Edwin Gabriel J.

Miciano
11 HUMSS-A

Social Media: More harm than good

Social media, in its simplest definition pertains to technology-based communication

forms that aids in the creation and sharing of information, ideas and insights between two
or more people via the internet. Users of this communication medium access this through
web-based technologies on computers and mobile devices to engage with individuals
and/or groups. (Kietzman and Hermkens, 2011) Social media created a a significant
impact among Filipinos as they skyrocketed in statistics regarding its usage. According to
Gonzalez (2019), the Philippines has spent the most time on the aforementioned medium
as they spent 10 hours and 2 minutes using it. The number of social media users in the
nation are 76 million and an estimated 98% of the population uses Facebook as the
preferred site. Aside form these, 67% of Filipinos use a mobile phone to access the said
medium, claiming it as an ‘influential force’.
Although social media has advantages and benefits such as keeping communication
more accessible, keeping up with latest information and updates and keeping business
endeavors in check, it still has disadvantages. In fact, social media can be harmful in
various aspects for anyone, especially for the youth of today. According to Mitchell
(2019), social networking has trade-offs to a more convenient approach to
communicating.
In the communication aspect, excessive use of social media reduces emotional
connection between two people. The quality of an information exchange tends to be
awful in social networks as one cannot sense the emotion or enthusiasm being displayed
by the other person. Thus, communication tends to be apathetic. Another point for a
harmful effect of social media is it decreases face-to-face communication skills. Unless
an organization holds a video conference or two people communicate via video calls,
social networking damages a person’s ability to initiate and/or maintain a direct
conversation with someone.
Social media not only damages effective communication, it also creates a negative
and dire impact on the mental well-being of someone. According to Stonecipher (2017),
social networks had offered disadvantages among the youth. First and foremost,
excessive utilization of the said medium causes one to experience low-self esteem and
self-worth thus, they are prone to mental illnesses. Second, social media deprives
someone of an adequate amount of sleep for it catalyzes addiction among many as it
hinders someone to rest. Third, such medium is a perfect gateway for cyber-bullying. The
aforementioned form of bullying through Shaming and hate posts might damage one’s
mental health prompting the prevalence of mental illnesses and even worse, death.
Overall, social media does more harm than good for its users. Many can fall victims
into its nefarious effects but perhaps the most vulnerable are the youth, who are now
deeply engaged in social networks as a medium of communication in contemporary
times.
Works Cited
Kietzman & Hermkens. (n.d.) Social Media? Get Serious. Understanding the building
blocks of social media. Business Horizons.

Gonzalez, G. (2019, January 31.) Filipinos spend most time online, on social media
worldwide-report Retrieved November 10, 2019 from
https://www.rappler.com/technology/news/222407-philippines-online-use-2019-hootsuite
-we-are-social-report.

Mitchell, M. (2014, June 6). Disadvantage of Social Networking: Surprising insights

from teens Retrieved from November 10, 2019 from
https://www.rootsofaction.com/disadvantages-of-social-networking./

Stonecipher, M. (2017, June 23). The effects of social media on mental health Retrieved
November 10, 2019 from
https://spunput.com.ie/news/article/the-effects-of-social-media-on-mental-health.