Positive and negative effects of social media
Introduction
Social networks represent an important part of modern society, and their influence is evident in multiple aspects of people's lives. These platforms allow individuals to communicate, share information, build relationships, and gain new experiences. However, their impact on the quality of life can also be negative. Today, I would like to share with you some insights I have gained from the early days of social networks until now.
Throughout my history, I have used several platforms that can be considered social networks, ranging from chat rooms like Pokec (which was and still is part of the Azet portal), ICQ (the predecessor of Messenger, which can be considered a private social network), Skype (a global communication network used for internet communication thanks to its integration with the Windows interface), Hamachi (a virtual LAN network where clients can be networked for gaming or file transfer). Furthermore, I can mention forums, whether thematic like Warxtreme.com, where various media content can be downloaded, including a chat and a certain ranking system, or forums for motorists where they share experiences with their four-wheeled darlings.
Regarding more modern networks that I will only briefly mention, I can include Telegram, WhatsApp, Steam, LinkedIn, and Tweetoshi (a social media platform created on blockchain). If I were to express the content that should be the point of the text under the heading Introduction, the work will continue with general positives and negatives. Then, I will introduce the four most used networks (media) with their positives and negatives, and finally, to offer something new to each reader, I will introduce the Hive network, where I will again mention the positives and negatives.
General positives
Positive effects of social networks include improved communication and interaction among people. These platforms enable easy and fast connection with friends, family, and acquaintances, which can help maintain and strengthen social relationships. Social networks also allow sharing of information and opinions, which can contribute to the dissemination of knowledge and awareness on important topics.
Another positive effect of social networks lies in their ability to allow individuals to express themselves and find like-minded people. These platforms offer space for diverse communities and groups of people with similar interests or goals. This can lead to the creation of supportive and inspirational environments for individuals.
General negatives
Despite these positive aspects, social networks also have their negative sides. One of the most common problems is people's dependency on social networks, which can lead to loss of productivity, sleep problems, and even mental health issues. Another negative effect can be the spread of unverified information and fake news, which can lead to misinformation and societal division.
Social networks also often promote comparison with others and create the impression that others' lives are better or more successful. This pressure for perfection and constant comparison can have a negative impact on self-esteem and mental health, especially when it comes to children or teenagers.
Hive
Alright, I've filled the topic, and I can finally focus on something new that I could present and that could be interesting for someone. And that's the social platform Hive. It is a blockchain designed for data recording, primarily articles with photos. The network can be accessed with several clients, for example,https://peakd.com/ or https://www.waivio.com/ The platform is intended for photographers, travelers, bloggers, freelancers, anyone interested in sharing their experiences, thoughts, or graphic creations. The uniqueness of the network lies in the fact that each user has some value hidden in the token "hive"; by voting, you endorse a post. The more hive you have, the more new hive is emitted, and the owner of the article (Writer) as well as you as the upvoter of the article are rewarded. Writers are compelled to maintain the quality of their content that they publish. Users, on the other hand, care about whom they give their upvote to because they are essentially exchanging value with the Writers. If someone were to write spam or post articles with illegal content, the community can devalue each article using the Downvote function. This mechanism has been tested since 2019 and so far works perfectly. Hive is a platform that operates worldwide, with its main fans in "third world" countries because the rewards for posts, unless outstanding, are symbolic, and the required quality is high. As an example, I can publish a post that I wrote last year. https://www.waivio.com/@s4b4t0n/where-for-lunch-antonovic-restaurant-slovakia-city-puchov-kam-na-obed-restauracia-u-antonovica-slovensko-mesto-puchov
Conclusion:
Social media platforms are still evolving, and it is therefore important to present their advantages and disadvantages because it depends on their users how they will interact with them. I will use a parallel with money. Money is used for trade; they can be used for good deeds such as supporting charities, but they can also be used to pay for drugs, gambling, prostitution, and thereby support illegal activities (such as drug trafficking), so money can be considered a neutral technology just like platforms. So it can be said that social media platforms have neither advantages nor disadvantages; they are neutral, and everything depends on the Writers and clients how they will work with the media, use them.