Social Media

Socialnomics.net is a website dedicated to the social media revolution and its effects on our society. Things that used to be personal have become public, and things we wish we could forget, everyone and their mother seems to remember. Our past is now our present, and there seems to be nothing we can do about it; once it’s on the internet, it’s there forever. As we dive deeper into the world of social media, we become aware of the dangers involved in this type of media and how it is effecting our culture.

What is the real issue here? Social media is a choice, after all, so what’s the big deal? Surely we can trust people to use common sense: no one would be foolish enough to post pictures of them drinking alcohol if they’re underage, and they certainly wouldn’t post obscenities on their status a few days before a job interview! Of course no one would do that; that’s just dumb. And yet day after day, week after week, we see thousands upon thousands of people making these mistakes.

The real issue here is privacy. People often don’t understand that when you post something online, it is no longer private; it becomes public. Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality of the internet. If you want to keep something to yourself, do not post it online. Regardless of how unpublicized or hidden it may be, it will be found. And even if it isn’t found for a while, it is still out there. 

Social media is everywhere in our culture; if Facebook were a country it would be the world’s 3rd largest and twice the size of the U.S. population (www.socialnomics.net). Pause for a moment and let that sink in. Russia, Canada, and Facebook? How does that sound for our new geography lesson? The population of the U.S. is approximately 312 million, and Facebook is double that! If these numbers aren’t registering to you, think about this: Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the U.S. Hopefully, this is just as shocking to you as it is to me, because this is huge. 

So what do we do about this issue? How do we respond appropriately in order to further educate people and help them truly grasp how serious this can be? Classes in social media and mass media are extremely helpful in educating people about the seriousness of this issue. If someone can get involved hands-on and really investigate the issue of privacy in social media, he or she is more likely to have a better understanding of the topic and actually respond and do something about it! Educating people about the dangers of social media is the best way to encourage a better understanding and proper reaction to this issue. If people can grasp the depth of the situation, then perhaps they will learn to respond in the appropriate manner.