अपानोऽ यिनशं प दशि ः सदागितः वासनारिहतैर त रि यैराहरि या । न

।सबा ा य तरे दे हे अपानोऽयमवाि थतः ॥ िवकारमवा नोिष खव ोभशतैरिप ॥

जा तः वपत वै ाणायामोऽयमु मः । वतते िच ो मेषिनमेषा यां संसार लयोदयौ ।
िभ य तं ताव े यसे शण
ृ ु॥ वासना ाणसंरोधमनु मेषं मनः कु ॥
ादशाङ्गुलपय तं बा मा मतां ततः Definition of propaganda
। ाणाङ्गनामा सं पश यः स परू क उ यते ॥ 1 capitalized : a congregation of the
Roman curia having jurisdiction over
अपान मा देहमा याययित सु त । ाणः
missionary territories and related
सय
ू ऽि नरथ वा पच यनि दं वपुः ॥ institutions
ाण यसमीप थमपानोदयकोिटगम् 2 : the spreading of ideas, information, or
rumor for the purpose of helping or
।अपान ाणयोरै यं िचदा मानं समा य ॥
injuring an institution, a cause, or a
अपानोऽ तंगतो य ाणो ना युिदतः णम् person
।कलाकलङ्करिहतं ति च वं समा य ॥ 3 : ideas, facts, or allegations spread
नापानोऽ तंगतो य ाण ा तमुपागतः
deliberately to further one's cause or to
damage an opposing cause also : a public
।नासा गमनावत ति च वमुपा य ॥ action having such an effect
आभासमा मेवेदं न सनास जग यम् Religious. Propaganda was often used to
।इ य यकलना यागं स य ानं िवदुबुधाः ॥ influence opinions and beliefs on
religious issues, particularly during the
आभासमा कं िं दशकलङ्िकतम् split between the Roman Catholic Church
।तत तदिप सं य य िनराभासो भवो म ॥ and the Protestant churches.People in
भय दमक याणं धैयसव वहा रणम् । many houses of worship read, hear,
and listen to the same news. They also
मनःिपशाचमु साय योऽिस सोऽिस ि थरो भव ॥
find news outlets more attuned to their
िचद् योमेव िकला तीह परापरिवविजतम् । politics and their religions than the media
सव ासंभव चै यं य क पा तेऽविश यते ॥ resources and religious publications other
worshipers find to suit their differing
वा छा णे तु या तुि त वा छैव कारणम्
politics and religion.
।तुि वतुि पय ता त मा ा छां प र यज ॥ There are nine different types of
आशा यातु िनराशा वमभावं यातु भावना । propaganda that include:Ad hominem,
Ad nauseam, Appeal to authority,
अमन वं मनो यातु तवासङ्गेन जीवतः ॥
Appeal to fear, Appeal to prejudice,
Bandwagon, Inevitable victory, Join Propaganda is today most often used in
the crowd, and Beautiful people. reference to political statements, but the
Background word comes to our language through its
1. Social media has become use in a religious context. The
ubiquitous. As per a UN report, 47 % of Congregatio de propaganda fide
the global population is online and (“Congregation for propagating the
among them, the percentage of social faith”) was an organization established in
media users is rising steadily. 1622 by Pope Gregory XV as a means of
2. It does not have a steep learning furthering Catholic missionary activity.
curve and compared to other traditional The word propaganda is from the
websites offers content in the local ablative singular feminine of
language. propogandus, which is the gerundive of
3. The barriers to entry are quite low the Latin propagare, meaning “to
and there is a large and well development propagate.” The first use of the word
ecosystem in place for users which is propaganda (without the rest of the Latin
unavailable in traditional TV media. The title) in English was in reference to this
positives of social media. Catholic organization. It was not until the
4. Social media offers a variety of beginning of the 19th century that it
entertainment that offers an escape from began to be used as a term denoting ideas
the conventional scripted entertainment or information that are of questionable
industry funded by established studios. accuracy as a means of advancing a
5. It offers people-to-people cause.
interaction that breaks barriers and forges Examples of propaganda in a Sentence
a true human connection. She didn't buy into the propaganda of her
6. It also has been instrumental in day that women had to be soft and
pro-democracy fights in many oppressive submissive. — Maria Shriver, Time, 26
regimes. Oct. 2009 They see all clear thinking, all
7. Social media also played an sense of reality, and all fineness of living,
important role in bringing out stories of threatened on every side by propaganda,
‘Metoo’ victims. by advertisement, by film and television.
8. Social media is also playing a — C. S. Lewis, An Experiment in
crucial role in disaster relief, blood Criticism, (1961) 2009 We've so bought
donation drives, etc. into the mass delusion, the nutty
The History of Propaganda propaganda, that now the ideal American
family is one that's on steroids … — their political news primarily through
Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2009 social media. The study also finds that
See More those who do get their political news
Recent Examples on the Web Danvers primarily through social media tend to be
police are investigating the appearance of less well-informed and more likely to be
white supremacist propaganda at homes exposed to unproven claims that people
in the North Shore town, the department who get their news from traditional
said on Wednesday. — Camilo Fonseca, sources.
