghifrani Alimin, 2024)(W. Treem et al., 2016)
3. Impact on Communication
Communication is a basic human nature. It is the way a person conveys his thoughts to others. The desire to communicate interpersonally has been at the core of human existence. Almost all human activities involve communication. Whether it is social, political, or economic, public or private, all activities are accompanied by some form of communication (Ghifrani Alimin, 2024). Man is a social being, and it is the social interactions that form a society. The modern era brought a revolution in the way we communicate. With industrialization, urbanization, and modernization, new communication methods were adopted, shrinking the distances. In the early 2000s, social media emerged into the communication landscape, changing the existing global communications scenario completely.
It all started in the mid-1990s with the development of websites that allowed users to create content. But, it was in 2002 when social media as it is now was first used in an article. Friendster became a turning point in social media history, creating an environment where users can interact and share content online. Some other social networking sites like Orkut followed which had a considerable impact on society. However, the emergence of Facebook in 2004 changed everything. The emergence of platforms such as MySpace, LinkedIn, and Facebook enhanced social media with new concepts and features. Later social media expanded to microblogging with Twitter, which became an important platform in society. Facebook became a global phenomenon, consolidating its role as a major force in modern communications. With the emergence of Twitter in 2006, it offered a different format with short messages or “tweets” limited to 140 characters. Twitter became very popular among various kinds of users including policymakers, journalists, and activists. The use of “hashtags” for keyword tagging became a novel feature and an important tool for activism. The rapid development of mobile and internet technology plays a big role in the growth of social media. In particular, the introduction of smart mobile phones has changed the communication landscape drastically (Hooi-Ten Wong et al., 2017).
4. Influence on Politics and Activism
Social media significantly influences the political landscape, shaping campaigns, elections, and public sentiment. Since the 2000s, it has opened new communication avenues, making information sharing easier and mobilizing communities. Political campaigns have effectively utilized social media to reach wider audiences. The Obama campaign in 2008, for instance, employed a strong outreach strategy targeting young voters, who increasingly turned to social media for information. This approach led to Obama securing 70% of the 18-29 age group’s votes, a historic high. Similarly, Trump's campaign in 2016 demonstrated that a controversial social media strategy could disrupt opponents, although misinformation has complicated the political scene. Misinformation on social media can sway voters and undermine democracy's foundations. During the 2016 election, Russia-backed operatives used social media to create division while Trump effectively utilized Twitter to influence public discourse. Conversely, activists have harnessed social media for organizing and advocating, with movements like Black Lives Matter and Me Too gaining momentum online before transitioning to street activism. Social media has become vital for advocacy and community building. In the wake of the Arab Spring, many revolutions in the Middle East were sparked by social media, raising questions about its efficacy compared to traditional media. Activists in Egypt organized protests via Facebook while mainstream media was barred from reporting on events. However, during NATO's intervention in Libya, the limitations of social media for narrative control became evident. Currently, social media lies at a crossroads in political engagement, having reshaped young constituents' interaction with politics, yet its future impact on political interactions remains uncertain. (Van Den Bergh, 2016)
5. Effects on Mental Health
Social media platforms have become a vital part of daily life for many individuals around the world. Billions of users worldwide connect with others and share thoughts, pictures, and videos via platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok, and countless others. Most people take part in some social media activities, either through actively posting or passively scrolling through other people’s feeds. While some people may experience little or no effects from social media, most users may be impacted in some way, be it positively or negatively. A growing body of research attempts to understand and explain how social media use impacts mental health, considering the complexity of this relationship (Taylor-Jackson and A. Moustafa, 2021).
Social media enables users to connect with others and share information regardless of physical distance, affording many positive aspects closely tied to mental health. Individuals experiencing challenges or hardships may find community support they would not have access to offline. For instance, social media can provide connections for those grieving, struggling with addiction, or dealing with illnesses. Social media allow users to share more about themselves and find others with similar experiences, which can be comforting and reduce feelings of loneliness that may come from such challenges (Ulvi et al., 2022). Still, it is vital to recognize that the community aspect of social media can act as both a net positive and negative. Online groups may provide support in some cases, while in others, they may promote harmful behaviors, such as a group of individuals discussing ways to self-harm.
