THE DARK SIDE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media has connected people like no other medium has ever done before. And that is a very positive aspect. On Facebook we have reconnected with old friends, study or work colleagues. With Twitter we have met people with our same interests, we keep up to date with current events in a dynamic and instantaneous way. With Linkedin we have done networking, expanding our professional possibilities on many occasions. On YouTube, we can not only enjoy and entertain ourselves, but we can also be part of a community of users with whom we can share tastes through our visits.
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Technologically, social networks are vehicles for the conduction of messages and at the same time they are meeting centers both private and public, and more than public, massive, which have seduced citizens of all latitudes, who today almost compulsively consume all the material multimedia that, produced by the people themselves and not by the big media, can circulate there.
This means that there are permanent communication channels between those who have a relationship with each other, be it family, work, hobbies or any other type of common activities for which the networks are a valuable support.
This means that there are permanent communication channels between those who have a relationship with each other, be it family, work, hobbies or any other type of common activities for which the networks are a valuable support.
The machine is made by man, and it is what man does with it .”
But social networks are a medium, neutral in itself, that can contribute positive but also negative aspects to the user's life. These are some of the risks and threats to which we are exposed when we talk about social media.
Loss of privacy
In this aspect we have two aspects:
- Phishing: Theft of accounts and online identity, or passwords in order to manipulate data and spy on users.
- Mass espionage: We have a clear example of this with the "Snowden case".
Social networks addiction
The permanent connection leads many users, especially those who are "digital natives" to see their new follows, the likes of their photos or the visits an article receives on the web. The constant flow of stimuli provided by the dizzying pace of the Social Media world makes many users have a certain dependence on the Social Media ecosystem.
Online harassment
In this case we have two types of online harassment.
- Cyberbullying: This is harassment carried out by classmates or the user's own physical environment.
- Cybergrooming: We talk about Cybergrooming when adults connect with minors.
Right to be forgotten
We see this case mainly on Google, although it also happens on Social Networks. The problem comes from the difficulty of erasing information that can generate problems, that are no longer current (but historical) and that damage the personal image of the user.
Isolation from people
It is not strange to meet people who move and relate better socially online than in the physical field. There are cases in which online success causes those relationships that are part of the physical terrain to be put aside
Stress enhancer
The constant flow of stimuli provided by social networks together with non-human multitasking, make our mind have to process a large amount of information, which can generate stress for the user.
FakeNews and the fake news speaker
We have been hearing that Facebook, Google or Twitter are launching news to fight against fake news. And it is not for less, since the power of influence on the public opinion of a viral content is great. It is for this reason that large internet companies face a great challenge, to find the balance between fighting fake news and at the same time maintaining net neutrality.
Loss of privacy
In this aspect we have two aspects:
- Phishing: Theft of accounts and online identity, or passwords in order to manipulate data and spy on users.
- Mass espionage: We have a clear example of this with the "Snowden case".
Social networks addiction
The permanent connection leads many users, especially those who are "digital natives" to see their new follows, the likes of their photos or the visits an article receives on the web. The constant flow of stimuli provided by the dizzying pace of the Social Media world makes many users have a certain dependence on the Social Media ecosystem.
Online harassment
In this case we have two types of online harassment.
- Cyberbullying: This is harassment carried out by classmates or the user's own physical environment.
- Cybergrooming: We talk about Cybergrooming when adults connect with minors.
Right to be forgotten
We see this case mainly on Google, although it also happens on Social Networks. The problem comes from the difficulty of erasing information that can generate problems, that are no longer current (but historical) and that damage the personal image of the user.
Isolation from people
It is not strange to meet people who move and relate better socially online than in the physical field. There are cases in which online success causes those relationships that are part of the physical terrain to be put aside
Stress enhancer
The constant flow of stimuli provided by social networks together with non-human multitasking, make our mind have to process a large amount of information, which can generate stress for the user.
FakeNews and the fake news speaker
We have been hearing that Facebook, Google or Twitter are launching news to fight against fake news. And it is not for less, since the power of influence on the public opinion of a viral content is great. It is for this reason that large internet companies face a great challenge, to find the balance between fighting fake news and at the same time maintaining net neutrality.
How to manage social networks in a more secure way?
Clearly, the degree to which users are aware of or concerned about these risks varies greatly. Despite this, there are certain things that we can all consciously do to make our relationship with social networks psychologically healthier.
One option is to simply use social media less, and there are a whole host of apps and tactics that advocate the idea of a "digital detox" or having downtime without being on the phone. But the best way to manage the use we make of the networks is to have control of our interaction with them, which begins with understanding what this relationship consists of. As Facebook would say, "it's complicated." As early as 2011, the media theorist Douglas Rushkoff pointed out that, seeing that social networks are financed with ads and that they are free for the user, it is clear that we are not their customers, but the product. More recently, in The age of surveillance capitalism (2019), Shoshana Zuboff concretizes this idea and points out that our behavior - deliberately or excessively - is really the monetizable asset in question. |
The best way to manage the use we make of the networks is to have control of our interaction with them.” |
The way to regain control is to control our behavior. Mavrommatis and his co-authors point out that the first thing we have to do is become fully aware of the "resonance chamber" effect, by virtue of which our content on the Internet is distorted and reinforced, since the Internet serves us more and more than What we want to see and what we already believe.
The social effects of this phenomenon that polarizes opinions are very dangerous. These information bubbles, if we let them act on us, can directly impact our vision of the world. Like Zuboff, the researchers also recommend becoming more aware of the issue and more in control of our privacy and identity, to be more aware of what we reveal about who we are and what we think.
The social effects of this phenomenon that polarizes opinions are very dangerous. These information bubbles, if we let them act on us, can directly impact our vision of the world. Like Zuboff, the researchers also recommend becoming more aware of the issue and more in control of our privacy and identity, to be more aware of what we reveal about who we are and what we think.