BostonGlobe.com, 13 July 2022 In the In comparison to other media, the
past decades under the country’s Islamic influence of social media in political
government, many Iranian directors and campaigns has increased tremendously.
actors have been arrested and accused of Social networks play an increasingly
propaganda. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, important role in electoral politics — first
11 July 2022 The effect of propaganda is in the ultimately unsuccessful candidacy
particularly strong in China, where news of Howard Dean in 2003, then in the
programs are closely controlled, many election of the first African-American
international websites blocked and social president in 2008, and again in the
media comments censored. — Eva Dou, Twitter-driven campaign of Donald
Washington Post, 29 June 2022 See More Trump.
Alfred M. Lee and Elizabeth B. Lee The New York Times reports that “The
classified the propaganda devices into election of Donald J. Trump is perhaps
seven major categories: (i) name-calling the starkest illustration yet that across the
(ii) Glittering generalities, (iii) planet, social networks are helping to
transfer, (iv) testimonial, (v) Plain-folk, fundamentally rewire human society.”
(vi) Card-stacking and (vii) Because social media allows people to
Bandwagon. Each of these devices communicate more freely, they are
makes an appeal to feelings rather than to helping to create surprisingly influential
reason. social organizations among once-
 counter-propaganda marginalized groups.
Top 7 Impacts of Social Media य ु रो राभावे पवू पवू तु िन फलम् ।
1. The Impact of Social Media on िनविृ ः परमा तिृ रान दोऽनुपमः वतः ॥
Politics मायोपािधजग ोिनः सव वािदल णः ।
A new study from Pew Research claims पारो यशबलः स या ा मक त पदािभधः
that about one in five U.S. adults gets ॥
2. The Impact of Social Media on campaigns in real life. Their support is
Society limited to pressing the ‘Like’ button or
Almost a quarter of the world’s sharing content.
population is now on Facebook. In the This passivity is a very human reaction
U.S., nearly 80% of all internet users are when people are given options that
on this platform. Because social networks absolve them from the responsibility to
feed off interactions among people, they act. A 2013 study by the University of
become more powerful as they grow. British Columbia’s Sauder School of
Thanks to the internet, each person with Business found that when people are
marginal views can see that he’s not presented with the option of ‘liking’ a
alone. And when these people find one social cause, they use this to opt-out of
another via social media, they can do actually committing time and money to a
things — create memes, publications, and charitable cause. On the other hand, when
entire online worlds that bolster their people are allowed to show support in
worldview, and then break into the private, they are more likely to offer
mainstream. meaningful support by making a financial
Without social media, social, ethical, contribution.
environmental, and political ills would The researchers found that a public
have minimal visibility. Increased endorsement is meant to satisfy others’
visibility of issues has shifted the balance opinions, whereas people who give in
of power from the hands of a few to the private do so because the cause is aligned
masses. to their values. This peer pressure may be
The flipside: Social media is slowly a factor in the recent trend of political
killing real activism and replacing it polls in the U.S. to misread voter
with ‘slacktivism’ intentions: people who respond to the
While social media activism brings an polls may be answering how they think
increased awareness about societal the pollsters expect or the way they think
issues, questions remain as to whether will please their peers, but in the privacy
this awareness is translating into real of the voting booth (or at home with a
change. Some argue that social sharing mail-in ballot), they vote according to
has encouraged people to use computers their true preferences.
and mobile phones to express their he extent of Social Media
concerns on social issues without actually  India has 574 million
having to engage actively with active Internet users as of 2019.
 Read more on What is Internet on disconnect from reality. So its users feel
the given link. that they are not going to face any
 India is the second-largest online consequence of their actions.
market, behind China. 5. Social media bubbles or echo
 It was estimated that by December chambers are created where one finds
2020 there will be around 639 only opinions that conform to one’s own
million active internet users in worldview (confirmation bias). This
India. strengthens already existing biases and
 The majority of India’s internet prejudices.
users are mobile phone internet 6. It also creates false notions about
users. The overall data traffic in beauty and physical standards and
India increased by 47% in 2019 strengthens narcissism in some and
driven by continued 4G weakens self-esteem in others.
consumption. 4G constituted 96% 7. Very structured, deep psychometric
of the total data traffic consumed analyses have been used to influence
across the country while 3G data elections and incite violence.
traffic registered its highest-ever Social Media and Youth:
decline of 30%. Know in detail Each generation’s youth strives to
about 4G features and confound their adult counterparts,
advantages on the given link. keeping them in the dark. Previous
Also, check out the difference between generations used pig Latin, locked
5G and 4G on the linked page. diaries, handshakes, comic books, rap
Concerns music, playing records backwards; you
1. It has led to anonymous trolls who name it. What stands out today is the
attack the reputation of an individual. worldwide for-profit tech industry
2. Women face cyber rape and threats engaged in creating new communication
that affect their dignity severely. platforms with regularity to confound
3. Fake news and communal venom older people and entice teens and young
also spread like wildfire on the media. adults.
4. Fake news about a child abduction The debate rages as to whether social
gang was spread by teenagers as a prank media tools have a positive or negative
and this led to a few people being effect on the mental health of adolescents
attacked. This is encouraged by the fact and early twenty-somethings. The
that internet anonymity offers a pandemic has only added fuel to the fire.
