Toshita Khatri

Social Media went from an occasional distraction to a necessary tool in which most people survive. Taking Facebook away would be an act worse than death. It can be assumed that people would rather lose their most valued possessions than lose access to social media. It has allowed everyone to endorse their opinion about anything which makes them self-proclaimed experts online.
There is no learning to accept criticism, accept rejection or let alone accept the fact that there are hundreds of people with hundreds of opinions. Now, you have the ability to speak what you are subjected to, what lessons you learned and to develop a fake world. In the world of social media, you are always right. Everyone likes you and everyone follows you. Death to those who oppose you or your argument by simply unfriending them as popular social sites like instagram and facebook provide users with these privileges.
Social Media allows people the comfort of maintaining their opinion as they don’t have to debate their point face to face with anyone. If they feel they are losing the hold on their point, they simply log off after leaving a rather rude or impolite comment. It seems as if people are running away from their reality.
Social media has also forced people to try and live up to an impossible standard from the false portrayal of other’s lives that are unrealistic and quite frankly delusional and dangerous. Seeing friends constantly on holiday or enjoying nights out can make young people feel like they are missing out while others enjoy life. The posts can also set unrealistic expectations and create feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.
Quite frankly, my opinion of social media is not very favourable. There are numerous problems with social media: you have problems with cyber bullying, sexual harassment, death threats, fake news, fake accounts, and the list goes on and on. Those who are feeling inferior need to pick on others for no other reason than to increase their own ego. Where once online abuse was considered part and parcel of the life of a celebrity, an increasing number of stars are now concluding that social media is more trouble than it is worth.
It is easy to think that celebrities who quit social media because of negative comments are simply being “diva” or overly dramatic, but experts say that the threat of cyber bullying is in fact very real. Public figures fall victim of cyber bullying on a daily basis which mostly includes direct or personal hate comments. The incidents of depression and suicide are increasing and social media seems to be a very large factor in this.
But at the end of the day it is a tool, it is not good or bad. Just like a knife. A knife can be a survival tool in the wild. Or it can kill someone. The knife isn’t good or bad in itself. It’s how the person uses it. It’s the same with social media. It’s how you use it or abuse it.