The Advertising age: How Media has affected Generation whY

Social media today has become a way of life for most adolescents but the concept of this globally reaching enterprise is still fairly new.The effects of this social media are still unclear. On one hand there is the global connectivity that social media gives us. This gives us more access to information all around the globe while also giving us a voice that can he heard, given the right circumstances. On the other hand there are cyber masks that lets people, especially abusers, like bullies, hide behind anonymous walls that make it easier for people to be mean and harass others. In addition, social media gives us a bigger idea of the amount of ignorance that goes on in daily life. All of these contribute to our lives and have especially affected my generation who are constantly bombarded with this pressure to back away from social media and to try to stop it because it is “bad to spend so many hours on a computer.” Previous generations tell us to go outside and talk with our peers instead of on our phones because apparently ceasing interaction with the global community is better than communicating and getting a better understanding about what is happening in today’s society. How could we as the young adults of the next generation learn about presidential debates or the migrant crisis in Bregana, Croatia by going outside and enjoying the fresh air?

First, let’s talk about the good things that social media has brought to our lives. One thing that social media gives us is access to information whenever we want it. This immediate access to information gives us different perspectives and sources that weren’t available to us years ago. Back then when you wanted to know information about global or local affairs you had limited recourses. You could either read the newspaper or watch the news but how accurate are these sources, and what information are they keeping from the public? Well now those questions seem less relevant. This is because there are so many different sources, some more credible than others, that can give you information. With so many people tweeting, blogging, and writing about events there is a mass quantity of viewpoints and sources that you can draw your own conclusions from. This is important because you aren’t getting your opinions from a newscaster, you are generating your own thoughts on the situations in the world. In addition, all of this new information gives us a new opportunity to interact with our peers in our local community. By this I mean that now we can talk to our peers about the problems that our world in facing, have conversations about our viewpoints. By doing so we are getting new opinions on issues and we can generate our own thoughts based on the conversations we have with our peers about the situation.

Another positive aspect of social media is that it connects people globally and gives people information in real time about issues that are going on overseas. Back in earlier years, around 15-20 years ago we didn’t have the platforms that reached globally where we could find issues and sources to better our understanding of the world and how it works. In addition, it also gives everyday people voices that can be heard from around the world. For example the kid in Texas that got arrested for building a clock because it was mistaken for a bomb. If we didn’t have the social media networks that we have today I, along with countless others, may have never heard the story and it certainly wouldn’t have gotten the attention that it did. In addition, when the kid was sent free and the charges were dropped he spoke to the public and stated his side of the story. While doing so he expressed his interest in going to MIT for college. By doing this he has a greater chance of MIT acknowledging him, making him stand out from other applicants. So even though this situation was not a positive one he tried to make the best of his situation and try to increase his chances of getting into college. This is a positive example of social media because if the global connections that these networks provide wasn’t there all of this may have never even made it to our local news.

In addition, I have also noticed what to me is a bad aspect of social media in the recent months. It’s the political arguments that have come up with the presidential candidates. And even though it could be a good thing since its widening the reach of people who care about the presidential race it still causes political arguments and frustration between people. In addition, talking about religion can also end up in debate or heated arguments. Arguments that may end up in you losing a friend. This also can bring up the topic of ignorance with our generation. It is easy or I should say easier to turn a blind eye to ignorance in everyday life but once you go on social media it seems that every site is bursting with ignorance. If you go to Facebook, there is just countless posts that are filled with misinformed conclusions about issues, or hate filled statements that are just confusing to some. This can put a negative view on our generation as a whole, not just to our peers but younger or older people as well.

Furthermore, all of the advancement that the social media has provided, positive and negative has had an effect on generations, specifically generation Y. This is because our social interactions with our local community and the global community that social media has provided are intertwined and brings up global relevance to our everyday lives. Generation Y, has been a part of this fast media since our childhood, for the most part. And as a generation that has been born and molded into this vast ocean of information and connections it changes our social interactions in our day to day life. By this I mean what use to be face to face interactions about reality have turned into conversations about what is relevant in our social media that day. Even in the KDU when are phones are away and the “adults” think we are better off, we still converse with our peers about the article we read on Buzzfeed, or the story we shared on Facebook. What the previous generation seems to forget is that even though our computers, and cellphones are put away doesn’t mean we aren’t interacting with social media. And in fact interacting with social media on a global standpoint as well as  in our community is good. We can talk about political and world issues with our peers and get more opinions on issues.