Social media platforms aren’t going mental health, with the elephant in the
anywhere; by the end of 2021, there were room being the potential for regulatory
three billion active monthly users of reforms that could lead to changes in the
social media around the world, and name of social responsibility.
activity continues to grow. On December 6, 2021, U.S. Surgeon
The Pew Research Center has been General Vivek Murphy, MD issued a
surveying U.S. teens on social media and new advisory to highlight the urgent need
technology since 2014. In 2012, 71% had to address youth mental health
access to a smartphone; that grew to 95% exacerbated by the restrictions needed to
of teens in 2018. And 45% say they are fight COVID-19 and its Omicron variant.
online almost constantly. Facebook was Six major recommendations included the
once the dominant platform; now following:
YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and  Increase timely data collection and
TikTok occupy sizable chunks of the research to identify and respond to
space. The recent Surgeon General youth mental health needs more
advisory reports teenagers’ time in front rapidly. This includes more
of the screen for non-school activities research on the relationship
doubled from 3.8 hours to 7.7 hours per between technology and youth
day in the last year. There is even an mental health, and technology
acronym referring in part to constantly companies should be more
checking the smartphone known as transparent with data and
FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). algorithmic processes to enable
“Social media addiction” is the subject of this research. (emphasis added)
numerous studies. The Mayo Clinic says The debate regarding the impact of social
on the positive side, “social media allows media on the general health and well-
teens to create online identities, being of young people is now front and
communicate with others and build social center in the minds of population health
networks … However, social media can leaders. The Surgeon General’s advisory
also negatively affect, distracting them, calls on technology companies “to step
disrupting their sleep and exposing them up and take responsibility for creating a
to bullying, rumor spreading [and] safe digital environment for children and
unrealistic views of other people’s lives.” youth” and, as research efforts continue,
Congressional hearings last year explored to “allow a broad range of researchers to
the impact of social media on youth
access data and previous research instead Lab director Jodi Ford, PhD, RN co-leads
of proving access to a privileged few.” a team of research investigators testing a
Diverse entities including the U.S. housing-first intervention linked to
Surgeon General, Mayo Clinic, opioid prevention services for homeless
Psychology Today, American Academy youth. Graduate student mentors assigned
of Pediatrics, Sesame Street in to each youth provide 24/7 access for
Communities and the Dove Company communication and guidance. The young
offer suggestions to adults and teenagers people are taking advantage of being in
on how to handle social media’s impact touch with their mentors, who are
on their lives. Groups such as the Young successful and closer to their age group.
Adult Library Services Association offer Assistant professor Lisa Militello, PhD,
online safety courses that suggest MPH, RN continues to explore how
educating the adults around you to cognitive-behavioral therapy and
engage in real conversation. The federal technology can be used to promote health
Substance Abuse and Mental Health behavior change. She worked with
Services Administration (SAMSHA) software companies to develop ways to
offers families and youth several apps to deliver simple triggers through text
address ways to handle bullying, suicidal messaging to families with overweight
thinking and addiction. and obese children. Militello wants to
Amanda Purington, director of evaluation find ways to optimize the interaction
and research for ACT for Youth at between pediatric clinical care and health
Cornell’s Social Media Lab, says: “I information technology. In a soon-to-be-
believe the key is to help youth maximize published article in Advances in Family
the benefits while minimizing risks, and Practice Nursing, she and her colleague
we can do this by educating youth about highlight several key points and
how to use social media in ways that are resources for parents and researchers on
positive, safe and pro-social.” the topic.
Communication between families, health Expanding our understanding of how
providers and youth remains critical – it technology and social media impact
is the “how” that remains key. youth mental health – and where
The Ohio State University College of opportunities for intervention, re-
Nursing is exploring that technological education and empowerment exist – will
“how” in different and innovative ways. help young and old manage both the
Associate professor and Stress Science influence of these platforms and
alignment around how they can be most Many studies suggest implementing
effectively used. The pandemic made social networks within the workplace can
FOMO very real for many young people, strengthen knowledge sharing. The result
and IMHO (in my humble opinion), we is to improve project management
can’t just SMH (shake my head) at this activities and enable the spread of
issue. We need to be HTH (here to help) specialized knowledge. Fully
so that it’s NBD (no big deal), and then implementing social technologies in the
we know we’ve acted FTW (for the win). workplace removes boundaries,
3. The Impact of Social Media on eliminates silos, and can raise interaction
Commerce and help create more highly skilled and
The rise of social media means it’s knowledgeable workers.
unusual to find an organization that does The flipside: A low number of social
not reach its customers and prospects ‘shares’ can lead to negative social
through one social media platform or proof and destroy business credibility
another. Companies see the importance Interestingly, although social sharing has
of using social media to connect with become the norm rather than the
customers and build revenue. exception in business, some companies,
Businesses have realized they can use after experiencing first-hand some
social media to generate insights, adverse effects of social media, have
stimulate demand, and create targeted decided to go against the grain and
product offerings. These functions are remove the social sharing buttons from
important in traditional brick-and-motor their websites.
