Social Media: Can Social Media Create Apathy?

When one uses social media, they can have one thing in mind or a number of things. For example, one might use it to send someone a message, or they could use it to share an update.

In this case, they are going to have one thing in mind and then they could come off it. However, even though one can have one thing in mind, it doesn’t mean that they won’t look through what other people have shared or look at what is ‘trending’.

On The Way

What this comes down to is that is that one can come across these things before they send massage or share a status. So just like one can stop at a few shops before they reach their destination, they can come across a few others things before they do something on social media.

One can have a quick look at what is taking place in their ‘friends’ lives and in the world before they do what they need to do. Yet through having this option, they may find that they get distracted from time to time.

Saying Up To Date

One the other hand, one can use it because they want to find out what their ‘friends’ are doing, and this means they won’t be on there to do anything in particular. They could have a few minutes to spare or a few hours.

And while one could do something else once their time has run out; they might end up staying on there for longer than they intended to. As a result of this, they may find that they are unable to do something that they had planned to do, or it might not matter.

The News

Along with this, one could also use it because they want to find out about what is taking place in the world. Through looking at what is ‘trending’, one can believe that they are staying up to date with what is taking place in the world

This is not to say that they will want to find out about the kind of news that is in a paper or on a TV channel, as they may want to find out about what is happening in the entertainment world. In fact, this could be what they believe is the news, and everything else could be seen as being insignificant.

Their Priority

Yet even if it is not something they see as being insignificant, it might not be their priority. The kind of news that interests them could be what certain celebrities are doing and what films are coming out, for instance.

But if one does want to get a general understanding of what is taking place, they could still look through what is ‘trending’. There will then be no need for them to watch the news on TV or to read a paper, as all the information they need will be online.

The Same News

If one was to take a step back and to look into the kind of news that is available on social media and then to look at what is being covered by the mainstream media, they are likely to find that it is the same news. One way of looking at this would be to say that this is due to the fact that they only cover the things that matter.

Another way of looking at it would be to say that social media is another way to the mainstream media to condition people. The primary difference is that one doesn’t need to watch TV or to read a paper in order for this to take place; they only need to have a device.

Attention

Thus, they no longer need to put in the effort to gain ones attention; the only thing they need is for one to have device and to use social media. And in today’s world, it is more a case of who doesn’t use it than who does.

Along with this, one can use social media throughout the day, and this means that it is a lot easier to condition them. On one hand, this can happen directly through one reading about what is happening, and on the other hand, this can happen indirectly through one just being aware of what is ‘trending’.

Exposure

This is then similar to how one can end up buying something after they have seen an advert. They might not know how good it is, but it could stand out next time they go to buy something.

And when it comes to what is ‘trending’, one’s mind will pick up what is mentioned, and this can end up having an effect on their outlook. For instance, if one was asked about what they think of something that is currently taking place in the world, their answer could be defined by what was ‘trending’ on social media.

The User

Now, it could be said that what is ‘trending’ on social media is influenced by the people who use it, and there is no denying this. However, what this shows is that the majority of people who use social media still spend a lot of time consuming what the mainstream media is providing.

Therefore, the kind of information that people are exposed to is still being defined by those who have defend it for many, many years. Along with this, it has also been said that social media doesn’t allow certain information to appear.

Apathy

And while it can be seen as a good thing that one can be kept up to date about what is supposedly taking place in the world when they go online; it can also cause them to become indifferent. Through being exposed to the news on a consistent basis and having no connection to it, as a result of looking at a screen; it can soon lose its meaning.

And once they have seen something, there is the chance that it will soon be replaced by something else. Or one can simply scroll away and look at something else, and this can cause them to forget about what has taken place.

Conclusion

It would be wrong to say that social media is to blame here, as one can end up being apathetic through spending a lot of time watching the news or reading a paper, for instance, when one is constantly exposed to things that they usually have very little control over or things that are traumatic, it is normal for them to zone out in order to stop themselves from feeling hopeless and overwhelmed.
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The trouble is that what is considered to be news is generally negative, and this can set one up to believe that they can’t do anything about what is taking place in the world. However, while it can seem this way, this doesn’t mean that this is the truth.

We can all make a difference in the world, and in order to realise this, it might be necessary for one to cut down on the amount of news that they consume. This will allow them to feel on one hand and to protect their ability to feel on the other.

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Oliver JR Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk/