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Reflections
72 | FireFlyz
their private lives. What’s more, the
things they post remain available indefi-
nitely. While at one moment a photo of
friends doing shots at a party may seem
harmless, the image may appear less
attractive in the context of an employer
doing a background check. While most
sites allow their users to control who
sees the things they’ve posted, such
limitations are often forgotten, can be
difficult to control or don’t work as well
as advertised.
Social Media Makes Us Compare Our Lives
With Others
Posts on social media often present an
idealised version of what’s happening,
what something looks like, or how
things are going. This can lead users
to constantly compare themselves to
others and think less of their own lives.
If things are going particularly well for
people in your newsfeed and you’re
having a rough day, of course this will
likely negatively affect your mood and
may lead to a decline in confidence.
A False Sense Of Connection
According to study conducted by Cornell
University, social media sites can make
it more difficult for us to distinguish
between the meaningful relationships
we foster in the real world, and the
numerous causal relationships formed
through social media. By focusing so
much of our time and psychic energy
on these less meaningful relationships,
the fear is that our most important
connections will weaken.
You May Spend More Money
New research suggests that heavy social
media use might be correlated to lower
self-control, which marketing experts
believe could lead to higher spending.
You need to be aware of what you
are doing and not fall into the trap of
overspending.
Social Media Is Addictive
Studies conducted have shown that
63% of Americans log on to Facebook
daily, and 40% log on multiple times
However we may feel about it, social media looks like it is here to stay. For all the good that is does,
there seems to be negative elements as well. As with many things, it seems like it should be used
in moderation.
Fireflyz
looks at some of the negative impacts of excessive social media usage.
How Social
Are You?
each day. People use the site for many
reasons. However, it usually serves on
the same basic purposes: distraction and
boredom relief. “Likes” and comments
are positive reinforcement for posting
information, making it difficult for a
person to stop. Researchers have found
this so common that they created a scale
to measure this addiction: The Berge
Facebook Addiction Scale.
It Alters Your Appetite
According to Women’s Health, “food
porn” photos can activate the brain’s
reward center and compel viewers to
overeat. One study suggests that even
looking at food images after a meal can
trigger hunger.
Privacy
Social networking sites encourage
people to be more public about their
personal lives. Because intimate details
of our lives can be posted so easily, users
are prone to bypass the filters they might
normally employ when talking about