As per the research, 4.70 billion people use social media daily, and the younger generation covers a good portion of it. Social media is an effective platform if you want to educate or promote your skills and showcase yourself. Many students feel distracted, unmotivated, dizzy and unfocused to study and one of the main reasons is social media, where they spend most time scrolling and consuming useless content.
We can’t deny the fact that the Internet and social media platforms have changed our lives in many ways. Humans are more likely to connect using these social media platforms, and apart from communication, these platforms are widely used for entertainment, learning, promotions, spreading awareness and different functions.
Social media is a great tool to promote and educate yourself, but it can also disturb your life if you get hooked. The younger generation uses social media to connect and create as these platforms are sources of dopamine which keep you entertained, and you’re more likely to lose track of your time. Students should know how to use social media in their favour and how they can make the most out of it.
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How Social Media is Affecting Your Life and How You Can Use it for Good
Social media platforms are great tools for learning and entertaining purposes although they fulfil various elements if you’re a student, then it’s essential to learn new things through social media as it can uplift your career.
Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok have been major addictions for people but how they use them plays a major role in their academics. The Internet has opened the door to learning for every individual and it’s the biggest library for students.
When we talk about the impact of social media there are different elements which a student needs to understand: using social platforms to promote your skills, learn new things and make effective connections is good but if you’re someone who’s constantly scrolling useless content then it will not take you anywhere. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of social media and how it can affect your studies.
Advantages of Social Media for a Student
1. A Source to Learn New Things
Social media are platforms where you connect with like-minded people and consume relatable content. There are a bunch of creators who create amazing content and help people to learn new things and consuming good content can help you to learn new things. It Doesn’t matter from which background you are and what your profession is, you can learn about fitness, spirituality, science, economics and many more things using social media platforms.
You just need to follow the right people and consume good content which will eventually make you more smart and disciplined in your work.
2. Connecting with Like-minded People
Social media platforms have made it easier to make new friends who are just like you and using social media you can be friends with strangers and connect with different people.
People you meet online can help you in many ways. They can connect with you. Different people help you to reach your goal and also they can mentor you to take the right direction. Making connections online can be a game changer as they can also help you to get better in your academics.
3. Instant Help From the Community
These platforms allow you to be a part of a specific community and as per your choices you can connect with a specific community and they can help you to solve your problems.
These huge communities help you to be productive at your work by sharing different tips and tricks which you can implement in your studies and it can help you to be better at your academics. As a student, you should seek better Solutions and understand new concepts with a clear understanding and many people in the community can help you with that.
Disadvantages of Social Media as a Student
1. Distraction and Addiction
One of the main reasons students aren’t able to focus on their studies is the addiction to these platforms as we’ve said these platforms are quite addictive and keep you hooked as it’s a source of cheap dopamine. When you open these platforms all you do is scroll where you’re not conscious about your time and that minor seconds scrolling the platform turns into hours where you’re dizzy and unfocused and have no motivation to study.
These platforms distract you from your studies and it affects your brain which you don’t recognise at the start. By the time you’re adapting a habit to disturb your mind with useless content, it affects your mental health.
Scrolling gives you dopamine which is a happy hormone and your brain gets addicted to it and seeks more dopamine. Addiction to these platforms becomes a distraction for your studies and the notifications make you more curious to know what’s the message so you’ve to make sure you’re keeping your phone always from yourself when you’re studying.
As per the research Instagram plays with your brain and its design in a way that keeps you hooked and addicted. By offering you dopamine busters the platform becomes an addiction.
2. Makes You More Insecure About Yourself
You must’ve noticed social media creates a different idea in your mind which is perfectionism you see many people with a perfect lifestyle which is a lie everyone has their problems but social media is all about happy faces and a perfect lifestyle as this makes students think that their life isn’t good enough and makes them insecure about many things.
Students compare their lifestyles and end up being sad about their lives. Social media makes you insecure and forces you to think that you’re not enough. People fall into a trap of fear of inferiority and they think everyone is superior to them. Social media disturbs you mentally and physically so you have to make sure that you’re not letting something external disturb your inner peace.
3. Detachment From the Real World
People who get comfortable with social media think that it’s real but it’s not. Social media is a tool which you can use for different purposes. Many people earn a good amount of money using social media by selling their skills.
Social media can be used to showcase your skills and connect with people. But when you have constant updates about someone’s life then you’re more likely to get detached from yourself in the real world.
Social media platforms take you away from people you’re more likely to talk to using these platforms but they detach you from the real world and real connections. By thinking social media is the real world people spend most of their time scrolling on these platforms which results in disturbing things in the real world.
Instagram Pros and Cons
Pros:
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- Learning different concepts
- For better understanding
- Helps you to socialize with like-minded people
- Can help you to get ideas
- Contribute to promoting your skills
- Create content for like-minded people.
- A good place to start your business
- Help you to join a community
- Entertain yourself
Cons:
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- Keep you addicted
- Makes you insecure about yourself
- Push you into the trap of perfectionism
- Time-consuming platforms
- Makes you feel unfocused, lazy and inactive.
- Makes you mentally weak.
- Affects your mental health.
- Detach yourself from the real world.
- Promotes fear of missing out.
- Gives people the power to hurt you.
Final Thoughts
Social media is a tool and you have control of it, don’t let it control your life. Students should be conscious about their social media use and the content they consume. If you’re a student then you should make sure that you’re accountable for the amount of time you pass on these platforms.
