SOCIAL media has changed the way we communicate with each other. It has certainly brought distant people together and has revolutionised the way we seek and share information.

But, as they say, too much of everything is bad. The excessive use of social media is now a common sight and I believe that it is drawing us apart from our loved ones, especially those that live with us and need our attention the most.

It has been observed that a person who uses social media more often is usually the most isolated. People, in general, and youngsters, in particular, spend a lot of time on their mobile phones. They are glued to the screens so much that they are unaware of what is happening in their loved ones’ lives.

Parents these days don’t know about the friends or habits of their kids, whereas the children no longer spend time with their family. There is no denying that social media offers a lot of advantages, but its usage has to be limited in order for it to prove beneficial to us.

Apart from drawing us apart, social media also has other drawbacks. For instance, students nowadays prefer to download a book instead of purchasing it, which kind of encourages a ‘free lunch’ mentality. Besides, despite attending on-campus classes, they prefer to learn from Google and YouTube, which, again, is not a bad thing, but relying on them too much exposes the students to a sea of misinformation.

Another worrying factor is the negative effects of social media on our health. According to a report, half of the youth using social media would have eyesight disorders because of the harmful rays emitted from smartphone screens.

Besides, psychologists believe that the main reason behind depression and anxiety among youngsters is the excessive use of social media and smartphones. The youngsters should be encouraged to minimise the use of gadgets, and spend time with their parents and elders. This will help them engage in healthy discussions and learn some valuable lessons.

Aziz ul Islam
Lower Dir

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2021