The Joys & Ills of Social Media: A Review
21 Pages Posted: 4 Feb 2020 Last revised: 9 Feb 2020
Date Written: January 11, 2020
Abstract
Social media has revolutionized human life in both constructive and destructive ways, and the aim of this paper is to assess the multidisciplinary literature and proffer a critical appraisal of the merits/demerits of social media consumption in contemporary life. It begins by highlighting the merits, especially in terms of neuropsychological and social-psychological lenses. It then examines sociological, behavioral, and data-science literature regarding specific social media giants: Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, to indicate the basis of the detriment they cause both separately and as a cohort of economic giants. This offers the basis for addressing the wider consequences of social media proliferation and addiction in society.
Keywords: social media, facebook, instagram, snapchat, media, depression, FOMO, anxiety
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