What is social media? It refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and network.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Social: This is characterized by friendly companionship or relations.
Media: The means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the internet regarded collectively).
Means: A method or way through which information is disseminated. This can also be referred to as channel.
Interactions: Is an action which is influenced by other actions. This normally occurs between two people (interpersonal communication).
People: These are persons forming or belonging to a particular group, such as a nation, class, ethnic group, etc.
Create: To build, assemble, or produce an object or idea. Communication entails creativity tied to being innovative.
Share: An instance of exchanging ideas on a social media website or application.
Information: This is knowledge about a particular subject, issue, event or process.
Ideas: A thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action.
Virtual communities: A social network of individuals who interact through specific social media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interest or goals.
Network: This consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to share resources (such as printers and CDs), exchange files, or allow electronic communications.
FORMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA
i. Facebook
ii. WhatsApp
iii. WeChat
iv. QZone
v. Tumblr
vi. Instagram
vii. Twitter
viii. Google+, etc.
USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Most traditional online media platforms include social components, such as comment fields for users. Social media is primarily internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information. Some of such uses include:
• Communication:(Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Skype,). These are used to establish relationships with other users(friends).
• Collaboration: (Wikipedia, Google docs, Dropbox…), like Wikipedia is a collaborative tool which enables many people to simultaneously update and view an online encyclopedia.
• Entertainment. Users use social media to entertain themselves by listening to music and playing of games to release stress, etc.
• Media sharing. (YouTube and Vimeo) are sites where users can upload and view videos, while being able to add comments, create channels, and connect with different users.
BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Connectivity: people from everywhere can connect with anyone, regardless of proximity.
Education: students and teachers find it easy to learn and do their research work.
Information and updates: it is easy to access information, disseminate information and update yourself on trending issues.
Awareness: it creates the awareness and innovate the way people live, by helping them discover the new and innovative stuffs that can enhance personal lives.
Helps in building communities: it can bring community members together through the sharing of inspirational messages, online prayers, jokes, dissemination of information, etc.
ABUSE ON THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Misinformation
Forgery
Insulting
Cyberbullying
Threatening
Leaking of protected information
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE YOUTH
It creates an avenue to contribute to emotional wellbeing of others by offering positive advices.
Help to connect with peers.
Develop them emotionally, psychologically.
Improve their academic standard.
Establish avenues for socialization.
Boost self-awareness.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE YOUTH
Lack of control of and over personal information: youths post private information online without realizing the associated risks.
Cyber bullying
Mental Health issues
Lack of Morals
Spread and ability to amplify Fake News
Indirect encouragement of high rate of scam
Poor grades from academic pursuits; due to inappropriate usage of time for studies.
Peer pressure
Addiction on social media
HOW TO ENSURE SAFETY OF THE YOUTH ONLINE
o Have adequate and effective online child protection laws.
o Parents as a matter of urgency should monitor the activities of their wards on the social media.
o Government/the church should empower the youths so as to engage them in more meaningful and constructive activities.
o A cyber monitoring team should be set by schools to checkmate the effects of illegal activities of the social media.
o The youth should be educated on the proper use of the internet and social media.
POSITIVE EFFECTS ON VOCATION
• Increase in vocation: they can easily get access to information about congregations.
• Helps them to know more about congregations.
• Helps to get genuine people to join the religious life.
• Helps in the evangelization of the modern world of Technology.
• It helps formators to know the trending issues so as to change the mode of formation.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON VOCATION
Indiscipline.
Poor prayer life.
Destruction.
Affects one’s celibate life.
Its time wasting.
Lost of focus and attention.
CONCLUSION
Social Media as a means of communication helps in many different ways in Human lives. It improves our way of perceiving things, helps in academic fields, contributes to the well-being of the individual’s social, political, psychological, cultural and economic growth of the person, etc. In as much as it contributes so effectively to Human lives, so is it abused and its abuse causes more harm. Social Media is widely used by the youths, enjoy its benefits and abuse it the most.
It is the responsibility of everyone to guide the youths to limit their exposure to the negativity of social media. We must ensure appropriate laws to protect them against the exposure to social media. We must channel their activities on the social media to yield positive results. We can only get matured and responsible persons to join the religious life through this means.
posted by: Bright
