I’m a big fan of social media ever since it was developed and it’s a difficult question to answer if social media is truly helpful. After how many years of using different social media platforms, I’ve already seen it all – the good, the bad, and even the downright ugly.
Social media has the potential to be helpful if used responsibly. It has revolutionized how people communicate and share information. It is already widely accepted that social media improved the lives of many people. However, it has also been associated with negative effects due to irresponsible use.
I’m not here to give you a simple yes or no answer because I want you to dive deeper when reading this article.
Is Social Media Helpful?
Before I give my thoughts on how useful social media is, allow me to paint you a picture of a regular day in my life, since I believe that the best approach to address this topic is via real-world experience.
I often check my phone first thing in the morning and go through Instagram or Twitter. I usually do that to catch up on the latest news and events that are happening around me before I’ll get ready for the day.
Throughout the day, I find myself constantly checking on my phone because I’m worried that some of my friends would send me important messages.
I also check my feed at the same time to see what my pals are doing or just to pass the time. It already became a habit that I hardly even notice anymore.
Now, you might be thinking about, “Wow, this person is really addicted to social media”. Well, it’s quite true and you wouldn’t be wrong.
But, I believe that it’s not necessarily a bad thing because as you can see, social media platforms have brought so much positivity in my life.
Because I can quickly contact my friends or relatives who live far away, it made my life more comfortable and quick. It also helped me discover new topics and interests. It gave me signs and ideas on how will I build my career.
For example, last year, I landed a job interview through LinkedIn and I was very happy because I can work at home during the peak of the Covid pandemic. Without social media, I can never grab this opportunity.
Also, let’s not forget the countless laughs and good times that social media has given us during the time that we were down in life. It also helped us form relationships with people from all over the world that we should always be grateful for.
But, the truth is, social media isn’t all rainbows and sunshine because there have been that it has given me stress or anxiety.
Seeing other people’s lives through their posts can make me feel that I’m not doing enough in my life. And, let’s not forget about the endless scrolling that we do on our feeds which would consume most of my time.
So, overall, I think the answer to the question “Is social media helpful” is both yes and no. I believe that social media has the potential to be useful if we’re going to use it responsibly. It’s up to us as individuals how were are going to use it and how it will impact our lives.
I’ve observed that many individuals utilize it incorrectly, which is why they experience its bad consequences. We must remember that it’s always important to set boundaries when using social media so that it won’t consume our lives.
How Helpful Is Social Media
Social media is incredibly helpful if it is used correctly and responsibly. Millions of people are so dependent on social media platforms nowadays because they provided them with lots of benefits.
Here are some reasons how helpful social media is and some tips for using it in a way that maximizes its benefits:
- Connecting with others: For how many years, social media has allowed us to connect with others easily. This is very helpful when it comes to maintaining or building relationships.Social media gives possibilities for meaningful contacts and a sense of belonging, from conversing with friends and family to joining online groups with like-minded individuals.
- Accessing Information: Social networking is an excellent method to remain up to date on current events, fresh ideas, and developing trends. Following news outlets or influencers, for example, puts a lot of information in our fingers.
- Building a Personal Brand: Social networking is a fantastic medium for exhibiting your abilities. Social media may aid in increasing your exposure and developing your brand, whether you’re advertising your business or just discussing your interests.
- Finding Support: Social media offers a secure environment where users may express their challenges and get assistance. Social networking may help you find people who understand and are willing to listen, whether you are going through a difficult moment or suffering from mental health concerns.
To use social media in a way to maximize its benefits, here are the things that you must consider:
- Use it in Moderation: Spending too much time on social media by scrolling through feeds can cause mental health problems. Limit your daily social media usage to a fair length of time.
- Be Mindful of Your Interactions: Negativity and strife may flourish on social media. Be considerate to others and refrain from arguing or making unpleasant remarks.
- Protect your Privacy: Users must consider that social media platforms are like a public forum, it is important to exercise caution when disclosing personal information. Make sure your privacy settings are set appropriately and share only information that you are okay with others viewing.
It’s proven many times how helpful social media is as long as it is used correctly and responsibly. Every time I use my social media account, I always aim to harness its benefits by using it with purpose.
How Social Media Can Help Us in the Future
Just wait till you see what the future has in store for social media if you think it’s already incredibly useful; I think it will just continue to develop and become more helpful. Here are potential future applications of social media for us:
Building Communities
There are already a lot of communities on social media but companies will continue to improve it to the point that people will see its value.
Social media platforms like Facebook will continue to emphasize the community on their platform so that users will feel a sense of belongingness.
In the future, social media will be more helpful in terms of building communities because one of my predictions is that AI-powered recommendation systems will be integrated so that it will help users find and connect with people much easier.
Using this technology will be much easier for these tech companies to build an online community.
Promoting Causes
Social media platforms will be more helpful in the future in terms of promoting causes because they have more power to mobilize people around important issues and create meaningful change.
In the future, they will also have a much larger user as they continue to improve their systems. This means that they can promote to a wider audience than ever before.
I believe that social media platforms will incredibly be a powerful tools for promoting causes and generating support.
Learning and Education
Social media will be very helpful in the future especially in the education industry due to the wealth of information, tutorial, and instructional videos.
When I started using TikTok, I’ve seen how useful it is for learning because there are a lot of experts out there who love to share their knowledge.
According to what I can tell, this tendency will carry on since the next generation will depend heavily on these platforms to learn a lot of things.
More specialists will be drawn to the platform as it expands and contribute their knowledge there to reach a larger audience.
Career Development
Social media is probably going to be even more beneficial when it comes to job growth as the trend of online networking and remote work continues to expand.
Social media sites like Twitter and LinkedIn are already being utilized as a tool for business networking. This allows users to connect with colleagues, industry leaders, and employers.
Social media platforms are anticipated to develop into a very effective resource for creating business connections as more individuals choose to work remotely and search for opportunities online.
Most companies today have social media pages that’s why it’s easier for people to connect with them.
Innovation and Creativity
Every sector and area needs innovation and creativity to advance and flourish, and social media is positioned to play a significant role in cultivating these traits in the future.
Social media has inspired me to stretch the boundaries of my creativity, which is one way it has improved it.
I have followed lots of influencers and thought leaders on my social media account. With their posts, it gave me new insights and ideas that have helped me break through creative blocks and generate new solutions.
Social media platforms will benefit people’s imaginative and creative thinking in the future since they will expose them to a variety of viewpoints.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to social media, I’ve heard a lot of people blaming the platform for all the negative consequences that they face.
But we need to face it, social media is not a sentient person that has the capacity to act independently or make decisions. It is only a tool that we may utilize on a daily basis.
Social media will always be helpful when we know how to use it responsibly. Not just with social media but any other technology that we use. How we use it and the results we wish to get are up to us.
