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Week 2 Discussion

 

Do different social networking sites offer other benefits and drawbacks?  

I believe that different social networks offer both benefits and drawbacks. The first one that comes to mind for me is Facebook. While I don't use Facebook, I understand the benefits it provides for communicating with family members who live in other countries. For instance, my parents use Facebook to stay connected with relatives in Mexico. Before SNS, they would have to buy prepaid cards that would allow them to call numbers in Mexico. With Facebook and WhatsApp, that was no longer necessary. A drawback I see with Facebook is the spread of misinformation. I always have to remind my father not to blindly believe everything posted there and to take things with a grain of salt. 

Another social network is Instagram, which I still use. It’s similar to Facebook in that you can stay connected with friends and family members. However, a downside is the potential for addiction to the validation that comes from likes and comments on posts. There’s also the issue of infinite scrolling through Instagram Reels, a problem that TikTok and YouTube Shorts also share. 

Originally, I thought the term for scrolling through SNS like Instagram Reels and TikTok was “doomscrolling,” but that doesn’t seem to be the correct definition. While some people use it to describe the addictive nature of Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, the more accurate term is “zombie scrolling,” which I found in an article from Newport Institute, a mental health organization. 

As someone who struggles with zombie scrolling, I found a video that really opened my eyes on how to fix this issue (just a heads-up, the video contains some vulgar language). 

How to Actually Stop Scrolling (No BS Guide)

Do social networking sites have any responsibility in promoting mental health in their users? If so, how might they go about doing so? 

I believe that social networking sites (SNS) have a responsibility to promote mental health among their users. One thing I feel SNS platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which I believe they already do to some extent, is limit certain age groups from using their services. Younger people are more impressionable and can easily become addicted to the validation from online strangers. 

I think SNS platforms should provide users with helpful information or direct them to appropriate resources if certain concerning content is posted. For instance, I know that Instagram has pop-ups that appear when anything related to suicide, or self-harm is posted in photos or videos. Another suggestion is to allow users to set timers or limit their SNS usage to specific times. This could help prevent people from spending excessive amounts of time online, a behavior which I heard being referred to as being "chronically" or "clinically online."

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