Social media is everywhere, its part of our lives, in our blogging space we might not know real names of fellow bloggers however we surely know their Instagram handles. Social media is entirely a different space, you can kill endless hours by getting yourself entertained.
I understand people are going overboard and more interactions are happening in the virtual world than the real one, people have more friends online and close to none in real life, but then these are extremes. There are so many studies and surveys around how much social media is affecting us, mostly in a negative way. However, I think there is good and bad side of everything, it depends on how we use it. There is so much to explore, learn, read and social media has brought it all closer and is serving us on a platter and easily available platform. Right from self-help makeup tips to motivational ones.
We have been told and know since generations how bad is television, how it makes us a couch potato, that television is an idiot box, but don’t we all have one or even more at our home?
For that matter, we know reading a book while lying down or while in a moving vehicle is harmful for eyes but we do it right.
The point I am emphasizing is nothing is bad if done in moderation, and over do of everything is bad. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ‘self-esteem’ and ‘self-actualization’ are at the top, humans cannot live without being appreciated or feel accepted in the society. Rather than just looking at the negative side lets take a quick look of how social media has improved our lives.
Self-Image and ego booster
I have been into influencer role for quite a while and yes, I won’t shy away accepting the fact that every like that I get on the Instagram post, retweet on twitter and a new comment or subscriber on my blog makes my day. Its not that my life depends on it but what’s the harm in smiling and collecting the little happiness that comes my way.
Social media helps me have an improved self-image, when I take a look at the grid or my wall for say last one year, I realize what all I have achieved, I have so many reasons to be happy about. If that helps me reviving happy memories and boosts my self-worth, I am going to hang on.
I don’t go out of the way to make my photos Instagram ready or keep recording every recipe that I cook but when ever I do that, and get appreciated for it, I feel happy and I don’t regret it.
Opportunity to earn
Social media has given opportunity to many people to make money. It has opened doors to so many independent artists, solopreneurs to showcase their products and find real customers and do actual business. If you have any plans to be at home and have a small earning for yourself, social media is there to help. All type of businesses gets huge customer base, direct reach to customer goes up and even Brands look for influencers. Its not that right from day one you can start earning, as every opportunity requires hard work and perseverance same is for earning through social media. Not just that, I have seen people wining back to back Instagram giveaways and making handsome money by end of the month.
Information and learning
Right from latest news, trending fashion and makeup tips, all types of recipes to details about galaxies, electronics and inventions. What is there that’s unavailable on social media. You need to decide on a topic and you will find blogs, pins, posts, tweets from real people around you who have done the necessary research and share the information on their social media handles.
I myself have tried so many new recipes which the fellow bloggers have posted in their blogs and done many DIY activities with kids that I learnt from posts, which helped me engage more with kids, spend quality time with them and off course helped me keep them away from screens.
Even about the events happening near you, various hobby classes and so many such things come across easily because they and you are on social media.
Connecting with old and lost friends
Were our parents in touch with so many school and college friends that we are today, even if its only at festivals and occasions were all relatives together at one place wishing each other in happiness and sorrows? The answer is NO, it’s the technology and social media that has brought the world closer.
My husband has found and revived all his school friends as old as the one from class 2, they all have been to our place and now the communication is regular.
Why just he, even my FIL who is tech savvy, has found most of his friends online post his retirement.
Whether you want to keep the relationships or not is your call, but at least the hurdle that there is no way to reach out is not there anymore.
People might be going overboard and that what bring a bad name to this entire social media thing, however if done in moderation and with your thinking caps at right place, there is so much to gain through this platform.
That’s true. If you take care while you post and make sure you don’t give away your number and address, social media does have advantages.
Like everything social media has its plusses and minuses. We need to figure out a balance for ourselves.
Yes social media too has pros and cons. But what’s important is understanding the good and bad and making the best use of the good aspects
Like every coin has two faces.. Social media is good or bad depending upon your use.. You may utilize it or misuse it.. I loved the way you wrote benefits about social media.. Being a blogger we must know these things
Absolutely! Social media does come with its ills, but there are many good things about it- we owe our blogging careers to it!
Absolutely!!
