How Does Social Media Affect Humankind

In “The Playboy Interview” Marshall McLuhan says: “all media…are extension of man that cause deep and lasting changes in him and transform his environment”. The media represents a major and primary form of communication. It has a more negative impact on humankind than a positive one because it causes people to become more distant and divides societies. That division leads to more serious issues, such as discrimination, amongst people. The media, or social media to be more specific, is a key source of information for people nowadays. Sites like Facebook and Twitter are commonly used platforms for sharing and gaining information about what’s happening in different parts of the world. It is so simple and yet so complex and it is frequently missed …show more content…
The more people rely on communication through social media, the more face-to-face interaction will diminish. Many studies were conducted on today’s excessive use of social media and how it affects humankind. One study claimed that more adults prefer to stay in and communicate on their devices instead of going out to see people face-to-face. The study also mentioned that that number of people will only grow with the amount of users on social networks. You can be conversing with somebody so close to you yet their minds will be miles away. Every time people use social media it brings them to another world, they are able to interact with people from all over and gain information about what’s going on in the world with just the click of a button. It is so easy and always accessible which affects people in the sense that they get so used to the simplicity of social networks and start to view real life conversations as difficult. It takes away from socializing and the fun in meeting new people. It diminishes the value of meaningful communications. Sites like Twitter and Facebook are set up with restrictions like the fact that people are not allowed to pass a certain number of characters. These restrictions force people to cut down on words and start using slang and abbreviations. Social media limits people’s vocabulary and makes it difficult for them to get a serious point across. …show more content…
It can even be the smallest thing and it will be blown out of proportion. The media focuses on controversial issues in the world because that is what grasps people’s attention the most. This is something that has to change because it is those at a vulnerable age such children and teenagers that are more likely to be influenced and that are the most impressionable Yes, it is much easier for people to share their opinions online, with the rise of social media. However, it also makes it the rise of radicalism more possible. These opinions people choose to present may be seen as offensive and can turn social media into be a source of conflict. People take this innovative form of communication and turn into something else. People abuse the privilege they are given to spread hateful opinions. Social media causes a separation turning communities into “us” vs “them”. An example of a person using social media, Twitter to be more