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Social Media: The Good and the Bad
Ayishm Nawaz
Raina Jannat
Rabeea Ajmal
Adil Rasool Khawaja
Syed Ramish Zahoor
Suhaib Sabir
Lahore School of Economics
Academic Writing (SSC 204)
Ms. Rameeza Aslam
March 10, 2020
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Social Media: The Good and the Bad
Background and Context
During the early ages communication was very difficult for people. People had to send letters
and wait for them to reach to the recipient and then get a reply from them also in the form of
letters. The first recognizable social media site was created in 1997 called ‘Six Degrees’. It
allowed the users to upload a profile, make friends, and send messages and bulletin board items
to other users. With passage of time many social media sites were created among them the most
popular ones in the present age are Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and
LinkedIn. However with all the advantages these social media websites provide there are many
disadvantages of using them.
Significance of Study
The purpose of this research will be to highlight the positive and negative influence of social
media on its users. The positives like; the users can communicate faster, the users can get in
touch with any other user from any part of the world, they can use it for educational purposes
and to get useful information , to speak for their rights and many other . And the negatives like;
mental issues caused by the use social media, cases of cyberbullying on social media, how it has
become an addiction and effected the living standards of its users will be discussed. Our basic
motive will be to spread awareness among people. Social media is vast and people must know
about its pros and cons, and how they can tackle with its negative effects.
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Scope
This research will mostly focus the audience in Lahore that uses social media. We will also
compare the effects and usage of social media sites both in teenagers and adults. Has social
media effected theirs lives for better or worse. We will be going to different universities to get
questionnaires filled. Also we will be interviewing different authorities (bloggers, influencers)
and will be interviewing them from Lahore within a time period of approximately 5 weeks.
Literature Review
Effects of social media are always assumed to be positive because of which its negative
effects are ignored by some people. According to Syed Haider Ali Kazmi some of bad
effects on youngsters are internet harassment, privacy exposure, bad academic
performance and family relations becoming less important. To stop this we need to
educate and aware parents and teachers of children who are close to them all the time to
control this addiction in children. By this children can be stopped by only relying on
social media for every aspect of their lives.
(Published in Daily Times, November 7th 2018)
Social media has had a negative effect on the mental health of people especially teens.
Some has been positive some has been negative. It is difficult to make a final verdict
because social media is constantly changing and evolving. A study from University Of
Pittsburg found a correlation between the time spent on social media and bad body
image. The more was spent on social media the more problems were present.
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These are just a few of the downsides of social media. There are positive aspects too but they
can’t be seen until people learn to balance themselves and disconnect from social media from
time to time
Reference: “(Social media and teens: How does social media affect teenager’s
mental health)”. Article by: Katie Harley LCSW (2019)
Among the effects of social media; social media addiction is of big concern. It is a
behavioral addiction that is defined by being overly concerned about social media, driven
by an uncontrollable urge to log on to or use social media, and devoting so much time
and effort to social media that it impairs other important life areas. According to a new
study by Harvard University, self-disclosure on social networking sites lighten up the
same part of the brain that also ignites when taking an addictive substance. The reward
area in the brain and its chemical messenger pathways affect decisions and solutions.
Research Questions
Social media for better or worse?
Subsidiary Questions
1) What are the reasons for using social media?
2) How social media has fueled business growth?
3) What are the unethical effects of social media on society?
4) How social media performs as a platform for freedom of speech?
5) Why are we so dependent on social media?
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Limitations
Respondents may not answer the questionnaires and interviews seriously which can cause
the problem of reliability and validity. Also they may not tell us about any wrong use of
the social media if they do any. We may not choose bigger sample because of budget
constraints e.g. transport, printing costs etc. Also it will be time consuming as we only
have approximately 5 weeks for research. We may not interview any social media
activists on top hierarchy because of permission problems.
Delimitation
We are targeting literate people mostly of age bracket 16-25yrs. Location covered will
be Lahore only. We will target middle and upper-class who use social media sites. We
can somehow generalize our research on whole Pakistan because it will be easy for us to
gather information from our own age fellows.
Research Methodogoly
Sample
Teenagers between the ages of 17-25 are specifically targeted in boundaries of Lahore.
Questionnaires and interviews will be taken into consideration. Our sample size will be
50-60.
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Research Tools
Secondary Sources
Published statistics/Journals/Articles/Magazines/Books
Primary Sources
Interviews/ questionnaires
Data Analysis Procedure
Interview of the people will be conducted and books and journals would be read
thoroughly. Important facts would be highlighted. The research would be done in order
to spread the awareness about the right use of social media.
Time frame
This research will be completed in 5 weeks. It will be submitted in 3rd week of April
approximately.
Expected Findings
The expected findings of this research will be that people will start using social media
cautiously and will keep their daily lives apart from it. This may reduce the addiction of
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social media of some users. People will try to adopt the things that are beneficial for
themselves and the society.
References
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Syed Haider Ali Kazmi (2018, November 7) Negative impact of social media. The Daily
Times (Magazine Article)
[Link]
media/amp/
Katie Harley(2019, March 7) How Does Social Media Affect Teenagers’ Mental Health.
Psycom (Journal Article)
[Link]
Jena Hilliard(2019, December 6) Social Media Addiction. Addiction Center (Magazine
Article)
[Link]
sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=[Link]
addiction/&ved=2ahUKEwjAuemtiInoAhWND2MBHT1UCLcQFjABegQIBBAB&usg=
AOvVaw06DIv21ifAz2vdLj0VKU-y
Appendix
Interview Questions
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1) Would you like to tell us something about yourself?
2) To what extent has social media changed your lifestyle?
3) How much do you think you depend on social media?
4) In what ways you have tried to influence people positively through social media?
5) What are your 3 favorite tools for doing something your audience cares about?
6) Which people or books have had the most influence on your growth and why?
7) Describe a time when you had to respond to a negative comment on social media?
How did you handle it?
8) What is the best thing about being an influencer?
9) What is the worst thing about being an influencer?
10) Do you think social media has affected your relationships?
11) If there is no social media how will it change your life?
Sample Questionnaire
1) What social media sites do you use?
a) YouTube
b) Twitter
c) Facebook
d) Whatsapp
e) Other
2) How many social media sites do you use?
a) 1
b) 2
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c) 3
d) More than 3
3) How much time do you spend on social media sites?
a) 1 hour
b) 2 hours
c) 3 or more
4) Do you use social media sites through your phone?
a) Yes
b) No
5) Do you have more friends on social media as compared to real life?
a) Yes
b) No
6) Do you prefer to express your feelings and ideas on social media?
a) Yes
b) No
7) Do you think social media sites affect your study time?
a) Yes
b) No
8) Impact of social media on your life?
a) Positive
b) Negative
9) Do you think social media can bring welfare for our country?
a) Yes
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b) No
10) How many times a day do you check you social media sites?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4 or more
11) Do you feel social media sites distract you during class?
a) Yes
b) No
12) How often do you buy products that you see on social media?
a) Never
b) Sometimes
c) Always