“Social Media is Dangerous”

Travelling on a train recently, I was struck by the number of fellow travelers looking at their social media devices.

The dangers of becoming a faceless drone

Are we in danger of being sucked into the cyberspace vortex?

I’m reminded of the Dr Who episode “The Idiot’s Lantern”. An entity, The Wire “seeks to consume enough minds to create a body (…stealing the face of the victim in the process)”. wikipedia While the episode relates to a different medium, it rings true for social media.

Try to have a conversation with a friend whilst their head is in their phone. That look of blank incomprehension? Behold… the faceless drone!

Seriously …

The dangers related to overuse of social media is serious and includes cyber bullying, stalkers, predators plus both mental and physical health issues (eg.Blackberry Thumb and Text Neck) amongst others.

If you like stats, this Panda Mediacentre article may interest you and covers how social media can drain you of energy. If you have teenagers this is a good read.

Beware…

• The Text Walker – dangerous to themselves, sometimes others. Cue the video.
• Procrastination … Check my messages, see the notfications then, much later….”Where was I?”
• The Duck Face selfie – once seen, can never be unseen!

Here’s the twist…

It’s fair to say the dangers are real. However, there is a good side to social media.

• It allows people to keep in touch with distant family and friends.
• Many businesses use it as their principal selling or advertising platform

My tips… use social media in short doses, for good not evil. Don’t use your phone while walking or driving.

Comments welcome.

Bibliography: Wikipedia: *The Idiot’s Lantern 2006 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Idiot%27s_Lantern *Beware the Blackberry Thumb (Article) MedicineNet, Serena Gordon https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=90303 *Neck & Thyroid, (Article) Health Exchange https://www.healthxchange.sg/head-neck/neck-thyroid/text-neck-syndrome-symptoms-prevention *Hard Facts about social media and its Impact (Article) Panda Media Center https://www.pandasecurity.com/mediacenter/social-media/hard-facts-about-social-media-and-its-emotional-impact/ *Top 8 Dangers of Social Media to discuss with Kids and Teens (Article) July 23 , 2019 Care.com/Nicole Fanian-Weber https://www.care.com/c/stories/4275/5-dangers-of-social-media-to-discuss-with-you/ *When Texting While Walking Goes Wrong – Funny Accidents & Fails, YouTube Sep 9,2014, X10ader https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjVAC_vpzSI *The Origins of the Duck Face Revealed (Blog by Gary Randall) The Luxury Spot 2013 https://theluxuryspot.com/the-origins-of-the-duck-face-revealed/