Uses and Trends
Before social media we didn’t have access to millions of people and their achievements. Since majority of what we share on social media only highlights our accomplishments, we tend to compare ourselves to others online persona. Online reputation management is defined as, “the act of monitoring, addressing or mitigating SERPs (search engine result pages) or mentions in online media and Web content.” Companies, just like personal brands control how people view them in order to increase their approval rate and sells. When individual’s control what they post on their social media platforms it is called, impression management.This is defined as, “conscious or subconscious process in which people attempt to influence the perceptions of other people about a person, object or event.”
In an article about impression management and Linkedin we get an in depth summary of impression management online.
This can have effect on how we view things about our personal journey that we can’t change. For example, body image and the need to fit into society standards of beauty has become one of the new trends of social media. Although health and daily exercise is positive effect of social media, the push for unrealistic body images are detrimental to adolescents self-esteem. With social media, filters, and other photoshop/editing applications people can not only control peoples impressions but also create unrealistic impressions. A Forbes article by Carrie Kerpan, talks about how social media has impacted our behavior. Also, on how we can use these platforms to help us grow our personal brands and connections in positive ways.
Social Media usage varies depending on age and an article by the Pew Research Center shows how majority of Americans use social media. However, different platforms are used more depending on age. The study found that “The median American uses three of these eight social platforms” and the attached article shows the percentage users who use each platform based on race, gender, age, education, and other demographics.
Disruption
The change in culture has disrupted how we socialize and our mental health.
An article on Psycom, talks about how social media creates communities while also creating a culture of comparison.
As we continue to use Social Media, we are slowly starting to see the positive and negative effects it has on our development.
Steve Lowisz, Founder and CEO of Qualigence International, video talks about the changes social media has on the way we communicate and gather information culturally and globally. He briefly talks about how we ingest news differently since the disruption of technology that led to social media being one the main ways we now share information.
Not only has social media shift they way we share and gather information but it also has many other negative effects according to Janna Anderson and Lee Raine on the Pew Research Center.com. The article “The Negative Impacts of Digital Life” provide anonymous responses about theses effects.
Below are some examples, can you relate to one or more of these?
- Digital technologies have made it more difficult for me to say on task and devote sustained attention. This interferes with my work productivity.”
- “I can’t seem to get my brain to calm down and focus. It is all over the place. I can’t concentrate. I just start thinking about what I’m going to do next.”
- “Increased isolation is a negative effect I feel in my life; the time I spend using digital technologies could well be spent in other more creative and productive ways.”
- “I am becoming increasingly aware of the way constant access to digital forms of communication can be overwhelming.”
- “It has become an ever-present overhang on all aspects of life. There is no escape.”
- “The rise of hatred, the manipulation of politics and so on – these are not distant events with no personal impact.”
- “One major impact is the overall decrease in short-term memory, and … what was the question?”
- “Real-life relationships are less bearable; everyone is so much less interesting with the spoiling of technology.”
- “Digital technology radically increases expectations for instantaneous responses. This is unhealthy.”
- “It has become harder to take your eyes off a screen to enjoy life as it’s happening.”
- “Engagement with technology is starting very young, and we don’t really know what the impact will be.”
- “We don’t understand what we can trust anymore.”
Predictions
As a result of social media changing our cultures: norms, beliefs, and values I predict certain norms will start to become deeply embedded.For example, we are expected to answer phones calls, emails, and text messages in a timely manner. As a result, if we don’t in is considered rude, unprofessional, and can even cause issues with jobs, how people view us and our relationships with others. This shows us that online and technology based etiquette rules exist.
As the social media and impression management culture continues, we can predict the self-esteem issues to fluctuate as we become aware of the affects social media has on our society. From a study done by Pew Research Center, experts share the positive and negative impacts of digital life and from these we can get better understanding of the possible future of digital life on our culture.
Emerging Digtal Technology: Social Media Apps 