Social Media Shaping Modern Friendships: Good and bad

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We are more linked with the rest of the world than ever before. We feel that keeping our social media accounts will allow us to discover more about our friends' lives, such as their meals, where they are, their thoughts, and even who they are dating. However, as a result, the nature of friendship and how friends engage with one another have evolved. Irene Levine, often referred to as the friendship doctor, and working out of Tennessee, stresses the importance of shaping real-life friendships for overall wellness.

Before the invention of the radio, we had to speak in a loud voice to cast our message like a single needle into a haystack far from where we were. Today, technology and the internet have been created for us as means of communication. Exposure to all these images, whether true or distorted, has consequences in our relationship with our friends and in the perception we create of them. Let's examine the main effects of this most recent technology on relationships.

3 Effects of Social Media on Friendships

Positive Effect

Social media has made a lot of good possible in the world. Positive shared acts, behaviors, and exchanges of empathy are required if you are ever to empower yourself to find the authenticity that all global citizens yearn for. All you need to do is take pleasure in spreading happiness and letting wonderful things occur. You may remember having a good time, making amazing memories, taking and sharing photos and videos of your travels, and exchanging funny moments. Some of our best friends may be the ones who provide considerate advice on occasion or consoling support on social media when things become tough.

Negative effect

Addiction to social media and the phenomenon known as the fear of missing out (FOMO). Both issues contribute to an individual's overall health but may also have a significant negative influence on their friendships. Social media is meant to be addictive, causing the production of the feel-good hormone dopamine when alerts arrive on the platform.

Individuals who spend a significant amount of time on social media may become distracted from their real-life friendships, resulting in emotions of loneliness, unhappiness, and stress. These actions, in turn, affect the quality of people's real-world friendships. The quality of friendships is declining, and one major reason for this is the fear of losing out. It occurs when someone assumes that others are leading better lives than their own and feels as though they are missing out on thrilling or intriguing things in their friends' lives.

Effects on Real Friendships

Social media connects user's worlds with fresh ideas, thoughts, and knowledge. Direct conversation with friends over the phone or in person may seem hard in comparison to the simplicity and rapid satisfaction promised by social media participation. This is due to the allure of very rich, unique, and possibly helpful interactions at our service.

But don't forget that true, long-lasting, accessible friendships are still vital for life's happiness, and there are healthy methods to keep and enjoy them. When your friend discloses intimate concerns, listen intently and provide your support. To show your friends that you understand them during a conversation, make eye contact, give them a brief friendly touch, or, as a social psychologist suggests, mimic their body language.

Final Thoughts

The rise of social media, also known as social networking, has the potential to transform how people interact with one another and with themselves. Our discovery that social networking is driven by the ability to maintain and strengthen warm-tie connections over distance is heavily reliant on the usage of social media. As long as you use social media responsibly, modern connections will stay.

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Originally written Mubashar Ahmad