Social Media refers to a collection of online technologies that allows people to form networks of friends and associates through which information such as pictures and videos can be shared among members of these networks.
Twitter set the trend for real time services, enabling users to post events and thoughts within 140 characters or less. Other platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, focus more on sharing images.
Social Networking
Social media platforms enable communication with a broad audience. Individuals can connect with friends, peers, family members and industry professionals in various formats on these platforms – some are specifically designed for professional connections while others cater to specific interests such as music or cooking.
Users can stay informed on global news and events through social media. In addition, many social networking sites provide crowdsourced reviews of restaurants, dentists and hair salons – information which can help individuals geographically remote make better informed decisions regarding services and products selection. Likewise, this type of networking increases brand recognition through posts and promotions.
Mood Modifying Experiences
Likes or positive comments on posts can cause the brain to release dopamine, similar to when someone wins a game or receives an incentive, making people become addicted to social media like they would drugs and other substances.
Researchers discovered that social media use was linked with decreased mood, self-esteem and paranoia. Furthermore, those diagnosed with psychosis were more likely to experience negative mood shifts after using social media compared to those without psychosis – although this correlation wasn’t significantly mitigated by having been diagnosed as psychotic.
Addiction
Social media addiction can be just as detrimental to physical and emotional health as substance addictions, perhaps even more so. The symptoms of social media dependency include mood altering effects, salience, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and conflict.
Studies show that rapidly scrolling social media accounts releases dopamine into the brain – the same chemical response found when using addictive drugs – providing positive reinforcement of addiction. This positive reinforcement perpetuates it further.
Depression levels also tend to rise with social media use. This study revealed a correlation between participants’ working status and depression level as well as busyness and conflict subscales of SMAS questionnaire.
Stress Reliever
Social media may seem counter-intuitive, but it can actually help relieve stress. When your mind starts wandering aimlessly, try giving it something concrete to focus on like organizing shoes or solving a word puzzle; soon after that mental strain dissipates and you will find that you are better prepared to face whatever the world throws your way.
Be mindful that individual’s use of social media varies and has different outcomes when it comes to psychological adjustment, suggesting a combination of factors may determine whether social media use fosters high or low psychological adjustment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Improved Company Relationships
Social media provides businesses with a powerful opportunity to build meaningful connections with customers on a more intimate level and reduce customer turnover while building customer loyalty.
Subscription-based businesses particularly benefit from this strategy as customer retention is crucial to their survival.
Social media allows businesses and customers to communicate anytime, any day. Companies can respond more quickly to complaints or issues than through phone conversations alone, while it also encourages individuals to share life moments online, leading to further engagement and expanding audience reach. But users should use caution as it could have negative repercussions for relationships.
Greater Brand Recognition
One of the key focuses of any business should be increasing brand recognition among their target consumers. Social media can help businesses build visibility and strengthen recognition.
Social media provides businesses with an ideal way to monitor customer trends. Businesses can use the data gleaned from this process to fine-tune marketing strategies and promote targeted sales or coupons, or simply stay abreast of cultural movements that may impact customer behaviour; staying abreast of these developments helps keep content fresh and engaging for customers.
