Positive and Negative Effects that Facebook has had on Society

There are several positive and negative effects that Facebook has had on our society today. Two positive effects of Facebook are communicating with family and friends that live in a completely different area from you and being able to share anything on your mind without seeing people’s reactions to it. Two negative effects of Facebook on society are cyberbullying, which is bullying over the Internet, and distraction amongst teens and even adults. Facebook has had a huge impact on almost everyone in the world, but is it really a good thing or bad thing?

            The first positive effect of Facebook on society is being able to communicate with family and friends even if they are on the other side of the world. According to Jhon Lam, Facebook is a great way for troops overseas to stay in communication with their families. This is definitely a positive effect because imagine being a wife to a soldier and not knowing if they are okay or not. Well, if they can communicate in some sort of way then it will make both sides feel safer. Also, communicating with family or friends that live in a different part of the country or a completely different country. For example, four years ago I went on a trip to Europe and I had a homestay while I was there which means that I stayed with a family for a week while I was in Switzerland. Today, I still talk to them because they are on my Facebook and we catch up with each other almost weekly. This is a huge positive effect especially on people involved in the armed forces.

            The second positive effect of Facebook on society is expressing any kinds of feelings that you have. On Facebook, you don’t see people’s reactions to anything that you post so this makes it easier to post pretty much anything. According to Nick Barricella, “venting” is easier on Facebook. He explains that posting anything from song lyrics to an outfit that you think looks super cute on you is easier to post on Facebook than to say or wear in public because you don’t actually experience the reactions that people will have to your actions. Nick says, “It is a lot harder to feel embarrassment over the internet than in person…” I believe this is true because sometimes I find myself doing this. I feel prettier on my Facebook than I actually do in person and it is easier to express having a bad day on Facebook than it is to everyone around you.

            The first negative effect, cyberbullying, is one of the worst effects Facebook has had. This form of bullying, according to Scott Meech, is one of the worst types of bullying there is for a couple reasons. One of the reasons is because there is no face-to-face interaction, so the bully has lots of control because he/ she can say whatever they please and not worry about being caught or feeling any remorse for the person they are bullying. Also, the bully could literally be anyone. It could be the smallest little, shy kid in school, but no one would really know who it is because they can’t even see who it is, especially if they bully anonymously. Different forms of cyberbullying on Facebook can be posting inappropriate photos that some people would not like posted, especially if it has to do with them, fake profiles being created to hate on certain people, and messages being sent deliberately to hurt someone else. In the past, this has caused suicide among several middle and high schoolers. On Facebook, messages and pictures can be spread that can really hurt other people and the consequences for doing this can be very risky.

            The second negative effect is distraction. This I can admit that I am guilty of because I will be on my phone for hours and realize I didn’t even start my paper that is due in 2 hours. This can be very problematic, especially if you’re in class or at work or even just trying to get your homework done. Sometimes when people are in the middle of doing something they think they will just go on Facebook for a few minutes and take a break from the work they are doing, but it doesn’t always end up like that. In most cases, thirty minutes turns into three hours and you wonder where all the time went so fast. According to Nick Barricella, there is a group called “Facebook Detox” that is trying to lower the extreme use of Facebook by people. Their website is a way to show people how they can live a life Facebook-free.

            All of these effects have helped shaped the way that society conducts on a day to day basis today. There are several positive effects anywhere from communicating with people you are close to and being able to express your true feelings without being judged. Although there are also negative effects such as cyberbullying and distraction. I think as long as you use this social media site the correct way, then it can be a major positive in everyone’s lives today.

           

Barricella, Nick. "The Positive and Negative Effects of Facebook." HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.

Lam, Jhon S. "Positive and Negative Effects of Facebook on Our Society." Positive and Negative Effects of Facebook on Our Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.

Meech, Scott. "Cyber Bullying: Worse Than Traditional Bullying." Classroom Technology News. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.