(Newswire.net — December 24, 2019) — Much attention has been paid, over the years, to the impact social media has on society. However, little time or talk has been invested in studying the role society is having on social media. At least, not until now. The more we understand all sides of the equation, the better we can manage how we respond to certain “actors” on social media in a manner that takes away their power to do bad and rewards their efforts to do good in the world.
Kuwaiti sociologist, Mohammad Alshereda, is giving a voice to the question, “How does our society impact social media?” In his studies, Mr. Alshereda came to the conclusion that, as with many things in life, social media’s usefulness and impact rely solely upon the intentions of individual users. For instances, some people use the Internet and social media to reconnect with old friends, stay connected to family, and share the mundane details of their lives with others.
Then there are others who use the Internet, through social media, to spread disinformation, to tear others down, or to start rumors, lies, and trouble at every turn. It takes no particular expertise, only some skills at manipulation or understanding of human nature for people with ill intent to use social media to create mass hysteria, hurt feelings, or cause panic.
The actions of certain members of society have caused many social networks to change the way they operate and how they conduct their businesses. Make no mistake, social media networks are businesses, with Facebook having a value in excess of $400 billion – the largest by far. YouTube is valued at roughly $90 billion while Pinterest is worth a paltry $11 billion and Twitter worth approximately $13 billion.
Because social media is beginning to have such widespread importance as a communication tool, there is concern that future generations will view information obtained from old social media records as factual recording of events, causing some to see what is “fake news” today to be credible and reliable historical references. Society and social media are so critically intertwined, today, that it may cause confusion to those who study its effect on society in the future. Where does social media end and “the real world” begin?
While Alshereda admits he doesn’t have the answer now, only more questions, the point remains that now is a good time to begin studying social media and how it is influenced by society with as much dedication as we currently study how society is influenced by social media.