businesses and, obviously, in the world A case study of Taloon.com, an e-
of e-commerce. commerce retailer from Finland, found
Another positive impact of social that conversions rose by 11.9% when
networking sites is to unite people on a they removed share buttons from their
huge platform for the achievement of product pages.These results highlight the
some specific objective. This is very double-edged nature of the impact of
important to bring the positive change in social media. When products attract a lot
society. Social media are used to of shares, it can reinforce sales. But when
document memories, learn about and the reverse is true, customers begin to
explore things, advertise oneself and distrust the product and the company.
form friendships. This effect is what Dr. Paul Marsden,
psychologist and author of ‘The Social
Commerce Handbook,’ referred to as institutions. Social media has contributed
‘social proof.’ to the increase in long-distance online
4. The Impact of Social Media on the learning.
World of Work Despite issues of lack of privacy and
Social media has had a profound effect some instances of cheating among long-
on recruitment and hiring. Professional distance learners, this has not deterred
social networks such as LinkedIn are social platforms from being used in
important social media platforms for education.
anyone looking to stand out in their 6. The Challenges of Social Media
profession. They allow people to create Social Media is relatively a newer
and market a personal brand. technology, hence, it is a little difficult to
Nineteen percent of hiring managers establish its long-term good and bad
make their hiring decisions based on consequences. However, multiple
information found on social media. researchers have concluded a strong
According to CareerBuilder's 2018 social relationship between heavy use of social
media recruitment survey, 70 percent of media platforms with an increase in risk
employers use social networking sites to of depression, self-harm, anxiety, and
research job candidates. loneliness.
5. The Impact of Social Media on Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
Training and Development Long-use of social media platforms make
Job candidates who develop skills in the you addicted to checking out what other
latest and most advanced social media people are doing. FOMO is an
techniques are far more employable. exacerbated feeling that other people are
A 2020 survey by OnePoll on behalf of living better lives or having more fun
Pearson and Connections Academy asked compared with you. This feeling makes
2,000 U.S. parents and their high-school you check your notification every second,
aged children about the “new normal” of just to make yourself feel better.
high school. Sixty-eight percent of Cyberbullying
students and 65% of their parents believe Teenagers need to fit in, to be popular,
that social media will be a useful tool and and to outdo others. This process was
part of the new high school normal. challenging long before the advent of
Blogs, wikis, LinkedIn, Twitter, social media. Add Facebook, Twitter,
Facebook, and podcasts are now common Snapchat, and Instagram into the mix,
tools for learning in many educational and you suddenly have teenagers
subjected to feeling pressure to grow up "social media friendships" over actual
too fast in an online world. friendships. The term 'friend' as used on
The Cyberbullying Institute’s 2019 social media is a weak shadow of
survey of U.S. middle and high school traditional friendship. Real friends
students found that over 36 percent report actually know each other, frequently
having been cyberbullied at some point interact face to face, and have a personal
in their life, with 30 percent having been bond.
victimized twice or more. It also found Top 20+ Advantages and
that almost 15 percent admitted to having Disadvantages of Social Media
cyberbullied someone at least once, and If the internet is an unmissable part of
nearly 11 percent admitting to doing it contemporary life, social media is
two or more times. Teenagers can misuse integral for communication – an
social media platforms to spread rumors, unavoidable element, especially for those
share videos aimed at destroying who lead hectic lifestyles and depend on
reputations, and to blackmail others. it for even the smallest updates. People
Lack of Privacy can communicate with friends, speak
Stalking, identity theft, personal attacks, with family, and stay updated on global
and misuse of information are some of happenings via numerous platforms. One
the threats faced by social media users. of the most common online activities is
Most of the time, the users themselves using social media, and in 2021, 82% of
are to blame as they share content that Americans had a profile on one or more
should not be in the public eye. The social networking sites, up 2% from the
confusion arises from a lack of usage rate of 80% the year before. That
understanding of how the private and comes to about 223 million social media
public elements of an online profile users in the United States in 2020.
actually work. Over the past ten years, social media has
Unfortunately, by the time private grown astronomically. There was
content is deleted, it’s usually too late. minimal participation in the industry in
and the content can cause problems in 2005. At the time, most of them were
people’s personal and professional lives. unaware, and among those who knew,
7. The Impact of Social Media on having the opportunity to establish a
Relationships MySpace page typically meant elaborate
One of the effects of social media is backgrounds and unique playlists rather
encouraging people to form and cherish than a direct connection. If people were
to spring back a little bit, the real taste of Awareness
social media emerged from blogging, People have become more conscious
where accounts were created sometime in thanks to social media. It serves as a
the 1980s. After that, the evolution of channel for information, thus paving the
free platforms and chat rooms created way to innovation and success via
newer social opportunities. Later developing their knowledge and abilities.
Facebook, Twitter, and others Social media well-covers global events,
revolutionized it. making people more aware of their
Advantages of Social Media surroundings.
Connectivity Share Anything With Others
Connectivity is among the most Social media is the best platform to
significant benefits of social media. It can convey feelings and opinions - a song, a
link countless users at any time, poem, a work of art, a decadent dessert,
everywhere. Information could be spread or anything else. Anyone can let their
globally through social media and its creativity shine through the platform for
connectedness, making it simple for it to be shared by millions of others.
people to interact with one another. It Sharing the artistic works with others
results in global relationships. could open the door to achievement and
Education several milestones.
