A study by the University of Kansas in America published in March 2018 has dispelled the notion that social media displaces human contact.
Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Jeffrey Hall says his new study, shows no evidence for the proposition that social media crowds out face-to-face communication with those who ought to matter most close friends and family members.
This research might be good news to “social media addicts" but it still does not erase some of the negative effects of social media and the fact it has turned some people into “addicts†including my dear husband who is addicted to WhatsApp!! (even though he claims he is not). Studies have also revealed the average person will spend nearly two hours (116minutes) on social media every day.
The total time spent on social media beats time spent eating, drinking and socializing.
The merits of social media cannot be underestimated in this current climate. Social media has brought to the fore many societal ills which in the past would not have gained any attention. The list is endless, unknown talents have had massive career boost, long lost family and friends have been reunited, businesses and brands are being promoted with just a click of a bottom and has made it easier staying in touch with friends and family.
Personally, I use WhatsApp to stay connected with my family and friends in Ghana and abroad. Thanks to WhatsApp I can keep in touch with my dad and siblings and we get to know what is happening in our individual lives. It has sustained our close bond even though we live in different continents.
By the kind courtesy of WhatsApp most people have reunited with their old school mates and some nuclear or distant families use it as a way of staying in touch. On the average an individual might belong to 3 old students WhatsApp platforms, 3 family groups, and 2 work related groups. However, some of these WhatsApp platforms have turned into virtual playground where some people get stuck on it all day, commenting on posts, posting videos every time throughout the day and even in the nights.
It is common to wake up or close from work and realize one has over 300 unread chat messages! Sometimes I wonder how a person can be active on a platform throughout the whole day. I marvel at how a person who is constantly stuck on these perform at work, perhaps he or she might own their own business, even at that, how productive can you be? It is a common thing to find a husband or a wife glued to their phone at home all day because of an ongoing WhatsApp conversation.
I am not suggesting being idle on a group, but when your spouse or children need you and they must wait because you are busy chatting, this is sad and outrageous! Chatting on WhatsApp should not affect your responsibility as a spouse or parent.
And there is good old Facebook, not too long I had a conversation with a friend and we were discussing how people will post details of their entire life on Facebook and the fact that just by looking on their Facebook wall we can tell what they are having for breakfast, where they are going on holiday, what goes on at their work, what their spouses and children are up to etc.
All activities and locations are documented on Facebook! Security wise I do not think is a wise thing to do. Thanks to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which have revealed that they had access to the data of 87 million Facebook users and used that information for political purposes. The data they acquired it is believed was used to help President Trump win the US elections. Hopefully, people will now be cautious of what they post nowadays. And folks who put their everyday marital and family problems on Facebook! Putting relationship dilemmas on Facebook is silly, whether it has to do with your spouse or children.
I do not believe Facebook is a place to vent your anger on what your spouse or children or even, family and friends have done. Once you post such comments is done, you may be able to delete it after you have calmed down, but someone would have already taken a screenshot of it. Not forgetting the fact that Facebook will remind you in a years’ time what you wrote on that day! If you have a problem with someone call them, sit them down and talk things over. Updating your status with the problem will not solve the issue, problems needs to be worked at to resolve them.
Some firms now do a Facebook check on potential employees to see if they are fit for their or organisation or firm, so let’s be careful of we put out there.
Another Social Media App that has lots of users is Instagram. It is estimated to have 800 million users. Instagram is a very good tool to start a business or promote oneself or brand. Nevertheless, it has turned into a show off competition among friends, to show off who has the best clothes, who dines at the best restaurants, who goes to the best holidays etc. Fortunately, or unfortunately the “aspirational “lifestyles by celebrities are making wannabe celebs emulate such lifestyles even to the extent of borrowing clothes and cars.
Some people showcase themselves in clothes and accessories which they cannot afford. Going into debt to make their Instagram page look good is heart-breaking. Someone told me Instagram will have you thinking a girl is totally out of your league, meanwhile she is homeless!
A study by non-profit group Common Sense Media has revealed teens are spending more than one-third of their day using social media, nearly nine hours on the average. Some people cannot go anywhere without their phones because of social media, they take it into the bathroom, checking their phones whilst in church when the sermon is being preached just because they need to update their status or check on Facebook, Instagram page or send a tweet! Families are glued to their phones in the evening instead of have quality family time.
Social Media is a fantastic tool, let’s use it wisely. When you are with your family and friends, put your phone away and enjoy their company, learn to connect with their presence, lets enjoy the good old way of communicating, talking to each other face to face. Let’s train our children to do likewise but setting a good example. Come off your phone, yes you (after reading this article lol)