What Effect Is Social media Having On Us?

Social Media has brought many new dimensions to our lives. At the beginning, it provided a way to easily communicate with friends. Before long, people were reconnecting with old friends, even acquaintances, that they may not have seen in decades. Widely sharing vacation photos, jokes, and notifying people of events could be accomplished with just a few clicks.

However, as time as gone on, people have begun to see darker sides to social media. As it became customary to share news articles and political opinion pieces, the general divisiveness in our culture made its way into social media conversations, even to the point of people ending friendships over such ensuing discussions. As is the case with much electronic communication, words over these touchy topics could have a tendency to be interpreted in a harsher tone than was intended, adding to the fire. Concerns were also raised that false news pieces could be easily shared and widely spread, resulting in many people being misled about important questions. In response, social media companies began either censoring or flagging articles that they had determined were “fake news”. But this raised other concerns – if the culture of opinions at a social media company is largely monolithic, could they be expected to objective in such a task? And among minors, the bullying that was already happening at school sometimes made its way onto social media as well, exacerbating long-standing teen problems of depression and suicide.

So overall, what overall effect is social media having on us? Is it possible to keep what is good about it and minimize the downsides, and what might the future of social media be like? Join us for another lively discussion!

Brent Hardaway is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Brent Hardaway's Zoom Meeting
Time: Jan 16, 2021 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85752032979?pwd=cWRzOWZldVp6eTRST2Vyd2dsN2dGUT09

Meeting ID: 857 5203 2979
Passcode: 680105
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,85752032979#,,,,*680105# US (Washington D.C)
+13126266799,,85752032979#,,,,*680105# US (Chicago)

Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 857 5203 2979
Passcode: 680105
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcnpe4CUwu