Effects of Facebook on Youth

Facebook is a viral social networking site among youth and, in fact, it has become so much a part of their lives that they can learn others’ life stories just by checking their profile. Young teenagers spend a lot of time in browsing the network, particularly, the Facebook, as they find it the best form of communication mode. Social media is becoming popular, and even official communication is carried out on them as well as personal. Over usage of any media does have its impact, both positive and negative. So the effects of Facebook on youth can be divided into two parts:

1.      Positive effects of Facebook on youth

2.      Negative effects of Facebook on youth

Positive effects of Facebook on youth:

Improvements in moods: As one can communicate with far-off friends. By being in touch with friends, one feels good.

Shyness goes away: Many teenagers go through a phase when they do not want to interact with others. It is a proper forum for shy children to socialize

Permits one to develop self-identity: Facebook is a ground for face-to-face communication which improves self-identity.

Keeping in touch with family and friends: With instant messaging and even video chat, Facebook is the perfect environment to stay connected. Making new friends: Facebook makes meeting new people extremely easy because it allows you to add up to thousands of friends, and acts as a social melting pot of the internet. This can lead to a significant friendship down the road.

Expressing yourself: Facebook makes communicating yourself very simple with status updates. Between showing off your favorite song lyrics, to posting pictures of your new outfit, Facebook is the most common way that people express themselves.

Negative effects of Facebook on youth:

Isolation: One can suffer from loneliness as one will tend to be glued to the computer.

Putting on weight: One may put on weight also as one will sit in front of the computer for a long time and eat. Naturally, one will not have many exercises, and they will suffer from obesity

Abnormal symptoms: Surfing Facebook does show unusual symptoms among many teenagers such as depression, excessive aggression, abnormal anxiety or even normal anxiety.

Bad for the eyes: Too much exposure to the computer is terrible for the eyes.

Communication with strangers: On Facebook communication, it is possible that one might end up building up relationships with strangers, who can turn out to be criminals as well.

Lacks emotional connection: There is lack of emotional connectivity since one does not meet the other person. Feelings, when shared in person, have more impact than on Facebook. Promotes laziness: Sitting in front of the computer and browsing through Facebook can lead to laziness. It is a sheer waste of time

Causes distractions: Browsing Facebook does distract one’s mind from many other activities. Merely spending hours on Facebook and conversing via it is not healthy

Lack of body language communication: Body language conveys a lot. In Facebook browsing, there is nobody language communication as one does not interact with another person

Cyber-bullying: On Facebook, it is very easy for cyber bullies to thrive. They can harass or gang up on one person even easier than they could in a school environment.

Ruined relationships: Facebook is notorious for causing couples to break up. Let's face it, and no one wants to see their girlfriend/boyfriend telling other people that they look cute or liking their pictures, or instant messaging them constantly.

Distraction: At the end of the day you may have seen your cousin's new outfit or talked to your sister who is in college, but you still haven't accomplished anything in the hours that you were on. Critics of Facebook claim that it is a common distraction and even obsession that amounts to nothing except for significant amounts of time wasted.

Insecurity: Facebook is a cause for insecurities because it makes people compare themselves to others.

Stalker friendly: Facebook is a real stalker friendly website. Theoretically, someone that you don't even know can say that they go to your school, add you, and get all of your information. This may include your phone number, house address, and locations you visit frequently. Not to mention the fact that they will be able to go through all of your pictures and get to know you entirely without you ever knowing. This is a scary thought, but it is a real issue.

The negative educational impacts: Regularly checking Facebook during the study time had lower test grades. Perhaps this is similar to being a distracted driver.

It is but natural that Facebook can have a positive effect as well as negative effect. One must be careful of the negative impact of Facebook. But, for those that have not, it is time to wake up to the consequences that excessive use of Facebook should be avoided and should make a balance in using it.

References:

1.                  http://www.paggu.com/getting-into-roots/top-10-negative-effects-of-facebook-on-teens/ 

2.                  https://turbofuture.com/internet/The-Positive-and-Negative-Effects-of-Facebook

3.                  https://wehavekids.com/parenting/Teens-and-Facebook

                                                                       Dr. Hafiz M. Kashif Saleem, M.D.