A world without social media is now almost unimaginable
By Rhea Christopher
There are now 3.484 billion people using social media around the world and 45 million of those are here in the UK [Avocado Social]. From technological phenomenons such as pagers and fax machines being used by Wolf of Wall Street types during the 80s, it is now hard to imagine a world without mobile phones and Apple watches.
Leading the consumers of the technological age are young people with most research beginning from the ages of thirteen and above. Many have argued that younger people are more susceptible to being emotionally affected by social media. Already in 2019 there have been reports on people younger than 20-years-old committing suicide due to something online. Many parents have urged the government for change.
According to Beth Goodrham, a Stylist based in Birmingham, social media has caused a big disconnect, especially for those posting online. “I don’t think people are open enough and I don’t think they’re vulnerable enough and ultimately I think that creates more disconnect for the people who are running the account, than the people who are consuming the content,” she said.
The biggest contenders in the UK are YouTube in second place and Facebook in third [Lexiconnect] - the search engine Google is first. Despite setbacks in 2018, most famous being the Cambridge Analytics scandal, Facebook still has 70% of all UK internet users online everyday. YouTube’s viewing time has also increased by 50% and the average time is now 40 minutes [Omicore].
It’s important noting that social media isn’t just used between friends and family, the majority of its usage is for businesses. For institutions such as the NHS, the people-professional connection is vital.
“Having an online platform to share relevant news not only helps raise awareness of our cause and encourage engagement, it also aids in rebuilding and fostering a people-focused reputation for NHS England,” says Imani Pratt, 25, a Communications Officer for the NHS.
The internet is a great place to output information and has helped many raise awareness for their cause. Twitter, which has now gone up in ranking [Lexiconnect], is now eighth. Just through advertising, 13.6 million people reach the website which represents 24% of the UK population 13+.
“Social Media accounts for about 21% of our communications with both current and prospective students,” according to James Greenwood, 31, an Events Manager at the University of the Arts London. He believes that without it, sharing news and success stories would be a much harder task.
This is mainly due to student demand. “I know at UAL, if our Wi-Fi goes down across our colleges or student accommodation and students can’t access social media… there is uproar and our complaints increase,” he says.
Popular demand means constant changes and an expectancy to meet customer demands. Instagram, which at the beginning of this year was estimated to have 24 million users [Avocado Social], made changes recently to something as small as a like button and there is a more conscious approach by companies when removing harmful data.
Companies are being pushed to protect consumer data. “From a behavioural view, social media is urged to be sensitive towards conditioning and body image; and from a news stance, social media is required to remove fake news and inappropriate content,” says Samantha Sy, 26, an Accountant Executive who works with social media on a daily basis.
More and more people are using online platforms, not only in the UK but globally, as well. Nothing can be hidden, or secretive, anymore with celebrities being called out on past tweets that they never thought would resurface. Actress Shila Iqbal was recently fired from the television show Emmerdale for offensive tweets she posted years before ever joining the show.
At the end of the day, whether you are a user or not, it is not easy to escape this technological world and it is hard to see emails and text messages disappear. As mod band The Jam famously said, this is the modern world.