The use of social media in education is Helps in Building Communities
commendable. Learners and educators Live in a diverse world where individuals
can enroll in global collaborative from different cultures, beliefs, and
platforms to facilitate constructive backgrounds exist. Social media brings
learning. It also aids in skill improvement these people together by linking them on
by fostering knowledge and creativity. a common platform. Thus, fostering a
Information and Updates sense of unity facilitates the development
Stay informed about events happening of community links. For instance, food
across the globe or in other people's lives lovers can join the community of food
using social media. In contrast to bloggers, while gamers can join
television, radio, or newspapers, social communities focused on gaming, etc.
media lets everyone convey information Noble Cause
accurately by presenting the real picture. Noble deeds can be promoted on social
It aids in showcasing real-world news media. It is the ideal tool for endorsing
across the globe. causes like giving donations to those with
cancer, for instance, to those who need knowledge about certain goods and
money for treatment. While everyone can services.
use social media to assist others in Customer Interaction
finance, it is also the simplest and fastest Social media enhances customer
way to advance any worthwhile cause. engagement by providing goods and
Mental Health services and soliciting comments on
Social media serves as an excellent stress them. Users from across communities
reliever. Several groups can support leave various feedback and suggestions,
people battling against stress, depression, which can assist in improving areas of
and loneliness. By creating a feeling of focus and satisfy them.
elation, these communities can bestow a Teens and social media use: What's the
brighter attitude while also helping impact?
develop healthy relationships with others, Social media is a big part of many teens'
thus enhancing mental health. lives. A 2018 Pew Research Center
Advantages of Social Media for survey of nearly 750 13- to 17-year-olds
Business found that 45% are online almost
Brand Reputation constantly and 97% use a social media
Social media improves company platform, such as YouTube, Facebook,
relationships by fostering goodwill Instagram or Snapchat.
among users; its promotion increases But what impact does social media use
sales, which in turn increases have on teens?
profitability. The comments and feedback Social media benefits
left by customers are a fantastic resource Social media allows teens to create
for businesses. Due to the user likes online identities, communicate with
garnered, companies can experience others and build social networks. These
enhanced popularity and a boost in networks can provide teens with valuable
revenue. support, especially helping those who
Brand Awareness experience exclusion or have disabilities
Networking platforms contribute to or chronic illnesses.
greater brand recognition. Visually Teens also use social media for
appealing products and information entertainment and self-expression. And
capture users' attention, which increases the platforms can expose teens to current
brand visibility and raises customer events, allow them to interact across
geographic barriers and teach them about
a variety of subjects, including healthy worse sleep quality and higher levels of
behaviors. Social media that's humorous anxiety and depression.
or distracting or provides a meaningful How teens use social media also might
connection to peers and a wide social determine its impact. A 2015 study found
network might even help teens avoid that social comparison and feedback
depression. seeking by teens using social media and
Social media harms cellphones was linked with depressive
However, social media use can also symptoms. In addition, a small 2013
negatively affect teens, distracting them, study found that older adolescents who
disrupting their sleep, and exposing them used social media passively, such as by
to bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic just viewing others' photos, reported
views of other people's lives and peer declines in life satisfaction. Those who
pressure. used social media to interact with others
The risks might be related to how much or post their own content didn't
social media teens use. A 2019 study of experience these declines.
more than 6,500 12- to 15-year-olds in And an older study on the impact of
the U.S. found that those who spent more social media on undergraduate college
than three hours a day using social media students showed that the longer they used
might be at heightened risk for mental Facebook, the stronger was their belief
health problems. Another 2019 study of that others were happier than they were.
more than 12,000 13- to 16-year-olds in But the more time the students spent
England found that using social media going out with their friends, the less they
more than three times a day predicted felt this way.
poor mental health and well-being in Because of teens' impulsive natures,
teens. experts suggest that teens who post
Other studies also have observed links content on social media are at risk of
between high levels of social media use sharing intimate photos or highly
and depression or anxiety symptoms. A personal stories. This can result in teens
2016 study of more than 450 teens found being bullied, harassed or even
that greater social media use, nighttime blackmailed. Teens often create posts
social media use and emotional without considering these consequences
investment in social media — such as or privacy concerns.
feeling upset when prevented from Protecting your teen
logging on — were each linked with
There are steps you can take to encourage habits. Ask your teen how he or
responsible use of social media and limit she is using social media and how
some of its negative effects. Consider it makes him or her feel. Remind
these tips: your teen that social media is full
 Set reasonable limits. Talk to of unrealistic images.
your teen about how to avoid If you think your teen is experiencing
letting social media interfere with signs or symptoms of anxiety or
his or her activities, sleep, meals depression related to social media use,
or homework. Encourage a talk to your child's health care provider.
bedtime routine that avoids Promotion
electronic media use, and keep Social media is a great supporter of
cellphones and tablets out of teens' internet commerce and marketing. Posts
bedrooms. Set an example by and promotions facilitate effective user
following these rules yourself. connections and contribute to the
 Monitor your teen's accounts. profitability of a business. It fosters user
Let your teen know that you'll be relationships and endorses customer
regularly checking his or her loyalty, which is crucial for any
social media accounts. You might company's expansion.
aim to do so once a week or more. Disadvantages of Social Media :Affects
Make sure you follow through. Social-Emotional Connection
 Explain what's not OK. Social media hampers emotional bonds.
