Social Media in America- Mason Weisberg

30. March 2011 by student.

One of the greatest problems that is facing the American society today is the effects social media has on people. Social media not only affects the way we think, but it affects the way we speak and write too. It is nearly impossible to shelter yourself from all social media. In this blog I would specifically like to talk about internet social media, and the effects of television in society.

When we think about communication through social speaking in the olden days, I think about my families writing hand written letter to one another to catch up on their lives. Now a day, social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace can easily keep people connecting by the tough of a button on the computer.  Also, the way in which we speak in these social networking sites has become a struggle in America. I am sure everyone is familiar with the terms, LOL, BRB, CYA, and TTYL. Our speech in communication has become shortened and less personalized when speaking in shortened words and through social media websites. A study conduced by Insites Consulting stated, that, 2,884 consumers from over 14 countries between the ages of 18 to 55 years old on social networking. More than 90% of participants know at least 1 social networking site and 72% of participants are members of at least 1 social networking site. On the average, people have about 195 friends and they log in twice a day to social networking sites.

Two British scientists have recently suggested that spending all day, and — admit it — much of the night networking on a computer might in fact be bad for your body and your brain. According to the New York Times, The Health Effects on Social Media, “If the young brain is exposed from the outset to a world of fast action and reaction, of instant new screen images flashing up with the press of a key, such rapid interchange might accustom the brain to operate over such timescales.”

For example, take the television show 16 and Pregnant. This reality TV show allows girls to see young women their age becoming famous by having a child at such an early age. This TV show is not a warning for teenage girls on why they shouldn’t have sex at an early age,  but instead lets girls think that this is somewhat trendy and cool to get pregnant and possible be on TV for it. tudies and researches have been made and conducted, and results of these tests and surveys show that advertising has greatly affected the TV viewers. For example, more young people drink alcohol than soft drinks or water because characters in shows and commercials drink this. What does this prove with the advertisement with young women getting pregnant? That is it cool to have unprotected sex at an early age.

98. 5 percent of U.S. households have at least one television set

 90% of U.S. households have two or more TV sets

 87% of U.S. households have at least one DVD or PVR player

 The average U.S. home has the TV on more than 51 hours a week. (Obviously, the TV is on many more hours a week than each family member spends watching it.)

With networking websites and television taking over society, we need to figure out where we can draw the line. Television and social networking are a part of everyone’s lives now a days and surround the lives of people who do not engage in these activities also. With America having more televisions than toilets in their home, there needs to be a change in the way we analyze social media and its message. America, as a whole, needs to find the underlying means to determine why social media influences the lives of Americans to the extent that it does. Social media has the potential to be good and bad, but from the recent social problems and effects that the American society has had with social media only poses problems within our society with social media. 

Mason W

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