Social media - a blessing or a curse?

What are the most bookmarked pages on the Internet? A survey has shown that aside from search engines like Yahoo! and Google, the most bookmarked pages online were social networks like Facebook and Twitter. There is no doubt many of us are exposed to social media, as seen by the hundreds upon millions of accounts created on Facebook alone. That number rises by the minute, as each new generation comes out more and more tech-savvy. This prompts the question - does social media enhance or destroy our technological cocoon?

We cannot deny that connectivity has improved due to social media. As a result of social media, one can have two hundred friends and send every single one of them pieces of news at once. One can connect with different people all over the world to discuss their common interests, which can be anything from video games to quantum physics. One can now create groups and invite related individuals, just so that they can communicate with long lost friends. One can go online and 'Like' a certain pop idol, or 'Subscribe' to keep track of every post he or she makes. Undoubtedly, we all have windows to the world, thanks to social media.

However, this could go the other way. With these two hundred friends all telling the world what they had for dinner, users of social media experience an information overload. Research has shown that this sort of information overload causes a lack of concentration, severe stress or even mental disorders. It is as if all of us are tiny ants stuck in the drum of a marching band. We lose the ability to hear ourselves, causing mental distress. All of us are journalists in a sensational tabloid of our own lives, while having each other's tabloids plastered on our own walls.

Another issue brought about by social media is addiction. Games that modern day teenagers play are forms of social media. My classmate. for example, is addicted to the massive multiplayer role playing game, 'World of Warcraft'. When asked why it was fun, he said that it allowed him to pit his skills against players from all around the world. Social networks like Facebook have addictive qualities too. The news article of a mother who neglected her own family to raise a virtual farm on the Facebook game, 'Farmville', comes to mind. This is undoubtedly addiction brought about by social media.

A very important issue about by social media is cyberbullying. The Internet slang word, 'troll', is used to describe a netizen who enjoys insulting or putting down others. These 'trolls' are often anynymous users who attack others with attacks others with attacks like "you noob" or "[username] is gay". These people abuse the Internet behind their mask of anonymity, knowing that they will not be caught. People have committed suicide because of what these people have said. But nothing is to stop them - after all, nobody knows who they are.

In conclusion, we have established that social media brings about connectivity. Alas, it brings about too much connectivity. When one is online, be careful what one says - after all, "Big Brother" Facebook is watching.