Impact Of Social Media On American Culture

The internet’s popularity has led to significant changes in people’s economic, cultural, and social identities over the past decade. “By 2005 only 91% of children were able to access the Internet and other online materials. This has created a slew more opportunities for adolescents and children to interact with each other,” (Whitaker & Bushman (2009). It is clear that social media has had a significant impact on society. Today’s communities live in a technology-driven world where people can access information, entertainment, and knowledge via smart phones. Social media has provided many benefits, including global connectivity and the ability to interact with family and friends across the globe. This paper argues that despite the many benefits of social media, it has also had a negative impact on American culture. It has promoted isolation, which has led to cyber bullying, internet addiction and limited privacy. Humanity has progressed over the centuries because of innovation. Innovation has enabled the development and application of communication technologies that have had detrimental impacts on human culture. Social media, the 21st-century innovation for social media, is responsible for the transformation of human culture. Multiple studies have shown that social media has the potential to transform human lives in many different ways. Some believe social media is continuing the human transition towards creativity and enlightenment. Others argue that social media is an effective tool for influencing human behavior. These contexts show that social media does have an impact on humanity. However, the nature of this effect is still being debated. Social media is now a major marketing tool in the United States. It allows companies to market their products to target customers. Social media can also be used to sensitize the public, with campaigns being launched on social issues via these platforms (Pulido Redondo-Sama and Sorde-Marti & Flecha (2018)). Social media’s penetration into American politics demonstrates the impact this technology plays on American society. Social media has become an integral part of everyday life because it allows for a wide range of personal functions. Pulido Redondo-Sama and Sorde-Marti (2018) argued that social media has a potential social impact. The emergence and use of social networking sites like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and LinkedIn have changed the culture and impacted the nature of human relationships. Social media has replaced traditional communication models in the United States. Social media has made the world smaller and allowed people to share their ideas far beyond their geographic borders. Social media has been credited with allowing people to meet new people in the United States. Social media has helped people connect across many platforms. This has led to cultural changes. Social media campaigns and promotion have created a greater awareness of social issues and allowed people to speak out about them. It is important to recognize the social media’s interactivity in our society. Despite the positive social transformations that social media has brought about, it has had negative consequences for American society. The internet has become a cultural dependency on social media for many functions, including entertainment, information, and knowledge. Because of this, social media has become an addiction. The internet addiction can cause a distraction in the ability to focus and concentrate on daily tasks. Gunduz, 2017. The rise in mental illness among the youth is also due to an increase in internet addiction (Gunduz 2017). In modern America, social media popularity and the number or views of a person’s videos are more important than their appreciation from others. It has created a culture in which people are unable to reach the standards of fame, relevance, and recognition. “In 2009, 93% (of 12-17 year olds) went online. Since 2006, 55%, 65%, and 73% respectively, the number of young people using social media sites has steadily increased. Instead of attaching gratification to real societies, people now get happiness from their virtual friends on social media. In the hopes of being accepted by their peers and acknowledged online, youths post photos and videos about their lives. People have a tendency to live extravagant lives in order to gain recognition from their peers. The American family tradition continues to be undermined by social media. The American culture used to have certain periods and events that allowed family members to interact and bond with each other. The social media addiction has altered this culture. People enjoy sharing photos, stories, and videos on social media platforms. Gunduz (2017, p. 7) explains that while parents no longer enjoy spending time together, their children are happier expanding their social media networks beyond the immediate family. As social media has caused a split in attention, this has resulted in disjointed families. The rapid development in small communication devices has led to a revolution in American education culture. The modern American classroom is filled with teachers who use iPads and laptops to help students learn. Teachers and students also enjoy closer relationships that are moderated by multiple social media channels. Social media has allowed education to be more flexible, but it has also led the American educational system to decline. Students spend more time looking at inappropriate content in schools, which distracts them and encourages them to repeat the same unacceptable behaviors. Today, bullying is facilitated by social media. Vivakaran & Neelamalar (2018) found that cyber bullying has increased while physical bullying incidents among school-aged children has decreased since social media was introduced. Students are also more likely to be exposed to unprotected and explicit content via social media. These factors have led to a decline in the American cultural anchor, the behavior mannerisms. As the Fourth Amendment to US Constitution explains, privacy has been an integral part of American culture. The destruction of privacy has been a growing concern with social media, where people are unable to personalize or control their own lives. While social media is customizable, the location can still be tracked. This social media feature has led to social media’s segmentation, as well as exposing the powerful technological dynamic behind the loss or privacy. This paper shows that social media has adversely affected American education and social interaction cultures, despite all the efforts made to emphasize the positive aspects. The adverse effects that social media have on American culture include the increased incidence of mental disorders among American youths and changes in American family culture. Despite all the positive effects of social media, this paper claims that it has negatively influenced American culture. It has encouraged isolation and cyber bullying, as well as eroded American culture.