Social Media's Influence On Society

As the phenomena of social media has swept the world in the past decade, it has become an outlet for all ages. Although social media was thought to be aimed for teenagers and young adults, people of all ages have now become a part of the social movement. Social media was previously limited to a few websites such Myspace and Facebook; now, it has expanded to have hundreds of different outlets of communication, now including smartphones applications as well. Because social media has become such a large part of society, many have begun to takes advantage of the influence is has on its users. Careers such as Instagrammers and Youtubers have become common within society around the world. As these people portray “perfect” lives, followers and subscribers …show more content…
Sadie Robertson, a television personality from Duck Dynasty, has over two million followers on Instagram, and over one million followers on Twitter. Although Robertson posts images and words of positivity and encouragement, she also advertises Sherri Hill dresses on her social media accounts; therefore making followers believe they must obtain these dresses because it considered acceptable by her. Sherri Hill has taken advantage of social media through a celebrity as she portrays an “ideal” part of lifestyle. YouTube sensation Tyler Oakley has over seven million YouTube followers, four million Twitter followers, and five million Instagram followers. Oakley, like Robertson, often posts positive and encouraging videos and words on social media. But within his social media, he advertises NatureBox, Audible, and many other companies. Because Oakley’s following is so large and considers him to have an ideal lifestyle, companies advertise through him so that their products are viewed as ideal as well. This manipulation of social media by companies and corporations has created more factors of an “ideal lifestyle”, which users believe is real. This creates an illusion of everyday life within social …show more content…
On the television show Catfish, people who communicate with others on social media through fake profiles are exposed. As these people are exposed, it reveals how acceptance on social media consumed their lives, taking the place of real social activities. As some people create fake profiles, as on Catfish, others keep their identity but create a false personality and life. A YouTuber named Shane Dawson recently released a video explaining that the Shane we watch in videos is not the real Shane. He created a false persona in order to please and become more acceptable within social media. His portrayed life was exciting and seen as ideal; but he revealed that he was miserable and unhappy. Instagrammers also fall guilty to portraying false lives, as well as fallacies in their physical appearance. As photo-editing software has become available to both computers and smartphones, any person is now able to alter physical appearance within these programs. As social media users fall victim to the peer pressure of being accepted, they begin to alter their physical appearance as well as their life portrayed on the media outlet. As all of this shows, social media has become an illusion of users’ lives and