Social media was originally conceived from an idea that would allow people to
connect with one another at any time of day, and often from any place. From the
inception of the first computer in the 1940s, to the earliest forms of the internet in
the 1960s, came the idea of chat rooms and instant messaging in the 1990s.
By 2006 we had My Space, which was the most popular social media platform at that
time. However, with the introduction of Facebook in 2006 and cell phones that had
become mini computers by 2008, social media began to connect people in a way
that history had never seen before. Currently, almost 3 billion have social media
accounts and use them regularly. These platforms and websites allow people to
stay connected with each other, to meet people with whom they have a lot in
common, and to potentially develop friendships. A personal example of this is
when I moved to the city where I now live, I had no friends to hang out with or to
share my emotions. However, I found many different people through Facebook
who eventually became friends, and it was wonderful to be able to meet new
people through the use of social media.
Since social media is a 24/7 active platform, people can share ideas, thoughts and
emotions, almost in a simultaneous manner, and receive real-time feedback, as well
as gather various opinions on different subjects. For example, once I had a
research assignment where I was to gather information about what people thought
about the reunification of Korea. I could not find adequate survey results, so I used
Facebook to ask for people's opinions. In a short period of time, almost 1000
people answered my survey and I was able to achieve a reliable result. Aside
from it being just an assignment, I could see that social media could encourage
more people to be engaged civically, in a more efficient way. In South Korea,
people do express their sentiments about current social affairs through diverse
social platforms in an effortless manner and I see this as a way for many societies
to become more democratic and actualize social justice.
Although most platforms that we currently use were invented to benefit people,
there have been negative aspects to their use and some of these negative aspects
are quite severe, both in nature and in consequences. One of these aspects is
addiction. Addiction to social media has been a serious problem since its inception.
Everywhere you go, you see people's eyes glued to their phones and it is highly
likely that most of them are on social media sites. It is very unfortunate that
people are more worried about their Instagram followers than about finding ways
to improve themselves, be more productive, and positively coexist with social
media.
Cyber bullying is a word that did not exist 10 years ago. One of the most
catastrophic aspects created by the birth of the internet, especially social media,
is cyber bullying. Most cyber bullying comments are about a person's gender or
gender identity, appearance, intelligence, and disability or other challenges.
In 2012, a 15-year-old Port Coquitlam student named Amanda Todd, hanged
herself after two years of blackmail and cyber bullying, and her internet blackmailer
was halfway around the world, in the Netherlands. Even celebrities are not
immune to cyber bullying and many well-known people such as politicians, athletes,
and celebrities have shut down their pages or disabled comments because of
bullying. Recently, in Korea, a 25-year-old celebrity named Sulli, committed suicide
after ongoing, relentless attacks on social media. These examples show that social
media does have significant disadvantages that can cause a multitude of problems.
Chatting on the phone or commenting on a social media site post is now part of
a normal day. This can help us feel connected to our current world, as well as open
new worlds for us. It can help build new relationships, gather different opinions,
and encourage participation in an important civic movement; however, social
media can create addiction and encourage cyber bullying. I believe though, that
with the cooperation between legitimate restrictions and authentic usage of social
media, that we can become a more structured and well-intercommunicating
society.