LoganFlaherty AdamPadgett English1102 3April2014 TheresJustSomethingAboutIt:thePsychologicalSide Lately,allthatisreportedonthenewsiscelebritygossipandthedangersofsocial media.Topicssuchas:riots,murders,kidnappingsandtheeconomicdownturn(excludingthewarin Russia)haveallfallentothewaysideandsocialmediaissteadilyrisingtopower.Itseemslikedailylife doesnotmoveonwithoutsocialmedia.Itshowwecommunicate,connectandevenmeetwithother peoplenow.Whatmostpeoplefocusonnowisthedangersofsocialmediaandhowaddictiveitis.I couldnotcarelessabouttheproblemthatwearehavingrightnow,IwanttolookatWHYwecareso muchaboutthisotherworldsidenote:maybebecauseitkindofisacompletelydifferentbutrelated worldthatwenowhaveaccesstoandwearecuriousaboutitbutthatisatopicforanotherpaper. BackonsubjectIhaveaninklingthattherehastobesomethingbeneficialcomingfromsocialmedia whyelsewouldwebesoconnectedtoit?Withallthenegativeswhyarepeoplestillonit?

?WhatI thinkImtryingtosayissocialmediaisbenefitingAmericansmorethanitithurtingthem.Itaids psychologically,sociallyandeconomically

Whenpeopletalkaboutthenewfadthatissocialmedia,theyalltendtofocusonthe

negative.Eventhepeoplewhoregularlygetonthesesitesandhavealltheappsontheirphoneswill starttomentionthenegativeeffectsofsocialmedia.Whydopeopledothis?Ifsomeonelikes something,shouldtheynotbedefendingitoratleasttryingtofindsomethingpositiveaboutitinsteadof

justpointingoutallofitsflaws?We,ashumans,donotdothiswithpeople,wedonotseesomeonewe admireandsayIlikeher,hereyebrowsaredisgusting,thatjustsoundssocontradictory.So,instead ofhoninginonwhatiswrongwithsocialmedia,letsstandupforourstinky,snaggletooth,andsuper clingylover. IfeellikesayingbutIlikeitreallyisnotgoodenoughtoexplaintosomeonewhyweareso

attachedtosocialmedia.Thereareseveralstudiesthatscientisthavedonethatshowallofthe repercussionsofsocialmediasuchas:itisaddictive,itisdeterioratingoursocialskillsanditencourages cyberbullying.Ifsocialmediaisallthesethings,whyarewesoattached?ThisisexactlywhatIwantto writeabout.Well,notexactly.Idonotwanttowriteaboutwhywelikesocialmedia,perse.Iwantto shedsomelightonwhatwehaveyettofocuson.Iwanttoseewhatthepositivepsychologicaleffects ofsocialmediaare. Itiskindofafaroffideathatsocialmediacouldhelpuspsychologically,Iknow.ButIfeel likethereissometruthbehindit.Dove,forexampleusedtheselfie,whichmostoftheinternethates now,anduseditasaweapontofightlowselfconfidence.Inthataspect,whycanInotusesocial mediaasaconduitewithwhichtofightloneliness.Inclass,wereadTheEndofSolitudebyWilliam Deresiewiczwhichsaidthatteenagerssendtextsevery10minuteswhichprohibitsusfrombeingalone. Maybethisisnotasbadasheisproposing.Allthroughouttimeandespeciallyinthe1990sandearly 2000s,mostteenagerswentthroughthenooneunderstandsmephase.Thisleadtoalotofadults havinganabundanceofselfconfidenceissuesandsocialawkwardnessbecausenoonefeltconnected.

