Table of ContentsAddiction and Cyberbullying - Main Concerns of Social Media CommunicationPositive Transformations Due to Social Media OpportunitiesConclusionReferencesThe Internet has become one of the most transformative innovations of the 21st century. It has changed the way people work, communicate, shop and even play. The epitome of Internet innovation has to be social media, which has gained great importance in just a few years of its existence. According to statistics from Statista, there were 4.4 billion active internet users in January 2019, of which 3.5 billion were social media users. Most of these social media users are young people who cannot imagine communicating without thinking about platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube. Facebook alone had more than 2 billion users in December 2018. Social media plays an essential role in the impact of our communication. Through social media platforms, people exchange ideas, connect with friends and family around the world, ask for advice, and offer advice. Social media also fosters creativity and conversations with global communities on issues such as politics, race, health, relationships and religion. Although it brings many benefits, social media also comes at a price. It has robbed us of the trust and comfort we once had in each other and replaced human companionship and support with virtual connections. People prefer texting phone conversations and online chats over face-to-face conversations, which ultimately erodes interpersonal skills and leads to antisocial behavior. The main objective of this essay is to examine communication via social media and determine the positive and negative outcomes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayAddiction and Cyberbullying – Main Concerns of Social Media CommunicationOne of the main concerns of using social media is technology addiction. This happens when people spend most of their time online instead of physically interacting with the people around them. These people end up feeling such a sense of identity online that they are unable to separate their virtual actions from their real ones. The addiction has become so severe that it is now listed as a mental illness, with victims experiencing symptoms such as emotional shutdown, withdrawal symptoms, lack of concentration and even anxiety and stress, according to an investigation. depression. Anxiety is caused by constantly checking for messages or comments on social media. Trying to project a false and unrealistic perfection within one's social network can also cause depression. Many people adopt this happy and successful illusion while hiding their sad and miserable real situations. These people end up carrying a long-term emotional and psychological burden because all their virtual friends online cannot help them because they think they are happy. The consequences of online addiction and the resulting anxiety and depression eventually manifest themselves in the workplace. Workers are obsessed with checking their social media sites every five minutes, making their ability toconcentration too low. Additionally, the emotional and psychological burden they try to hide is reflected in their shoddy work. Social media also has far-reaching effects, such as cyberbullying. According to David Bowman, a professor at West Virginia University, the actions that start arguments online are the same as those that start arguments in real life, the only difference being the terms. A person can be mocked both online and offline because of their weight and in either case they will be affected both emotionally and behaviorally. However, when it is present on social networks, it leaves room for more contacts and communication and a wider audience. Bullying messages and comments on social media follow the person everywhere, and they are seen by all of their online friends. Additionally, lack of privacy is a key factor in online harassment. Sharing personal problems online allows people to access a large amount of information about someone. These people feel the need to process and even respond to such information, and sometimes with less kindness. This increasing contact between bullies and their online targets makes the situation even worse. This can lower the person's self-esteem in the workplace and they find it difficult to interact with coworkers or even participate in teamwork. Positive transformations due to social media opportunities On the other hand, the negativity surrounding social media is countered by the positive effects of social media such as faster global communication. Messages are delivered faster and more widely than ever before, bringing many benefits. People interact with people from all over the world, and in doing so, new cultures are learned, people appreciate each other more, and the world becomes a friendlier place. Students also benefit greatly from the use of social media. They can now learn through blogs and podcasts. Another major positive change is how communication is no longer censored. People deliver their message without filter and when words fail, emoji and smileys appear. Many social media platforms like Facebook also offer translation services, which eliminates the language barrier. Additionally, people can now talk face to face on social media. With the ease of communication, professionals around the world can now network more easily through social media platforms. Social media has also significantly transformed the business world in various ways. It has eroded traditional marketing materials such as television and radio advertisements. Organizations now use social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to communicate with their customers, promote their products and services, and even advertise job vacancies. Social media is also widely used by bloggers, content creators and article writers who share their articles with their clients, who in turn share them on their social media sites, thereby increasing the number of followers. ConclusionSocial media has significantly changed the way people communicate, bringing with it a number of positive outcomes and negative outcomes as well. Since the innovation of the Internet and social media is irreversible, it is up to users to manage the platforms in a useful and responsible way. References Valenzuela, S., Park, N. and Kee, KF (2009). Is there social capital in a social networking site? :,, 39(5), 364-370.