7 Negative effect of Social Media

S - Societal
O- obsession
C - constantly
I - influencing &
A - affecting
L - lives

M - making
E - entertainment
D- distractingly
I- interesting
A - Always

When the purpose of a thing is not known abuse is inevitable...This is what comes to mind, when I think of social media and its effects, please don't get me wrong; Social media has been a giant help to all of us.



With social media we are able to socialise, listen/watch and download our choice music and videos, share beautiful pictures, communicate with our family and friends regardless of the distance, we study and make research, we get information via Twitter, blogs etc ,  pay bills, we are able to sell and make our brand known to people (advertise) Find jobs in fact everything looks and feels easier to do with social media. 

Social media also has made people a little bit cautious especially those in power.

But mid-1990’s, how did we cope without cell phones? How did we cope without Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, snap chat, LinkedIn and the likes?  

As strange as it might seem, life “back then” worked pretty well without them.  But since that time, our cell phones have come to dominate our worlds – and that includes young children, teens, and adults alike. Some of us can't even  do without it

Even though social media is important, it also could be abused when we don't prioritise adequately. 

Here i will be pointing out some negative effect of social media 

DEPRESSION: Let say you are facing marital challenges and you log into one of your social media account, you see your friend post in her timeline ' oh my!

 Thank you Lord my husband rocks' or you have financial challenges and you see your friends snap with wads of cash, in exotic places or they look so happy, or maybe they achieved​ one thing or the other, you are not jealous but you feel bad, because you feel/think the world is at their feet. Things are so working for them but not for you. But it never occurred to you that everyone is packaging, No one will put up the ugly side of them on social media , we’re only seeing a small slice, often the best slice. maybe they had issues minutes before or after the photo, but the sweet moment is what everyone sees. 

If you are not careful social media will drive you into negative competition and if you don't measure up, it sinks you into depression because you think everyone is done sorting out their life, but I tell you this from experience…there are a lot of people in this world who think they know, but who don’t have a clue concerning how to build a full and meaningful life.  Stay on alert, keep away from “the bad folks” and work a little harder to find “the good people” who can help you grow, develop and create a life that is helpful to others.

WASTE OF TIME: Social media swallows more than a quarter of time. Time spent online and a third of all internet usage is now happening via mobile, a new global report has found.

The average person has five social media accounts and spends around 1 hour and 40 minutes browsing these networks every day,  on average, about 45 hours per week

It's mind boggling  to know that teens live in this massive 24/7 digital media technology world, and it's shaping every aspect of their life. 

Another study shows that some youths spend 9 hours on social media each day and it's not for making research or for assignments but on their social networks. This is totally a waste of time to me.
So many Isaac Newton's, Michael Faraday's, wole soyinka, chimamanda Adichie, are so busy doing nothing on social media, they have lost focus, they don't even have a clue of what lies within.
9 hours on social media for a young lady?
Please how and where will she learn the basic virtue that will make her a good wife/mom ? 

Before this social media obsession women had time for their children and home without thought as to what they might be missing. 

SEXUAL ABUSE: A young teenage girl met some men on social media, they promised to help her achieve her dream of becoming an actress. 

She got carried away by the fake  promises, they invited her over, she left her town without anyone's knowledge to meet up with the men so that they put her through, the awful part is that she doesn't know anyone in the town, and she has to spend the night. 

But this men had bad intention, they are not who they claimed to be, it was too late to back off. She was raped and sent back home by the men the next day. I'm sure if she had resisted or threatened they might have killed her.

I can go on and on about stories we read on social media, so many young beautiful ladies who in like manner has lost their life because they met someone on social media.

Another issue as bad is 'sexting' adults and teens send explicit/ nude photos and videos to each other for fun, some to please their partner and others are been pressured to do this

But why write or forward a photo, or anything in a text, that you wouldn’t want to be made public?

GRUDGE: Nowadays, social media seems like a big part of our life. When your friends don't reply to your messages, like or comment on your photos, you feel bad, you take it personal, they post their photos, you see it but will 'Never' like or comment, to you  'it's pay back time! Isn't this funny? There was life before social media all conversations often took place face-to-face. 

Whether you realise it or not, you are able to communicate with everyone in your inner circle without having to constantly text or engage in social media. And you knew people, warts and all, not just their happy highlight reels, the ones that move you to discontentment with your own life.  So, make yourself some  rules. Don't be a slave to this  things. Social media shouldn't make you loose your values as a person. It doesn't matter if a friend like your pic or not, it doesn't matter if they comment or even reply your text, they have their life , you should not allow that shape or distract the wonderful person you are.

INFLUENCE : Most young people say that the Internet is shaping who they are. On a question that asked people to rank different sources of influence on their sense of right and wrong, 59 percent of individuals ages 18 to 29 said that social media or the Internet had a "great deal" or a "fair amount" of influence on their lives. These stats reveal a picture of a society just beginning to display the Internet's role in its culture, producing a generation that technology has substantially shaped rising into prominence. They follow celebrities of their  choice, they become a fan, now they see the fake or the real life they live, but are not able to separate the wheat from the chaff,  they just follow because the truth is that they are undergoing some major changes in their brain and all these influence affects them and most times shapes their life. Most accept the words/updates written on the Internet, presented to be facts but in reality, the vast majority are just opinions, viewpoints of people who may be knowledgeable and trustworthy, or who may not be.  The choice that you as a young person must make as you surf the Internet is what determines and shape your life and believe system.
Be careful you DONT follow the footsteps that leads to destructive end

DISTRACTION: I was in church, and while the pastor was preaching, I noticed some young ones are actually chatting online, I wasn't surprised at all because I've come to realise how interestingly distracting  social media has become. As believers, we ought to prioritise time in the word and in prayer. Social media can encroach upon the “more needful” things, including the importance of simply being present with family and friends. We need to remain sensitive to the Spirit’s leading as to how much time to spend on social media, and even whether it’s time to deactivate.

ENCOURAGES​ BRAGGING: The Bible says Do good but don't let your right hand know what you are doing, but social media says take some pictures so your friends will know you visited the orphanage home, Social media says take beautiful pictures tell them that you are not in the country, it says they need to know you achieved this and you achieved that, they need to know your church is growing massively, Somehow, bragging got its wings on social media. In “real life,” we don’t routinely unpack our awards and achievements for neighbours,co-workers, or fellow church members. We don’t feel the need to share everything from compliments to the material blessings we’ve received. But social media stokes that urge within to promote ourselves, to be seen, even to be praised.

I use my phone alot but not for social media networks or  instant chats but for making research that is in line with my work or inspires me to becoming a better person and focusing on the right things.

Infact when my Facebook I opened 8years ago became an issue for me , I had to deactivate it.

 I even had to stop visiting blogs and news site for a while, because most times it dampens my spirit, I chat with friends once in a while and I don't let it encroach  into my work. I can't be a slave to things that should be slave to me.

In all things be moderation is necessary, if you have to post pictures do  that with the right intention, know when to use or drop your phones, and above all know when to unplug even if it for a while.