2nd Place: Ogueri Chukwuma
To be able to understand the impact social media has placed on the youth and society at large, you must first understand the meaning of social media. Social media is a platform mainly internet-based, where different classes, groups, and stages of people gather to share information and ideas.
The idea behind the creation of social media platforms is to create a well-balanced communication system, which may lead to the further civilization of the country. Social media has brought a means where individuals diversify their knowledge, receive and give out information, and a means whereby people debate and discuss topics of importance. Social media has also contributed to the development of the country. It has brought about a source of employment and income to individuals, nowadays, most individuals work online and earn their money online. Social media has also brought about effective information sharing. Social media applications like Whatsapp, Facebook, etc have enabled individuals from different locations to receive information about their country, friends, and families.
Personally, I believe social media has made a positive impact on self-development. It has assisted youths of bad backgrounds, and victims of societal violence, and trauma to grow and develop their selves.
Social media has become a medium of marketing. That is to say, most individuals display their goods and services on these social media platforms, for the purpose of buying and selling. It has become the backbone of society. Members of society, especially the youth rely on social media for their daily activities. Social media has continued a lot of society and its members.
Personally, I believe social media has made a positive impact on self-development. It has assisted youths of bad backgrounds, and victims of societal violence, and trauma to grow and develop their selves. The list of social media’s effects and positive impacts on the youth and society is vast, that is there are many positive contributions of social media to society.
They say everything that has an advantage, will also have a disadvantage. Amongst the youth of society, many or most of them have tainted the positive purpose of social media to society. The common negative usage of social media is to commit fraud. Many individuals have committed fraud by using social media as a forum for their fraudulent activities. As a result, social media has been termed as “bad for society and the growing youths of society. ”
If we say most youths learned fraudulent activities from social media, what of those who saw it and did not practice it? We might also say that many factors contributed to them seeing it and practicing it, such factors may include; bad home background, improper or inadequate training, and guidance. Still, everyone has their own share of life problems. It takes someone driven by a purpose to succeed in life “the right way”, despite all the temptations presented through social media.
Social media does not influence people, it is we the people that put things on social media to influence other people.
Most great men in society had a lot of advantageous backgrounds and if things did not go as they planned they were able to utilize their resources to persevere and overcome it. Why can’t the youth use the advantage of social media to get an advantage in life? We shouldn’t generalize social media as being bad or having a negative effect, because social media is not the one using itself, it is we humans that are using it for different purposes. Even if we should remove social media, individuals will still practice negative acts. I was told by someone, “Do not let things influence you, instead influence things.” Social media does not influence people, it is we the people that put things on social media to influence other people.
Social media was meant for good use, but we the people, especially the youths have tainted its righteous purpose. We use it for our own selfish needs, and do all manner of negative things. Its aim was to impact us in a good way and to develop ourselves and society.
So in conclusion I believe social media is neither good nor bad, but it all depends on who uses it. If we use it for good it will benefit us, and as it is now if it is used for bad it will also benefit us. That means it all depends on who uses it and for what purpose.
A.G. Project 