A few decades ago, it wasn’t easy to find and connect with a friend that you once knew. Once you moved, you lost contact with most people permanently. Social media has made it easier for people to connect even after decades of being apart. A new society was created by Social media for people to connect with new people with similar thoughts and interests.
The meaning of privacy has changed over time. Social media has given outside organisations virtual access to our personal lives. Some people might think that privacy is a well private matter. If you don’t want your information to be shared online, don’t post it on social media. Referring to the ‘science news magazine’, “keeping your data safe and private is not just about your own choice.” Due to the idea that as social media develops; the amount of information we are to share also develops. Social media has had a significant impact on our lives. Today, to access any website or to use any program, we are asked to subscribe or sign in using our social media accounts. For example, when you create a LinkedIn account, your email address is connected with your social media accounts. The user then will start to receive job opportunities. Before the acceptance or decline, the employer gets full access to the employee personal information, which shapes each individual’s thoughts and impressions. The theory of ‘Locus of control refers to individuals generalised concerns over where their future events control would reside. The approach has two factors: internal and external control. Internal control is the belief that individuals have the power to control their privacy online, and exterior is the belief that a power source controls our privacy. This refers back to the idea that the development of social media controls our privacy.
Social media has connected strangers from across the world. As the evolution of communication develops, digital technology progress and social media grow. Social media accounts like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have grown to have billions of users. The increased use of social media sites has had a negative and positive impact on our lives today. All social media accounts are connected to our phones, and our phones are continuously tracked down in terms of location. Referring to ‘Locative social media: a place of digital age’ book “, Instagram uses specific information about users from the location they post a picture from, and this has affected many personal relations.” For example, when your Twitter suggested or top hashtags changed according to the country you are based in. Also, Instagram explores section automatically updates to posts from similar locations the user posts from. The theory ‘Location-Based Service’ LBS argues that they are two types of users: active and passive. The active users are the one
who shares the post, and the inactive users are the outsiders (anyone who sent me a request, message). The theory argues that social media has helped passive users overtake active user’s relations.
Online identity is a social identity established by the use of the internet and social media in online communities. It can also be considered as a presentation of oneself. Social media accounts and the current internet landscape has played an essential role in how we engage with one another online and has shaped the representation we give to people online. But the question is, “Are we the same person online and offline?” Referring to the ‘Online Identity’ book, people present different parts of their characters in a different context. Identities are created from nothing, and this is easier online than offline. Now, whether this representation is accurate or not, we are being judged from behind small screens.
The theory of Goffman’ representation of self’ suggests that individuals attempt to shape the way they are viewed online. Self-representation differs from different social situations. The thesis argued that what shapes a representation online is the images used, location, and captions. This theory illustrates the two-way nature of social media.
In conclusion, social media, more than anything, has impacted our lives profoundly. Today social media tools affect the way we interact and socialise online. Privacy is taken from individuals as any online identity could interfere with how and with who we spend our time.
