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The birth of social media
Did you know that dating back to 1997, the first official social media site was born?
Six Degrees launched and had 3.5 million users at its most popular. Over time, older websites have faced failure due to their lack of simplicity and excessive emphasis on branding, leading to a wave of new and improved sites. In 2023, there are 4.8 billion social media users worldwide, representing 59.9% of the global population and 92.7% of all internet users - a 3.2% increase year-over-year.
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So, what is the digital age of social media?
Wikipedia defines social media as interactive technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. Social Media Platforms allow digital users to communicate with each other, have conversations, share information and create/curate content.
In today's digital age, social media has become integral to our lives, revolutionising how we communicate, connect, and consume information. It has transformed how culture works.
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Accessing online social media platforms requires a computer, iPad, smartphone, or similar device connected to the internet.
A fast-changing world
Facebook's (Now Meta) arrival in 2004 transformed the landscape for social media interactions and quickly inspired a wave of innovation globally throughout the landscape. The birth of Twitter in 2006 and microblogging introduced the concept of sharing short messages, known as tweets, quickly becoming a hub for real-time news, free speech and hashtag movement. In 2010, Instagram brought visual storytelling to the table, focusing on sharing images and short videos, encouraging—the rise of influencers and the art of curation. Moving on to 2011, younger audiences gravitated towards Snapchat with its ephemeral approach to content, with photos and videos disappearing after being viewed. The video revolution of Youtube and TikTok introduced a new form of entertainment and education through its long and short-form videos, making it easier to find videos that we loved catapulting viral challenges and trends. A shift to live streaming enabled content to be broadcast in real-time for live events and Q&As. As technology kept pushing forward, social media advanced in augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR), making filters and virtual spaces possible. Social media changed the shopping scene enabling users to browse and purchase their favourite brands through photos and videos all across the Instagram platform. The evolving business landscape of social commerce introduced features allowing users to shop directly from posts. Its evolution is far from over, But we can see how it has changed how we talk, shop and share in the ever-evolving digital world over a short period.
It's important to note that the decision to have or not have social media is personal and can be influenced by various factors.
Navigating the Pitfalls of the Social Media Landscape
Where the evolving world has brought numerous benefits, such as the use of social media for promotion and advertising, connecting people globally, help in the areas of education and entertainment, an increase in social media-related jobs and a place of noble causes and practices, some aspects have come with a price.
Cyberbullying and Online Harassment
The hidden identity and far-away feeling of social media can make people more likely to bully, harass, and spread hate. This can have a profound negative impact on mental health and well-being.
A survey by Mason Hayes & Curran finds that cyberbullying is an issue for more than 89 per cent of schools, with 16 per cent saying it is an issue “frequently” and 73 per cent citing “occasionally”.
The tragic story of Nicole "Coco' Fox from Ireland committed suicide in 2018 after being bullied online. Since then, her mother, Jackie, has been relentlessly campaigning to promote legislation that punishes bullying. In 2021 Ireland adopted the so-called Coco’s law, with up to seven years in jail for those who distribute or publish intimate images of a person without consent. Now, Jackie’s battle is being taken up at a European level.
Victims of cyberbullying are twice as likely to experience suicidal thoughts in 2022, according to Stopbullying.gov.
According to Enough.Is.Enough, over 40% of cyberbullying occurs on Instagram. Facebook and Snapchat are the next most common avenues for harassment, at 39% and 31% respectively. YouTube accounts for only 10% of cyberbullying incidents, despite its large user base.
If social media is not used with caution it can be harmful and menacing.
Hacking on Social Media
Hackers understand the value of social media and how to exploit it. How many times have you seen a post going up on a social media platform (usually Facebook/WhatsApp or Twitter) that an account has been hacked and to not engage with any messages. With that account, the hacker now has access to your friends, your family, maybe a linked bank card or a PayPal account address. In some cases hackers take over a users account and blackmail them then by revealing their personal information on social media.
According to Gitnux, there are about 1.4 billion attacks on social media platforms monthly.
Social Media Is Harmful to One's Health
Browsing our social media timelines might seem innocent in our daily routines. However, could it be more than it appears? According to social media expert Bailey Parnell, our growing and unchecked obsession with social media has unintended long term consequences on our mental health..
As social media continues to become part of the fabric of modern life – the “digital layer” – abstinence is becoming less of an option. Bailey thinks it’s high time we learned to practice safe social before it’s too late.
Misinformation and Fake News
False information and fake news spread quickly on social media because things happen fast there. This changes how people see things, make choices, and even stay safe. Over time, some of the most significant stories that has appeared on social media platform included the misinformation surrounding COVID-19 around the origin, spread and prevention, causing global confusion.
Election-related hoaxes, celebrity hoaxes, conspiracy theories, health misinformation are among others that are constantly vary greatly in content and impact. It's important to rely on reputable news outlets to ensure you are receiving accurate information.
Conclusion. Balancing the Pros and Cons
It's very clear that social media has come along way as a product and producer in shaping the culture that we live in through digital transformation. It's changed how we talk, shop and share. It has brought us together and made communication easier. While the speed of change is coming fast it's also a testament to human innovation and for those of you on the journey, your ability to adapt. It's also important to see the disadvantages that attach itself to it's rapid evolution such as some we have discussed above. We need to build strategies for protection and balance.
The future of social media holds endless possibilities.
Bibliography
Broadband Search (https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/complete-history-social-media#:~:text=1997%20-%20Six%20Degrees)
Irish Legal News (https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/mhc-cyber-bullying-an-issue-for-overwhelming-majority-of-schools)
Enough is Enough (https://enough.org/)