Notes on Social Media and Human Interaction Debate

Introduction

• Motion: This house believes social media corrupts human interactions.
• Speaker: Jack Simons from Lady Margaret Hall.
• Personal View: Not against social media; uses it regularly (Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat).

Benefits of Social Media

• Connection: Allows easy communication with friends and family globally.
• Positive Impact:
  • Internet.org by Facebook: Provided internet access to over 25 million people in developing countries.
  • Examples of countries benefiting: Kenya, Colombia.
• Empowerment: Gives a voice to individuals, facilitates social movements, and promotes safety.

Key Argument: Impact on Human Interactions

• Main Focus: Motion is about social media's impact on personal interactions, not its overall goodness or badness.
• Societal Trends:
  • Growing need for visibility and validation through social media.
  • Increased dependency on instant gratification.
  • Real connections replaced by virtual relationships.
  • Significant amount of time spent in the digital world corrupting real-life interactions.

Evidence of Social Media’s Impact on Individuals

• Research Study: Conducted by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
  • Sample: 1,700 people aged 19-32.
  • Findings:
    • Average social media usage: 61 minutes/day.
    • Visits: Over 30 times/week.
    • 25% showed high levels of depression; frequent users 2.7 times more likely to develop depression.
• Counterargument: Opponents may argue that depressed individuals seek social media; however, the data indicates a significant correlation.

Eating Disorders and Mental Health

• Concern: Social media's role in increasing eating disorders among all genders and backgrounds.
• Pro-Anorexia Communities: Algorithms spread harmful content to users without them seeking it.
• Personal Experience: Speaker's family affected by eating disorders; highlights seriousness of the issue.
• Reporting Mechanisms: Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have methods for reporting harmful content, indicating the severity of the problem.

Nature of Corruption in Social Media

• Idealized Lives: Social media promotes feelings of envy and inadequacy through unrealistic portrayals of peers' lives.
• Corruption Defined: Presents a filtered, unreliable reality, leading to a corrupted perception of life and human interaction.

Societal Impact of Social Media

• Political Interactions:
  • Example: Facebook's "I Voted" function increased participation by 340,000 votes.
  • Concerns over freedom of thought and misinformation (Fake News Scandal).
• Alteration of Information:
  • Filtering of news based on political beliefs undermines journalistic integrity.
  • Popularity supersedes professionalism in social media influence.

Conclusion

• Final Message:
  • Social media is not inherently evil but corrupts human interactions and perceptions.
  • Advocates for awareness and conscious engagement instead of passive consumption of social media.
  • Encourages genuine conversation over social media stalking.

Call to Action

• Encouragement: Look someone in the eye instead of just viewing their social media profile.