A vast cross-section of society utilizes social media daily to communicate with acquaintances and close contacts and to keep abreast of current events.

In my opinion, I believe the benefits of this phenomenon are far greater than the negatives.

One of the most serious disadvantages of social media is that it causes many people to become distracted from that for which they should be applying themselves.

Social media encompasses a wide range of smartphone applications, websites, and media channels, and also covers a broad spectrum of functions, everything from chat programs to news podcasts to video channels such as 'TikTok'.

These multi-faceted programs and apps, and their simple convenience, causes many people a type of anxiety derived from a perception that they are 'missing out' on the latest news, or have been relegated to being unimportant by friends.

Coupled with the addictive qualities of video, texting, and audio, many people are simply unable to disconnect, and thus, concentration has become difficult.

On the other hand, social media has revolutionized the way people stay in touch with each other and has fundamentally reshaped the landscape of news dissemination.

Chat applications, for example, allow us to remain involved in people's lives even if we do not actually have direct communication with the other, since people are able to post personalized items about themselves in so-called 'friend circles'.

Along with the convenience of chatting, either by voice or written messages, people can feel more included in the day-to-day events of others.

Likewise, social media channels where live events, the expression of different opinions, and the sheer internationalization of online material, can be broadcast, means people can be kept updated in real time about the real world.