The Effects of Social Media

Positive:

The multi-dimensional quality of Social media allows viewers to respond to posts and engage in debates or generate ideas. This leads to some pretty interesting internet drama but also to the exchange of ideas and opinions. It is no more dangerous than sitting at a table and talking with people.

The customization of user profiles allows the user to express themselves through graphics and designs. This not only is a fun way to express oneself but also allows the viewer to get to know themselves better and meet people who have the same interests.

Social media acts as a “continuous link” between people who might otherwise go a long time without seeing each other. Social networking can connect you with your long lost great-uncle or your former college roommate. This helps build an individuals social skills and network.

Negative:

Social Media sites often sell users to advertisers to generate huge profits. While some might see this as invasion of privacy it actually helps advertisers figure out what to sell specifically to you. So you might finally be able to avoid those “Meet Russian Brides” pop-ups.

Another challenge of social media is the threat of predators, misinformation and poor grammar that the cyber world poses to children. Honestly, I am sick of this argument. I hate children and I'm sick of this world being sugar coated, sanitized and safety wrapped for some tiny human that still believes in Santa. Life is a hazardous death trap please see any episode of “1000 Ways to Die”. Hurry up and grow up so I don't have to empathize with you any more. That is all.

Social Media does allow for some embarrassing privacy slip ups. Everyone has been the victim of a bad picture tag on Facebook. Usually embarrassing moments just float by you in life and you forget about them after a week. However, the online world captures embarrassing moments and preserves them for eternity for your boss and family members to see. I could see why this is a negative.

Early Signs of Addiction

The first time I used the internet I was like eight. Or something. I know that I had to be old enough to read and write because I typed into the old internet explorer URL box “http:www.cartoonnetwork.com/”. I remember that sometimes the site wouldn't show up and I had to ask my dad to help me navigate the mysterious “search engine” known as “Adelphia web search”. My Dad was actually extremely proud of his computer. He made it himself out of spare parts he got at work and it was incredibly fast on the internet. Fortunately for me this was after the invention of “cable internet” so I never had to deal with that strange "noise-making box" known as dial up.

The most exciting part about cartoonnetwork.com was the games. I started out with simple paint games. After I mastered that I was introduced to shooters. Looking back, this should have been an early warning sign of a troubling addiction. For even at such a young age I would throw a tantrum and throw myself into a spiral of depression if I could not beat a certain game. As I log hours into the Sims I remember these early days of internet gaming.

My favorite game was a shooter about Batman. You were Batman and you were trying to save Robin from The Joker. It was some pretty serious stakes there – so I set out trying to K.O. (because Batman never kills) criminals and save my sidekick. 2D Batman would climb around on the roofs of buildings and shoot a 2D Bat-er-rang at a 2d henchman. Looking back it really shouldn't have been that hard. But it was. They didn't even have guns they just kicked you!

What I remember the most about it was the temper-tantrum that I threw when I kept losing. The game was actually marked in the advanced 11-13 year old section of the games. No matter how hard I tried I just didn't have the hand-eye co-ordination to win. The image of The Joker escaping with Robin tied up in the backseat of the getaway helicopter kept flickering on the screen and some taunting message played on the bottom. (The new Batman does this too). Nothing was more traumatizing to a child than having a villain insult them and run off with a kidnapped child. This was something I could not allow to happen.


So I threw a temper-tantrum, cried and kicked a chair. I demanded that my Dad help me save Robin. Although it did take some convincing and I had to milk the, “what if someone kidnapped me, Daddy? Wouldn't you try to save me?” line I was able to convince my Dad to help me.

This leads me to my most fondest memory of the internet. Me and my Dad staying up until 11 on a school night playing a “hit-the-spacebar” shooter. We never did save Robin.