World Social Media Day is commemorated on 30 June, recognising the impact that social media has had on communications around the world.

The history of this day dates back to 2010 and was launched by Mashable – a worldwide entertainment and multi-platform media business.

Digital channels started to emerge and platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube have been the most used tools.

Social media is the make or break of society, and the development of digital channels have greatly impacted the way society thinks and acts, and it has continued to grow in popularity ever since.

Throughout the years, it has been the core centre of the millennial and generation Z’s (GenZ) lives, and now people such as social media influencers make money by sharing content with their followers and utilise the channel to build their brands.

Impact of society

As social media has evolved and grown in popularity, so has the scrutiny that the platforms come under.

Issues such as hate speech, impact on mental health, election results, and fake news, the platforms are under more pressure than ever to be transparent with what goes on behind the scenes.

Through social media people are subjected to cyberbullying and unrealistic expectations.

Cons of social media

1. Online vs reality.

People use it in place of actual communication and in-person socialising. “Friends” on social media may not actually be friends, and may even be strangers.

• Increased usage.

 More time spent on social media can lead to social anxiety, depression.

• Self-image issues.

Social media sites provide tools that allow people to earn others’ approval for their appearance and the possibility to compare themselves to others.

It has created unrealistic beauty standards that society has started to consider as the norm.

The Citizen