Dangers of Social Media

Social media has, in many ways, revolutionized aspects of modern life. However, for all of the many ways that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other sites have allowed people to communicate and remain in touch, there are numerous potential dangers of social media. Many people are aware of the numerous dangers of social media posed to children. Yet adults as well are subject to certain dangers.

For children, the dangers of social media can seem obvious. Children are at risk of encountering strangers online, people who may appear friendly. Second, children have a tendency to reveal more personal information online than is safe. Third, children may post inappropriate messages or images on social media which can follow them for years. Fourth, cyberbullying continues to be one of the real dangers of social media.

For adults, social media is a way to seek out validation. Experts warn, however, that the constant need to seek this validation can be detrimental to one's mental well-being and self-efficacy. Second, because people can choose what aspects of their lives to present on social media, there is the danger of comparing ourselves to these highly edited versions of other lives. Third, people have a tendency to form deep emotional attachments to the ephemeral aspects of social media, such as one's number of "likes" on a site. The use of social media can be great, as long as one is aware of the potential dangers.