The grey shades of social media

Social media is a computer-based platform which utilizes the internet to virtually
communicate among internet users through the sharing of information, ideas, and other forms
of expression. In the modern world, social media is a common phenomenon thanks to the
increased availability of electronic gadgets including laptops, tablets, and smartphones in
virtually every household. Thus, social media has made the communication process easy and
fast allowing people to communicate throughout the world within a fraction of the time it used to take. Apart from enhancing communication, social media can have positive or negative effects on the self-esteem of its beneficiaries. In sociology, self-esteem is defined as the evaluation of one’s worth. A person can consider himself or herself to be worthy or to have less value in society depending on the background environment they are located in.

Social media facilitates for all kinds of social aspects among internet users where
some can either lower or raise the self-esteem of an individual. For example, social media
provides a perfect platform where people can sell their personalities such as posting some of
their best photos or moments on there to boost their self-esteem. Due to a positive
response from fellow internet users and friends, one feels highly appreciated thus being motivated to persist in sharing his or her personality in social media.
Due to the growing number of social users, advertisements have found an ideal
platform to reach great masses of people. For an advert to reach many people, big
personalities with massive followers are usually a target for advertisements. A company that
chooses to advertise through certain personalities increases the size of the audience that will divert their attention to the advertisement; the personality of such people attracts more attention hence raising their self-esteem.
In other instances, social media plays a great role in lowering the self-esteem of a
person. For example, in social media, people meet other people of higher personalities and
tend to compare their lives with theirs thus occasionally resulting in depression. People forget that what most celebrities post about their brands is carefully designed and not always a real life situation. This comparison of one’s self with other people’s lifestyle through social media results in lowering of one’s self-esteem.
Also, the attention one receives in social media from friends and other internet users
has a considerable effect on the self-esteem of the internet user. Often times, people post
pictures or opinions on Facebook or Instagram to see the reaction of fellow internet users
regarding likes and comments they are looking to gain. If the number of likes or comments
earned by a photo or an opinion by a person in social media is considerably low, it can lower
the self-esteem of the person by considering himself or herself less appreciated.
Social media in the modern age is important as it has simplified the communication
process in the whole world. People should, however, use social media to impact society positively and not by posting extravagant lifestyles which can lower the self-esteem of others who cannot afford such lifestyles. It is, therefore, advisable that internet users should avoid certain aspects of social media which have the potential to lower their self-esteem. Tread the internet carefully, my dear friends!