Inmysociologyclass,wehavelearnedthatpeopleneedotherpeopletofeelcompletedandtoremain stable.IfeelthatsocialmediabridgesthegapbetweenImmisunderstoodlandandthesociologically perfectworld. Peoplenolongercansaythatnooneunderstandsthembecausetheycangoontheinternetand seethatotherpeoplearegoingthroughtheexactsamething.Ifeellikethisismaybesmashingour senseofself,butitisaugmentingoursenseofcommunity.Eventhoughthatcommunityisvirtual,andit isnotliketheolddayswhereamanwouldgohelphisneighborbuildtheirbarn,wearestillhelpingeach other.Sometimeswedonotevenintendonhelpingeachother,wejustdobysharingourownstories ourstoriesmaybewhatkeepssometeenagerfromjumpingoffabridgeanditisjustassimpleas makingpeoplefeelacceptedandalittlelessweird.Ihavereadthissamestoryonlineaboutamanwho commitssuicideandtheyfindanotethatexplainedthathewouldnothavejumpedoffofabridgeifjust onepersonhadsimplysmiledathim.Forme,thisraisesaquestion.Ifsomethingassimpleasasmile couldstopsomeonefromtakinghisownlife,whatcouldafewcomplimentsfromstrangerscoulddofor someonewhomaybesuicidal?Ifeelthatthiscouldchangetheirlivesdetrimentally.Theycould completelychangeapersonswholeviewontheirlife.Theycouldnowseetheirlifeasbeautifuland meaningfulandsomethingspecial.Inthisway,socialmediaisactuallyaffectingthewaywethink.It givesusacravingforknowledgeonwhateveryoneisdoing.Thiscreatesabitofwhatcouldbe perceivedasanunnecessaryattachmenttoothersbut,inallactuality,sociologisthavebeentellingusfor yearsthatweneedotherpeople. Sociologistshavealsonoticedachangeinthebehaviorsofsocietysincesocialmediahas becomepopular.Theynoticedthatpeoplefeelmorecloselywithpeoplewithouteverhavingmetthem.

Peoplesemotionstendshowthemselvesmorebehindacomputerscreen.Peoplebecomealotmore bravewhentheyarenotafacetofacewithotherpeople.Atfirst,thismayappeartobeanegativebut inactuality,itisnt.Itcausespeopletoreallystandupforwhattheybelievein.Thisalsoeliminatesthe bystandereffect.Thebystandereffectbasicallystatesthatwhenpeopleseeapersonindistress,they willnothelpunlesstheyseeanotherpersonassistthedamsel.Ontheinternet,peoplearenotasafraid ofbeingjudgedsothefearofdoingthewrongthingisterminated.Thisisreallywhatsocietyneeds morepeoplewhoknowwhattheybelieve,butalongwiththisknowledge,theyalsoneedcourage.The internetcreatesamaskwhichgivespeoplethisbravery.Lately,thismaybebecauseIamonacollege campus,Ihavenoticedthatpeoplearenotaswearytowhattheyaresaying.Eventhoughthismaybe duetocollegelife,Ifeelthatpeoplearenotasresistingwiththeirwordsbecausetheyhavegottenused tosocialmediagivingthemtheircoverthattheyforgetitisnotthereinpublic.Again,peoplesaythisis notbeneficialbutIfeelthatitis.Peopleareexponentiallyeasiertounderstandbecausetheyarenotso terrifiedoftheirownemotions.Thismakeseverydayinconveniencesalotlessstressfulbecausenowno onehastoworryiftheyveoffendedsomeone,peoplenowwillmakeitverycleariftheyvebeen offended.Ifpeoplearemorehonestwitheachother,problemsaregoingtogetresolvedalotfaster. Lastly,whenIsaythatsocialmediaishelpingeconomically,Idonotmeanthatitisgoingtopull Americaoutofthemassivedebtthatwerein.Myintentionwastopointoutthewaysocialmediahelps everydaypeopleeconomically.AperfectexampleisImgur,anonlinepicturesharingsite.Onetimeon Imgur(Iknowthisjustsaysonetimebutthisisonlyoneexampleofmany,)apersonpostedthatthey wereshortonthismonthsrent.Afterreadingthis,ausernamednobodyn0semessagedtheposterand gothisaddressandsenthimthemoneyrequiredtocoverhisrent.Nobodyn0sehadnevermetthis otheruserbeforetheonlythingbringingthemtogetherwasthisonesocialmediasite.Afterthis,I

startednoticingpeopledotheirfundraisinganddoingsupportgroupsonFacebook.Mostofthemwere tryingtoraisemoneyforawarenessofdifferenttypesofcancers.Theinterestingpartwasthat companieswouldsupportthesegroupsandwouldprovidemoneyforeverylikeorsharethepost got.Justforclickingalittlebutton,companieswouldwillinglygivetheirmoneyaway.Itscrazytothink thatsomethingassimpleasaclickcouldenduphelpingsomanypeople.Ithinkthatthisisbringingus togethermoreasacommunity,sureourvillagesarentfacetofaceanymorebutstill,weare accomplishingjustasmuchwithnotasmucheffort. Inconclusion,Istillbelievethatsocialmedia,overall,isbenefittingAmericans.Itisproviding psychological,sociologicalandeconomicalsupportforeveryonewhologson.Sinceithasalready startedspreadingasrapidlyasithas,IthinkitllsoontakeoverandhelpallAmericans.