Discourage your teen from Everything is conveyed through texts
gossiping, spreading rumors, digitally, which can stunt expressions.
bullying or damaging someone's Ingenuity is lost when people who would
reputation — online or otherwise. ideally visit one another to convey
Talk to your teen about what is greetings only send text messages instead
appropriate and safe to share on of hugs.
social media. Decreases Quick-witted Skill
 Encourage face-to-face contact With the decrease in real face-to-face
with friends. This is particularly conversations and in-person chats, quick-
important for teens vulnerable to wittedness is rare. Sense of humor and
social anxiety disorder. sporty tête-à-têtes have been
 Talk about social media. Talk compromised – the sense of love,
about your own social media friendship, fun, and enjoyment have all
disappeared due to the effects of social families cannot spend quality time with
media on human mental health. each other. Family time has taken a hit
Causing Distress to Someone's Feelings with 'me' and privacy taking precedence
People who use social media to (due to the quality of texts that appear on
communicate lack empathy and do not social media).
wink an eyelid when they have to hurt Cyberbullying
someone. The latest trolls, negative People, particularly children, have been
comments, and feedback are all witnesses victims of cyberbullying where threats,
to the hard-heartedness that has evolved cons, and other negative activities easily
due to the invisible nature of social ensnare them. Fake news and rumors
media. spread effortlessly, leading to depression
Present Physically Not Mentally and suicide.
Spending time with each other is about Hacking
being 'present' and in the moment. As The vulnerability of social media has also
friends and family gather, create thrown light on how easy it is to gather a
memories by speaking to one another person's data. Privacy settings must be
about times past, present and future. constantly updated and profile locked to
Unfortunately, today with social media avoid such situations.
being made available on the mobile Distracted Mind
phone, people spend time with each other Social media is impulsive. New
'scrolling' through posts. messages, notifications, and updates are
Lacking Understanding and the impetus to constantly checking the
Thoughtfulness phone, resulting in distraction. The
Feelings are conveyed through word and individual wastes time even ignoring
voice – but to do this, there is a need to important work to only look at the menial
be physically present in front of the other update.
person to communicate feelings Facilitates Laziness
effectively. However, social media gives Spending hours on the couch glued to our
it a different hue when anyone puts them smartphones results in several health
into a text, thus masking the real problems such as obesity, stress, and high
meaning. blood pressure. Technology and
Lack of Quality Family Time accompanying social media have led to a
Social media has been the cause of many rise in laziness among people due to no
disrupted relationships simply because physical activity or exercise.
Addiction a Facebook post has an average lifespan
A serious issue among youth social of 6 hours, an Instagram post or LinkedIn
media addiction has led to disastrous post of 48 hours, and a tweet on Twitter a
consequences. While checking social mere 18 minutes. The longer social
media and using the smartphone in media users actively access the
moderation is not bad, productive time information, the more discussion it
and energy are wasted due to overuse. generates and the greater the social media
Cheating and Relationship Issues impact. The shorter the active lifespan,
Individuals are now using social media as the more frequently one must post to that
a platform for dating and marriage. channel to maintain engagement
However, chances are that the (recognizing that posting too frequently
information provided on the profile is can cause reader burnout).
false, eventually leading to a toxic While the world would be a much slower
relationship or even divorce. place without social media, it’s caused
The Bottom Line harm as well as good. However, the
It’s been said that information is power. positive impact of social media is
Without a means of distributing astronomical and far surpasses the ills
information, people cannot harness its associated with sharing.
power. One positive impact of social  Ultimately, sharing is about
media is in the distribution of getting people to see and respond
information in today’s world. Platforms to content. As long as the content
such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and is still relevant and the need for
others have made it possible to access information still exists, it’s always
information at the click of a button. worthwhile for any organization to
Research conducted by parse.ly shows use social media to keep
that the life expectancy of a story posted publishing.
on the web is 2.6 days, compared to 3.2 Multitasking has become a common
days when a story is shared on social theme in our lives. It’s a wonder how we
media. That’s a difference of 23%, which manage it all.
is significant when you consider that We depend on our smartphones for work,
billions of people use the internet daily. school, our personal and social
The lifespan of an article is different lives. When was the last time you left
from the active lifespan of a social media home without your phone and kept on
post itself. Green Umbrella estimates that going? The internet has become a
significant part of our daily lives. So too Like most things, using social media has
has social media. And it is having an its positives (the good), its cautionary
impact on today’s teens. tales (the bad), and dangers (the ugly)
Social media usage that lurk and impact the lives of many,
Back in 2005, when social media was but especially teens.
still in its infancy, only about 5 percent of Pros: Why is social media good?
users in the United States were involved Social media and technology offer us
in social media. In 2019, that number greater convenience and connectivity:
grew to about 70 percent.  staying connected with family and
 Pew Research Center surveyed friends worldwide via email, text,
social media usage and popularity FaceTime, etc.
