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My main goal of this project was to address the rarely covered negative side of social media. For some it’s a way to find acceptance, some a business and some a media source. I find it most particularly dangerous when a man or women has a social media account for Instagram and is posting provocative pictures in order to gain followers. Gaining followers for them becomes a new drug. They crave the likes, the comments and the feeling that they are someone. In their regular life they are nobody, yet all they have to do is create a newer more refined version online where others can’t see their faults. Many use Facebook as a tool for friendship, but it can just as easily be used to bully someone and their have been recorded cases of suicide caused by online bullying. We are in a new generation, and with that there are positives and negatives. Social media can be a wonderful thing, but it is slowly becoming more and more damaging to users who learn to crave the feeling it gives them. You can make others feel you are perfect and live an amazing life, when the reality is you are not and you do not. My research hits the tip of the iceberg when it comes to social media studies. As the topic becomes more prevalent the research does as well and we still have a long way to go. Unfortunately many don’t see these dangers as they are not nearly as blatant as drug abuse, however the feeling it can provide is similar in many ways. 

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This research dives into the real issue of Facebook addiction with college students. Almost every student currently uses or has used Facebook. There are many reasons students at college use Facebook such as convenience of project school work, making friends, and obtaining news. This study uses qualitative interview to obtain results from nine international postgraduates of University Putra Malaysia. The data acquired established three themes comprised of compulsion to check Facebook, high frequency use and using Facebook to avoid offline responsibility. This study found that users Facebook dependency was comprised of salience, tolerance and conflict. The study found that moderately and controlled usage of Facebook like other pleasures in life is key. It was found that students learn to moderate their own use for a successful life. I chose this study because of it’s topic being so relatable to my research. Once again the sample size is small, but the qualitative approach adds value to the results. There are few studies relevant to this topic in particular and I believe these results are definitely headed in the right direction for future more in depth research. I also chose this study for the demographic used being college students. This demographic is slightly older than the study I added previously, so I could show how addiction to social media such as Facebook is generalizable across quite a few age groups. It discussion regarding the way Facebook can be abused by creating an easy way for students to feel cared for and accepted is exactly what I intended to research. Once again, there is little study in this field specifically and studies like this are able to open a door for further, more detailed research.

[sociologyassignment-blog]

This video features Simon Sinek speaking on issues with millennials in the workplace, and the dangers of social media addiction. He describes how social media has caused issues with millennials finding acceptance without having to work for it and the disconnect between human interaction. Social media segment begins at 3:15.

[sociologyassignment-blog]

I chose this study because of it’s clear goal of determining the level of addiction with social media. Despite the country of study being Turkey, I believe that the concepts found will be relatively generalizable to the rest of the world. Despite different views either individualistic or collectivistic we all use social media for many of the same reasons. Social media platforms are almost the same across nations as well such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I also chose this study for it’s views in regards to the topic, discussing how social media is used across all ages however primarily the younger generations. It is without a doubt on the rise, and so is addiction to its usage. This study took a survey approach to gather a significant amount of information on the subject. The surveys sample size was somewhat smaller than I would have liked, however 271 participants is a start in the right direction. Students were used between the ages of 13-19 which I think was a perfect demographic to target. It was found that gender had no difference on social media addiction however daily time spent using it, frequency of usage and age were contributing factors. It was found that addiction was less prevalent around 14 years of age which then increased significantly around 17 years and began to decrease once again at 18. I think the overall finding of prevalence within social media addiction with younger generations is a great starting point for a solution towards the future.

LINK: http://iscsjournal.com/Makaleler/671028450_3c3s_11.pdf

[sociologyassignment-blog]

Social media has been a major highlight of modern day. Billions of people use different versions on a daily basis. It has mostly been viewed a positive format for connecting people together, however, it is not as positive as it seems. Social media may be a convenience and provide many benefits to users, but there are some harsh realities related to using it. It has created virtual connections that wouldn’t have happened without it, but it has also caused a disconnect between human interaction. We soon learn to crave what it has to offer. Each like, comment and friend gives us a rush of dopamine, a chemical responsible for drugs to feel so good and become so addicting. Many users don’t realize that they are so focused on what their social media accounts represent. For many it has become a platform to prove you have an amazing life, yet in reality it may not be so positive. Social media has become the opium of the masses yet few realize that they would struggle to delete their accounts. Some questions arise when we look at the truth behind social media such as what could these side effects mean in the future? Are simply evolving with innovations or succumbing to the need of virtual attention? We have found a need to make sure others think we are better than we truly are. So many humans have learned that social media can bring them a whole host of positive emotions but is the trade off for lost human connection really worth it?