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Meron Kahsai

ENGL 115

Professor Rodrick

21 September 2019

The Positive Side of Social Media

The technology of our time has had an impact on many of our lives in ways that we don’t

even notice. It has become such a natural thing to many of us that we don’t even think of how

much of an influence it has created on our lives and the lives around us. Though many people

know about the harms that come from it, there are many things that have come from it that has

caused a positive impact on the world and our society. The most popular and influential form of

it that is known throughout the world is social media. Social media is websites and applications

that allow people to share information and content or take part in social networking. This form of

technology has created an environment where people can support one another and share

awareness with the rest of the world. It has helped improve the way mental health is viewed and

has strengthened communities around the world.

When many think about the influence that social media has on mental health, their minds

usually go to the negative side of it. It is known to many people how social media has created

problems like cyberbullying and has caused mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Although social media has created these negative influences on the mental health of some of its

users, it has also created a positive impact on our society when it comes to mental health. Social

media has created an environment where people can share their thoughts and feelings without the

fear of revealing their identities. This anonymity has encouraged many people to find help and

support online in a way that they may not have had the courage to do in real life. The article
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“Social Media and Adolescent Health” shows how social media can be both a positive and

negative influence to the health of adolescents. According to Naslund, Aschbrenner, Marsch, &

Bartels, “Individuals with serious mental illnesses report benefits from online communities that

include enhanced social connections, feelings of group belonging, and coping with the daily

challenges of living with a mental illness”(Naslund, Aschbrenner, Marsch, & Bartels, 2016).

Through these online communities, people are able to share how they feel with other people who

may be struggling with the same things that they are. This communication helps many people to

find help in the real world, learn ways that they can improve on themselves, have an outlet where

they can share their personal feelings, and to just get support from others who they can relate to.

Social media has also improved on the way that people view mental health and has

created a huge impact on the awareness of it. Over the years more and more people have been

educated on mental health because of discussions and posts that have happened on social media.

According to a research made about social media, “Direct emotional and empathetic support via

online networks can contribute to lowering barriers to self-disclosure, through increased

anonymity and reduced non-verbal inhibitors, thus promoting the help-seeking process” (Ko &

Kuo, 2009). Throughout social media there has been an increase of people who promote the

wellness of mental health and work to bring more awareness to the topic. This increase is a result

of our society becoming more accepting towards mental health and being more knowledgeable

about what it is. This acceptance towards this topic has influenced more and more people to

share information about it online and help support people all over social media sites.

Another benefit of social media is the vast amount of communities that are in it.

Communities are a place where people who share something in common can communicate

amongst each other. Social media has made it possible for people around the world to
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communicate with others who share similar qualities or characteristics and create connections

with those people. According to Guinta, Maggie, and Rita John, “Social media communities

have emerged recently as open and free communication platforms to support real‐time

information sharing among members.” (Guinta, Maggie, and Rita John, 2013). Social media has

allowed people from different types of social groups to exchange information and communicate

amongst each other. This has created opportunities for people of different social groups to

communicate with people who may have a different way of living and learn things about them

that they may not have had the opportunity to do outside of social media. Social media has

influenced people to learn about different cultures and ways of living through posts and

communication between people.

These communities on social media can also make a big difference in the world when it

comes to improving society and the different things that are happening around the world. When

big events happen around the world that have a negative impact on the people around it, people

go to social media to share information on what has happened and to figure out solutions to it.

People look to these online sources to find out a way to help themselves and to help out the

people around them. Others also look to social media to find out ways that they can help other

people who may be too far away from where they reside. According to Preece, “Communication

and a spirit of compassion can help strengthen any community, online and offline.”(Guinta,

Maggie, and Rita John, 2013). Social media has helped people to express their compassion with

the rest of the world through online donations, positive communication, and a show of support.

Therefore, building up and strengthening communities all over the world and making it easier for

different communities to help one another. This helps and encourages communities to fight

against injustice and to make the world a better place.

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A recent example of people coming together through social media to fight for justice are

the Hong Kong protests. In Hong Kong there are huge groups of people who are protesting on

the streets and creating mass demonstrations. The citizens of Hong Kong were doing this

because of the Extradition Law, but have now expanded their demand for a better government

and for the police to be accountable for the things they have done. To communicate their plans

on protesting these things, they use online forums and encrypted messaging apps. In his Ted

Talk, Cliffe Lamp discusses on how social media can be a good thing based on how we use it.

During his Ted Talk, Cliffe Lamp says, “Social media basically makes it easier to communicate

and collaborate--It raises the voice of people who previously were powerless. It helps people

who previously did not have control of the media, to be their own media.”(Lamp 7:28). Before

the Hong Kong protests, the majority of the citizens in Hong Kong probably felt that they didn’t

have that much power to go against their own government. These protests have shown that

communities can come together through social media to influence positive outcomes and to

make the world a better place.

Overall, social media can be a place of negativity while also being a welcoming

community and have a huge positive influence on the real world. When used in a healthy way it

can not only build up and strengthen communities, but also create awareness on important topics.

It has helped to create and organize many movements and fights for justice throughout the years.

This has helped immeasurable amounts of people from all over the world to find solace during

troubling times and to help them to live a better life. Social media has also provided countless

resources to the people who use it and gives people the opportunity to communicate with others

from around the world. Social media has created an environment where people can create a good

influence and a bad influence to the people and the world around them. In the end, the decision
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on if social media is a bad influence or a good one depends on how each and every one of us

chooses to use it.

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Work Cited Page

Best, et al. “Online Communication, Social Media and Adolescent Wellbeing: A Systematic

Narrative Review.” Children and Youth Services Review, vol. 41, 2014, pp. 27–36,

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740914000693#s0100. Accessed

13 Sep 2019.

Cao, Qilin, et al. “The Roles of Bridging and Bonding in Social Media Communities.” Journal of

the American Society for Information Science and Technology, vol. 64, no. 8, 2013, pp.

1671–1681, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/asi.22866. Accessed 22 Sep

2019.

Guinta, Maggie, and Rita John. “Social Media and Adolescent Health.” Pediatric Nursing, vol.

44, no. 4, 2018, pp. 196–201,

https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=EAIM&u=csunorthridge&id=GALE%7CA553340727&v=

2.1&it=r. Accessed 22 Sep 2019.

Lampe, Cliffe. “ Is Social Media Good for You? | Cliff Lampe | TEDxUofM” Youtube, TEDx

Talks, 6 April 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po01VlNvCcQ. Accessed 22

Sep 2019.