among US adults early in 2019.  quick access to information and
The survey found that while the research
most-used social platforms for  banking and bill pay at our
adults are YouTube and fingertips
Facebook; teens prefer SnapChat  online learning, job skills, content
and Instagram, while TikTok is discovery (YouTube)
reportedly the fastest growing  involvement in civic engagement
social network among younger (fundraising, social awareness,
users. provides a voice)
 Social media use is nearly  great marketing tools
universal among today’s teens.  opportunities for remote
Pew Research Center reports 97 employment
percent of 13- to 17-year-olds use Social media can be a good thing, but
at least one of seven major online if teens ever feel uncomfortable about
platforms. something they see or read on social,
 The amount of time spent on they should trust their own feelings and
social sites is astounding. One talk to someone – a parent, a teacher, or
report indicates the average teen another trusted adult. Bullying, threats
ages 13 to 18 spends about nine and cruelty on social media are all signs
hours on social media each day; that the person doing those things needs
tweens ages 8 to 12 are on for help.
about six hours a day. Cons: Why is social media bad?
Along with the good comes the bad. With  Fear of Missing Out. FOMO has
all of its benefits, the nature of social become a common theme, and
media presents a range of potential often leads to continual checking
issues. of social media sites. The idea that
 Online vs Reality. Social media you might miss out on something
itself is not the problem. It is the if you’re not online can affect
way people use it in place of your mental health.
actual communication and in-  Self-image issues. Social media
person socializing. “Friends” on sites provide tools that allow
social media may not actually be people to earn others’ approval for
friends, and may even be their appearance and the
strangers. possibility to compare themselves
 Increased usage. The more time to others. It can be associated with
spent on social media can lead to body image concerns. The
cyberbullying, social anxiety, “selfieholics” and people who
depression, and exposure to spend most of their time posting
content that is not age appropriate. and scrolling are the ones most
 Social Media is addicting. When vulnerable to this. In fact, most
you’re playing a game or college girls who use Facebook at
accomplishing a task, you seek to least five times a day are likely to
do it as well as you can. Once you link their self-worth to their looks.
succeed, your brain will give you That doesn’t mean that the main
a dose of dopamine and other problem is social media; it only
happiness hormones, making you provides a medium for it, which
happy. The same mechanism further elevates the problem. It
functions when you post a picture also promotes the same sort of
to Instagram or Facebook. Once behavior to others.
you see all the notifications for Social media and bullying
likes and positive comments Sadly, there is an ugly side to all that
popping up on your screen, you’ll technology offers. While bullying is not a
subconsciously register it as a new concept, social media and
reward. But that’s not all, social technology have brought bullying to a
media is full of mood-modifying new level. It becomes a more constant,
experiences. ever-present threat -- cyberbullying. The
State of Rhode Island anti-bullying laws mail, Internet communications, instant
& regulations define bullying and messages or facsimile communications.
cyberbullying as follows: Bullying statistics
“Bullying” means the use by one or Every 7 minutes a child is bullied.
more students of a written, verbal or Unfortunately, intervention is rare, with
electronic expression or a physical act or an adult intervening in only four percent
gesture or any combination thereof of cases, and a peer in 11 percent. An
directed at a student that: astonishing 85 percent of all cases of
 causes physical or emotional harm bullying are not addressed.
to the student or damage to the The following are just some statistics on
student's property how common bullying and cyberbullying
 places the student in reasonable have become: According to
fear of harm to himself/herself or StopBullying.org:
of damage to his/her property  One out of four (25 percent) teens
 creates an intimidating, are bullied, while up to 43 percent
threatening, hostile, or abusive have been bullied while online.
educational environment for the  Nine out of ten LGBTQ students
student experienced harassment at school
 infringes on the rights of the and online. Biracial and
student to participate in school multiracial youth are more likely
activities to be victimized than youth who
 materially and substantially identify with a single race. Kids
disrupts the education process or who are obese, gay, or have
the orderly operation of a school disabilities are more likely to be
“Cyberbullying” means bullying bullied than other children.
through the use of technology or any  58 percent have not told their
electronic communication, which shall parents or an adult about
include, but not be limited to, any something mean or hurtful that
transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, happened to them online.
sounds, data, texting or intelligence of  5.4 million children stay home on
any nature transmitted in whole or in part any given day because they fear
by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photo being bullied.
electronic or photo optical system, Social media and suicide
including, but not limited to, electronic
Sadly, the cons of social media can take a  Take time to actively engage with
toll on young minds. Suicide remains your kids face-to-face. This
among the leading causes of death of interaction teaches them how to
children under age 14. In most cases, follow social cues, verbal and
young people die from hanging. non-verbal.
 Suicide rates among 10- to 14-  Talk to your kids without glancing
year-olds have grown more than at your phone.
50 percent over the last three  Find opportunities to have genuine
decades, according to the conversations that are not lectures.
American Association of  Be aware of privacy concerns and
Suicidology. cybersecurity issues.
