by Kevin Pointer Sr
The number of social media users worldwide in 2022 will probably be north of 4 billion based on some recent statistics that this gecko has put his over-sized eyeball on. This exponential growth of social media has had a huge effect on our everyday goings and comings, changing how we interact with each other. This huge growth has also affected the media and brands that seek to exploit group and individual actions — largely, most might argue, for monetization reasons.
Of course, this exponential growth means that the field of social media monitoring must keep up with the demands of social media users as advertisers continue to tweak their tactics in response to new trends. How you see the evolving future of social media, and even its past, probably depends on factors such as your age, gender, and other demographics.
Obviously if you have seven or more different social media accounts you probably feel differently about social media than a person who has two or less or even zero social media accounts. On the whole some could ask is social media a good thing, a bad thing, or is the truth somewhere in the middle ….. or, actually, is the “answer” more nuanced? Based om some of the recent, largely technology-bashing articles that this gecko has reviewed within these blog posts you might conclude that social media is more of a bad thing. Continuing in a bit of the comparison and contrast and synthesis mode of our last “Wizard of Oz” blog article, however, let us take a big-eyed yet brief gander, as only my reptilian affinity would allow, at a couple of contemporary social media articles to see what we might glean from them.
Never-the-less as a flat out “vaccination of balance” into the oft steady diet of negative social media bashing (some of which is admittedly deserved) as well as the steady longing for the good ole internet days we will also eyeball an article that contains a litany of social media positives — just for the hell of it. Throw in some brief analysis from the probable perspective of our main tour guide Cal Newport and his book, Deep Work and we’re done.! Yes boredom and daytime sleepiness, save our exciting article comparisons, sounds kinda good to this nocturnal, reptilian sleep walker!
Of Dark Psychology, Being Stuck, & Social Networking Pros
The Dark Psychology of Social Networks—Why it feels like everything is going haywire — This article’s authors, judging by its title, subtitle, and artwork is going to have a negative take on social networks. Yes …. the dark psychology of social networks … the phrase “things going haywire” and its black colored oriented abstract opening picture bely some of the positive statements that the authors manage to eke out. While the article is intellectually thoughtful enough and even accurate in its pointing out some of the ills of social media as a facilitator of things like “moral grandstanding”, speed-of-light “mutual animosity”, and “moment-by-moment” shortsightedness if you are patient and look further and deeper into the text the authors do manage to toss out a tib bit or two of balance on the topic by acknowledging that “social media is not intrinsically bad and [in fact] has the power to do good. Who knew?! The two authors even offer a few suggestions as to how entities with the community might work together to improve and reform social media. Now that’s lookin’ up!
The Social media is keeping us stuck in the moment — Similar to the narrative constructs and picture of the earlier “Dark Psychology” article a betting gecko would have to believe that this is going to be yet another negative article regarding social media. True-to-form — no wait … what’s going on? …… The author essentially pivots a bit by the fourth paragraph to inform us, like the premise of one of our other reviewed articles, that our technology fears are actually overblown! This author is “not so sure” about the conclusions of yet another one of our reviewed authors, psychologist Jean Twenge in her assessment that social media has corroded our culture. Startin’ to like this more balanced journalist! This author, perhaps insightfully, recognizes that the “true danger about social media is much more subtle. He then goes on to make the case, reflective of the piece’s title, that social media relentlessly and to our detriment keeps us stuck in the present.
Cal Newport’s Playbook, Deep Work — The Social media is keeping us stuck in the moment’ author primary contention that social media negatively keeps us stuck in the present is very much consistent with the argument that Cal Newport has made his book, Deep Work. Specifically, Cal has contended multiple times and through multiple examples that because we tend to be stuck in the present with modern life’s many distractions — e-mails, cell phone notifications, and social media — just to name a few — that we are much less able to perform the kind of Deep Work that would allow us to make really significant workplace contributions and be correspondingly fulfilled.
Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society? — Last but not least, and again for a measure of social media and technology balance we now, based on this particular article list a few of the positive aspects of social media. Some positive social media examples: Law enforcement uses social media to catch and prosecute criminals, social media sites help students do better at school, social media increases voter participation, and social media sites empower individuals to make social change and do social good on a community level ….. ’nuff said!
References
Haidt, J., & Stockwell, T. (2019, December 12). The dark psychology of social networks – Why it feels like everything is going haywire. Retrieved March 01, 2021, from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/social-media-democracy/600763/
Lenti, E. (2017, December 04). Social media is keeping us stuck in the moment. Retrieved March 01, 2021, from https://this.org/2017/11/15/social-media-is-keeping-us-stuck-in-the-moment/
Newport, C. (2016). Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. New York City, New York: Grand Central Publishing.
Spravtsev, A. (2020, March 27). Are social networking sites good for our Society? Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://socialnetworking.procon.org/are-social-networking-sites-good-for-our-society-pro-con-quotes/