How Covid has affected the Social Media World
PROS
Since March of 2020, social media has become a big factor in terms of getting through the global pandemic. There have been a number of platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok that have kept people entertained throughout the tough times they have endured. According to a source, “the 18- to 24-year-olds of Generation Z say that access to social media and being able interact with friends and family has been helpful – with nearly a quarter (24%) saying social media has helped boost their mood and sense of well-being.” There have been times where I have been bored throughout the day with nothing to do, but then I go on my socials and I feel my mind does get boosted. A reason why I think of that is because of it gives someone something to do instead of doing nothing.
CONS
My overall thoughts on social media during this pandemic however are leaning towards how negative and stressful social media has been especially in the year of 2020. According to The Brave Face of Gen Z, they revealed that “young people have been deeply impacted by the crisis in a number of ways. More than 70% say they are currently going through higher levels of stress because of COVID-19 and 57% say their mental wellbeing has declined. On top of this, 79% say they face “stress” monthly or more often, with 28% saying they feel this way at least every week and 11% say this happens daily.” There have been plenty of days where I have felt stressed out a little bit because I am not used to not going out once every week or two. I would rather go out and see my friends every day and we could live our lives happily, but the pandemic has changed that and hopefully that is not the case this summer.
With social media in this day and age, there are plenty of pros and cons like connecting with your friends more or seeing something that is not necessary. With the pandemic, I have seen way much more news stories on vaccines, positive tests and political stuff more than ever. Hopefully once everyone is vaccinated and we can get back to living a somewhat normal life in 2021 as well as social media becoming more fun and more influencing. Another thing to watch out for in 2021 is getting through mental health. Last year during the pandemic, a lot of people’s mental health was a factor in terms of the stress and depression. According to a source, “excessive exposure to disaster on social media may trigger negative affect, which may in turn contribute to mental health problems. Future interventions to improve mental health should consider elements of both disaster stresser and negative affect.” With all the negativity I am seeing today, social media has taken a hit with lots and lots of controversial posts which has made some things in the United States considered “Cancelled” because of a racist or cultural background.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7536964/
https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/the-two-sides-of-social-media-during-covid-19/44219