The Impact of Social Media on the Minds of Young People: Facebook as a Model
Abstract
This study tries to investigate the influence of social media content on the identity-building of adolescents. It should start the transition from the collectivism of childhood to the individualism of an independent adult in this period. Nevertheless, there are several trends of this rapid individualization. The danger is double. On the one hand, the incomplete socialization of such young people causes problems for society. Still, the most serious issue is the identity crisis of young (or sometimes very young) people, who are not ensured solid support from the intergenerational community. This is certainly effective if it belongs to the same enlarged social network. The question is whether the virtual community of the internet can have such an identity-defining capacity that can help the socialization of young people or lead to a more serious discrepancy. I conclude the favorable and unfavorable influences. The two standpoints are both based on empirical data. So, I can depict some solutions regarding how to minimize the negative and maximize the positive influence during late adolescence to ensure both the well-being of the subjects and the solid identity positioning of the growing generation. Finally, I draw some conclusions about the adaptability of adults and the social utilities of social media. I consider the popular commercial platforms and the regional and situational social media.
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