Do you remember how difficult it is to relate to others outside the city, outside the island, or abroad 20 years ago? Rates are still expensive phone or letter that takes a long time in transit, making people, relationships, and families that are far apart would be very difficult to contact.
However, rapid technological developments make contact with other people even though thousands of miles apart and different time zones becomes as easy as turning the palm of the hand. Yes, social media is one of the technological developments that have a big hand in it easy for people to communicate and socialize.
Starting with Friendster and MySpace era, the era of Facebook and Twitter, as well as the latest Google Plus, the media has sparked a lot of people in social change. This is consistent with the original purpose of why social media is made that allows us to communicate and interact with other people around the world to make new friends, spouses, business, and even politics.
The following are some interesting facts that show a significant growth of social media
(Data based on research in the year 2011):
1.Twitter users has reached 175 million members, up 133% from 2010, amounting to 75 million members
2.Noted there are approximately 95 million tweets per day, up 250% from 2010, amounting to 27 million tweets per day
3.Facebook has 640 million active users. Half is access Facebook every day
4.If Facebook were a country then Facebook will become the country with the largest population no. 3
5.LinkedIn recorded already has 100 million active users around the world
The data above show the development of social media that can not be underestimated. So what are the positive influence of social media on relationships and social interaction:
1. Allows you to interact with many people.
If you know the artist's first idol you via newspapers, magazines, and TV shows so now you can get to know them through social media. Yes, thousands of artists have a Twitter account and Facebook that allows them to interact with his fans. You can also find out life and their daily activities from their official account.
Not limited to that alone, whether you are a shy person when it should be directly acquainted with a woman? If so, then social media is good news for you. You no longer have to deal with tension, nervousness, and tremble when you approach a woman. Through social media, you can adjust your steps and strategies without fear of looking like a worm again. Communication flows more easily than when you speak directly.
2. Expanding the association
Social media allows you to have many connections and extensive network. Of course it had a positive impact if you want to make friends and spouses from distant places or foreign countries.
3. Distance and time
In an era of social media, as now, a relationship long distance or long distance no longer a major obstacle (though still difficult). You no longer have to send a letter every week to your partner are working outside the city or abroad because of social media have omitted the constraints of distance and time for those of you who have long distance relationships.
4. It is easier to express themselves
Social media provides a new means for human beings to express themselves. Ordinary people, shy people, or people who are always nervous about publicly expressed opinion finally able to express themselves freely.
But, social media was not always give a good effect in social relations. There are some negative effects such as:
1. Alienate the people who are close to you in daily life
People who get caught up in social media has a major drawback that is risky to ignore the people in their daily lives. Do not be surprised if you spend more time interacting in the virtual world when you're stuck, especially now that more and more smartphone technology allows you to access the Internet. You will begin to think through social media interaction is sufficient. In short, a much closer, the closer the distance.
2. Vulnerable to bad effect of others
As in everyday life, if you did not select the people who are in your social circle then you will be more susceptible to bad influences. In fact, according to John Cacioppo, a researcher from the University of Chicago, social media can affect your mood, depending on who you spend time and to whom you give your attention on social media.
3. privacy problems
Having lots of friends in social media is not always advantageous, especially if you often reveal something that should not be known by others. Social media could easily worsen your self-image if you do not use it correctly because what you write, link, and upload can be easily viewed by others.
Your relationship with others can be disrupted if you write something inappropriate. Also, did you ever realize that other people can recognize you without the need to frequently communicate with you? If you do not restrict privacy on social media, then social media will only backfire in your life.
The conclusion is that first you should be able to balance the relationships in the real world with social media relations. You should be able to make social media as a valuable addition to the relationships in the real world, rather than replace it.