The complex relationship between social media use and mental health continues to be debated and investigated. Numerous studies have found various negative consequences associated with social media use, particularly anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation. One potential mechanism linking social media use to poor mental health outcomes relates to the platform's nature; users see posts highlighting the best moments of others' lives. Social media may promote unrealistic comparisons, leading to lowered self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy among users. In particular, Instagram—a platform based primarily on viewing others' images—has been associated with a desire to look perfect among young women and increased feelings of anxiety.
While some studies find that social media use can exacerbate mental health issues, others note the importance of understanding individual differences in how users react. Social media can be great for one person but detrimental for another. One key aspect of social media that can act as a protective factor is how it is used. For instance, passive scrolling through others' feeds is more likely to have negative outcomes than active participation, such as posting and commenting on friends' content. Overall, the duality of social media is evident; while it amplifies mental health issues in some cases, it also expands accessibility to resources and promotes awareness. Many mental health organizations use social media to promote well-being and share hotlines, and individuals experiencing challenges often turn to the online community for support. A vast number of people have shared personal stories of mental health challenges online, normalizing discussion and encouraging others to seek help.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to growing concerns about how excessive screen time and social media engagement may impact mental health. Many studies have emerged investigating this relationship, often finding a decline in mental well-being due to increased social media use and other online activities. For instance, one study found that while social media use helped some remain connected and lowered stress levels, for most, the amount of time spent on social media correlated with poorer mental health. Likewise, research examining how the pandemic affected children's mental health found that those with higher screen time were more likely to show deterioration. However, it is essential to approach these findings cautiously; while increased social media use might be linked to poorer mental health, this does not imply social media use causes poor mental health. As noted in other studies, it is necessary to account for time spent doing other activities, such as socializing face-to-face, which may also impact mental well-being.
While social media use may be related to mental health, it is crucial to better understand how these dynamics work to inform healthier practices. Many questions remain unanswered. For instance, research suggests that those encountering the worst outcomes of social media use might also be the ones spending the most time on it. However, it remains unclear why this is the case. Long-term research is needed to best understand the situation, as the majority of studies have been cross-sectional snapshots of a particular period. This is an important topic to investigate further, as sharing insights on how social media use might harm mental health could be beneficial for users and help inform better practices. Ultimately, it is a complex dilemma that requires more research; while sharing experiences and stories online can be cathartic for some, they may also open Pandora's box of issues for others.
6. Conclusion
The objective of this essay was to explore the role of social media in modern society. Through personal insights and reflections, the discussion has endeavored to illuminate the transformative impact of social media across various facets of life—social interactions, community building, politics, business, and information dissemination. It has been emphasized that, despite the challenges it poses, social media has fundamentally reshaped the way individuals connect, share, engage, and perceive the world around them. Understanding and critically reflecting on social media's role is deemed necessary for an informed and engaged citizenry in contemporary society (Ghifrani Alimin, 2024).
Through past experiences, the recognition of the dual nature of social media's impact has been highlighted. While it has opened new avenues for community building and political engagement, it continues to pose challenges, especially concerning the spread of misinformation. It has been hoped that the insights shared in the essay could promote consciousness regarding social media's role in readers' lives. Fostering digital literacy and educating individuals on the responsible usage of social media platforms is seen as a collective responsibility that needs continuous attention. Social media can be a force for good, as it has the potential to enhance community building and political engagement (Van Den Bergh, 2016). In closing, the acknowledgment that this discourse merely scratches the surface of social media's complex impact on modern society is made. As an ever-evolving phenomenon, social media's role and implications will continue to change, demanding further inquiry and adaptation. Subsequently, readers are encouraged to reflect actively on their social media usage, its consequences, and its significance.
References:
Ghifrani Alimin, N. "The role of social media in forming public opinion from a contemporary sociological perspective." (2024). osf.io
Zimmerman, D. "Navigating authenticity in the age of the Internet a phenomenological exploration of the existential effects of social media." (2012). [PDF]
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Hooi-Ten Wong, D., Phang, C. S., Maarop, N., Narayana Samy, G., Ibrahim, R., Che Mohd. Yusoff, R., Magalingam, P., and Firdaus Mohd. Azmi, N. "Effect of social media on human interpersonal communication: a review." (2017). [PDF]
Van Den Bergh, J. "Media Technology: An Evolving Political Machine." (2016). [PDF]
Taylor-Jackson, J. and A. Moustafa, A. "The relationships between social media use and factors relating to depression." (2021). ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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