Some people think that social networking sites have a huge negative impact on both individuals and society. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Many today argue that social

media

has an overall negative impact on both the average person and

society

more generally. I am in complete agreement with

this

opinion as

individuals

are likely to suffer from an unhealthy addiction and social

media

can cause fractures in

society

. The most obvious effect of social

media

is on the mental health of individual users. Most people on social

media

have become to varying degrees addicted to the small dopamine bursts that come from scrolling through their feeds, feeling outraged at posts, receiving likes, and making positive or negative comments. Each person is likely to gain satisfaction through a different route but all these self-esteem boosts are unhealthy relative to achieving something in the real world. In some cases,

individuals

retreat from the real world in favour of a virtual one where the stakes are considerably lower and interactions are safely one-sided.

Additionally

, the drawbacks of social

media

are evident throughout

society

. There are numerous small groups and communities on Facebook that encourage anti-social impulses.

For instance

, many people post and read about conspiracy theories online on a daily basis. Over time, these

individuals

begin to feel isolated from mainstream

society

and the effects of

this

can appear during real-world events

such

as the January 6 insurrection and the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Although

these actions can be interpreted as protests, the viewpoints being expressed are often too extreme to lead to defensible and pragmatic reform. In conclusion, social

media

is an overwhelming negative for both normal citizens and the entirety of

society

. Since governments are averse to regulation, it is important for

individuals

to abandon these platforms