 Suicide rates among children Technology has changed the way we live,
between the ages of 10 and 14 are work, and socialize. But it can’t replace
very low, but are creeping up, parenting.
according to the American  For more tips on parenting, visit
Foundation for Suicide the Growing section of our
Prevention. Lifespan Living health and
What can parents do? wellness blog.
As parents, there are things we can do to Amid rising concerns over
improve our children’s lives online and misinformation online – including
in real life. surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic,
 Attempt to model the behavior we especially vaccines – Americans are now
want to see. a bit more open to the idea of the U.S.
 Set boundaries right way when government taking steps to restrict false
you give your child their first information online. And a majority of the
phone. Set parental controls on his public continues to favor technology
or her phone, with access to their companies taking such action, according
passwords. Phones should be to a new Pew Research Center survey.
charged somewhere other than Roughly half of U.S. adults (48%) now
their room at night, and should be say the government should take steps to
shut off an hour or two before bed. restrict false information, even if it means
 Have conversations with your losing some freedom to access and
children on why some things publish content, according to the survey
should be kept private. of 11,178 adults conducted July 26-Aug.
8, 2021. That is up from 39% in 2018. At information is published. Nearly as many
the same time, the share of adults who Democrats (65%) instead say the
say freedom of information should be government should take steps to restrict
protected – even if it means some false information, even if it means
misinformation is published online – has limiting freedom of information.
decreased from 58% to 50%. Partisan views on whether technology
When it comes to whether technology companies should take such steps have
companies should take steps to address also grown further apart. Roughly three-
misinformation online, more are in quarters of Democrats (76%) now say
agreement. A majority of adults (59%) tech companies should take steps to
continue to say technology companies restrict false information online, even at
should take steps to restrict the risk of limiting information freedoms.
misinformation online, even if it puts A majority of Republicans (61%) express
some restrictions on Americans’ ability the opposite view – that those freedoms
to access and publish content. Around should be protected, even if it means
four-in-ten (39%) take the opposite view false information can be published
that protecting freedom of information online. In 2018, the parties were closer
should take precedence, even if it means together on this question, though most
false claims can spread. The balance of Democrats still supported action by tech
opinion on this question has changed firms.
little since 2018. Some demographic differences that
Partisan divisions on the role of existed on these questions in 2018 have
government in addressing online now largely disappeared. Three years
misinformation have emerged since ago, older Americans and those with less
2018. Three years ago, around six-in-ten education were more likely than younger
in each partisan coalition – 60% of and more educated adults, respectively,
Republicans and GOP-leaning to say the U.S. government should take
independents and 57% of Democrats and steps to restrict false information online,
Democratic leaners – agreed that freedom even if means limiting some freedoms.
of information should be prioritized over Now, Americans across nearly all age
the government taking steps to restrict groups are fairly evenly divided between
false information online. Today, 70% of the two views. Similar changes have
Republicans say those freedoms should occurred when it comes to Americans’
be protected, even it if means some false educational background.
  Women still tend to be more open more quickly. To help combat negative
than men to the idea of both the feedback from consumers, offer robust
government and tech companies customer service through all of your
taking action to restrict false social media channels and attempt to
information online, though both settle a problem before a toxic situation
groups have become a bit more develops.
supportive of the government Tracking Negative or Misleading
taking such steps. Statements
Burden of the Marketing Shift Social media is an enormous
Business marketing now involves conversation everyone is invited to join;
personal engagement with customers; with all that talk, it's difficult for
campaigns that do not invite your businesses to track statements about their
customer to interact risk being brand that are negative or even
unsuccessful. While social media-based defamatory. With social media, you have
marketing can be used effectively, the added burden of tracking statements
businesses that are used to providing a and responding when necessary; the
one-sided sell must now learn how to response, however, might be of limited
develop a relationships with buyers. effect if the negative statement has
Instead of releasing statements about already made the social media rounds. If
product lines, your business needs to you want to tackle negative feedback in a
develop stories that promote the culture proactive manner, reputation
of the product instead of simply outlining management software can help you track
its particular benefits. negative and positive feedback across
Increased Customer Power social media and the web. Contacting
In the days before social media, negative customers with negative experiences can
company experiences might stay within often lead to improved feedback but has
an individual's circle of friends; now, the potential to backfire, so tread
stories of bad customer service and carefully as you keep an eye on the web.
disappointing products can run quickly Accidental Release of Confidential
through social media networks. It has Information
become more difficult for companies to Individuals with inside knowledge of
contain negative publicity. The upside is your business might inadvertently blurt
that as much as bad publicity spreads out confidential information, damaging
more quickly, good publicity also spreads the company's competitive advantage.
Before social media, a letter sent to the
wrong address or even an email that
ended up in the wrong inbox could be
retrieved and the information kept under
wraps. In the world of social media, the
sheer numbers mean that once
confidential information is out, it's out.
Unauthorized Employees Speaking on
Company's Behalf
It's difficult for companies to monitor
employee social media activity and
prevent them from speaking on company
matters without authorization. In the era
of engagement, you might strive for
employees to have the ability to assert
their personalities online; however, this
freedom comes with the risk that even a
well-meaning social media post about
your company's perceived objectives and
direction can damage the company's
reputation or challenge the company's
assertions to investors.