Social media isn’t really bad and like it is with anything in excess, too much time here can be unsettling as well. I spend some ‘me time’, by taking off from the world of social media every now and then.
https://www.rahulprabhakar.com
I think one should be able to differentiate between the reality and the Fakism that social media imposes on us. Just create a balance and you should be alright.
Great point made by you
I am a. Part time social media influencer so u can’t really blame my source of bread and butter. However it’s bad 50% of the time.
Everything has bad and good side. As you rightly said,it’s depend of its use. I learn so much from social media but yes it effect also. You can face real and fake frd too.
I would say, social is bad if used purposeless and in excess otherwise there can be countless benefits of it, some of them are already mentioned in the post. Good Post!
Very well written post! I absolutely agree with you that social media is playing such a big part in our lives . It’s in our hand what we make of it. Like so many other things in life, we get what we put into it.
So true Didi
Very well written post! I absolutely agree with you that social media is playing such a big part in our lives . It’s in our hand what we make of it. Like so many other things in life, we get what we put into it.
Anything in excess is harmful, a pearl of the age-old wisdom that works on social media too. The points you shared is so relevant, don’t we learn a lot from our co-bloggers and space.
yes, absolutely bang on
Social media is my entertainment space, I also learn alot through other people’s experiences and posts.
a well written topic as we all know that social media has been a choice to chose negative or positive its all up to us in what way we are going to take it.
yes, cautious use is important
There’s Pros & Cons in everything.Not only Social media but Internet as a whole has it’s advantages and disadvantages. if not used cautiously.So we must always remember that Anything is Excess is Not Good!
(Snehalata Jain)
yes, I completely agree with you on this
Social media is an excellent way to network, earn and connect with old friends. All one needs is to limit it’s use and control interactions that aren’t rewarding.
I totally agree with you on this buddy, it indeed isn’t that bad like everything else it too has its pro and cons I love it
yes, depends upon how it is used
Even I learnt so many recipes in this lockdown. Social media help many ways specially in this lockdown.
You are right, it’s on us how we use it. Everything has got pros and cons. The usage is the deciding factor.
Young overboard with anything in this world is bad and a is for social media. It has ample benefits and I’d not taken the right way, it also has many cons.
It has pros and cons both, depending on how we use it
I love your positive approach to social media. Yes! It is totally up to us how we deal with this.
yes, its users discretion
It’s important to understand how you carry your social media …I really loved the way you have shared your points!!
Thanks Ruchie, glad you liked it
its good and bad in both ways, like many other things. Over use of it and the intent to harm someone or someone’s image through social media is a bad practice.
yes, we must be cautious while what we share in public domain, and respond to unknown or random people carefully
You have pointed out the benefits of social media so well! If used with care, it can be such an efficient tool to survive and thrive in the online world.
So true Jyoti. Thanks for stopping by.
I too agree that if all the pros are taken into consideration social media is a good place to be. It’s just that we need to stop ourselves from falling the cons trap.
Yes, the use must be with certain constraint
This is so true. More than anything else, being active on different platforms of social media has helped me shape my perspective, views & confidence too.
That’s really nice to hear Shalu.
Every form of technology has its pros and cons. Social media is not an exception but everything depends upon how we handle it. When we have the power of social media we should be responsible enough to use it for good.
I completely agree with you
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You echo my thoughts ujjwal and I agree with you that appreciation on blog or social media made my day too..each thing has its own set of positive and negative impact and it’s all depend on us, how we use it. Limited and wise use of SM always had lots of advantage.
Yes ujjwal your pointers are very relevant and make sense. It’s up to us how we use SM. Great insight.
Such a positive viewpoint dear. I couldn’t agree more. In fact I feel the same that positive side’s are quite very shyly explored and expressed. It’s still one of those controversial side of this topic.
Totally true. I’ve learnt so much from this influencer job that I’m glad that I took it up. Being a stay at home mom makes you forget words that you knew.
So true Ujjwal, there is not all bad about social media.its how we see and use it. All the points you have mentioned are worthy enough to keep going forward and using to in a positive way
Social media does have its own advantages as you listed . It’s upto us to choose and make the advantages benefit us
True, social media is not that bad. It is about how you use it, how much you use it and if you use it with the right spirit. Moderation and attitude is the key.