This idea is something that professionals, including psychologists, are beginning to discern and take advantage of. Everything has negative aspects. Social media is not short of this conclusion. Many researchers are investigating how social media can affect people and society as a whole. It has been reported that social media can negatively affect mental health. It is said to potentially lead to depression. It has the possibility to impede rehabilitation efforts with addicts. There are even studies on how social media promotes narcissism. The possible impacts on society include people disconnecting from one another. Older people complain that kids these days cannot have decent conversations with anyone anymore because it all has to involve unspoken messages containing lol’s and emojis. It is important to take into account that people become heavily involved with any new type of technology. Every generation has had its own item of fixation. One could say that hands that once carried newspapers now carry phones. This is not because today’s society is hooked on technology, but …show more content…
The purpose of research is to contribute new knowledge to the community. Once something is discovered that could promote more research or benefit an aspect of society, it is imperative that that discovery is conveyed to other professionals and the public. There seems to be no better way to do this than through social media. People who make up policies, colleagues, organizations, and the general public can all be reached instantaneously and with no hassle. Ideas can be spread in minutes. An article can be posted on a website like Facebook and have a million views in an hour. Dr. McDermott, a professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette said, “Disseminating information to the public and to other professionals is such an important part of psychological research. I have a treatment for PTSD that is guaranteed to work. Getting this treatment out there and known could make such a difference and help so many people” (insert citation here). Not only can information be communicated more efficiently, but it can be exposed to a wider audience. Whereas before, research may have only been exchanged between professionals. Now the general public has easy access to lots of new information. This, of course, is extremely beneficial. Social media makes it easier for ordinary people to keep up with new theories and research that can help them to better their