We live in a world where there can be twenty people walking down the same hallway, yet known of them notice eachother; where you are likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident all because either the other driver, or yourself, was simply not looking at the road. To say people in today’s society have a fascination with their phones wouldn’t be wrong, but it is much more than that, and the distractions that come from phone use is only a small part of it. Our phones are an extension of ourselves, they hold our bank information, thoughts, memories, and for many, a main source for socialization. With that being said, smartphones, more specifically the attributes that come with them today, (social media and advertisements) have the absolute potential to manipulate our everyday lives, from how we spend our money to how we feel. In my research paper, I will be exploring information on a few subjects, such as new technologies being involved in advertising, unrealistic standards created through social media, and the negative affects it can have on its viewers, in hope to either prove or disprove my hypothesis; whether or not social media plays a major factor in the dissatisfaction with people in their everyday lives, as well as an increase in anxiety and other mental health issues.
How AI Is Making Advertisement More Efficient and Consumer-Focused
Main Idea: This article talks about the exciting new technology of artificial intelligence and how it is changing the way advertising works. AI will now predict what you want to buy, based on your recent searches and “likes” online. This surely will help businesses anticipate what its consumers want as well, leaving both parties happy.
Why this source?: Mass-consumerism is a concern I will be touching on in my paper, as well as how it relates to social media. Our infinite need to look our best and have the newest definitely has to do with the comparisons we make with others lives online. Take that and add in more efficient, consumer-focused advertising and you get mass-consumerism.
The Relationship between Social Media, Self-Objectification and Self-Esteem in Young Adult Women
Main Idea: A project by Adrian Tworecke Oxman acknowledging a long past of the objectification of the female body, while further researching on how the new era of social media is affecting self-image.
Why this source?: With social media being the main source for viewing such objectifying images, it could help prove my theory of being a factor in the decline of mental health and overall satisfaction with oneself.
Main Idea: This one is short and to the point, but the author focuses on a very important subject I will be mainly focusing on and that is artificial comparison. We compare our lives to others based on a picture, without really seeing the “big picture”. The girl that just posted a pretty selfie may have just been broken up with, and the cool girl doing yoga in her home may be 3 months late on her rent.
Why this source? As said above, this article is a short read, but the description of artificial comparison given really helped me grasp the dishonesty that comes with social media, and definitely will prove useful when writing my paper.
Unlocking the personality of a social media addict
Main Idea: Research was done to try and decipher what makes a person prone to become a social media addict. Certain personality traits such as consciousness and agreeableness were talked about but, the study found that people who have more anxiety and stress are also more likely to addicted.
Why this source? This won’t exactly prove my point of anxiety becoming worse through the use of social media, but it’s a start. I also find it important to explore the personalities more prone to social media addiction as I am furthering my research.
Social media making millennial less social: Study
Main Idea: This study reveals that millenials (30 and under) are becoming so social media crazed that it is causing them to become significantly less social in real life. Shocking percentages revealed that out of 3,000 young adults, 70% of the females check their social media applications every ten minutes, and about 54% for men.
Why this source? The whole idea of social media addiction and the amount of time spent on social media is so important to the point I am trying to make. Most of us are so consumed by what is going on on our phones, that we are becoming anti-social as a group. Isolation leads to depression. Humans need real, human contact.
Counterintuitive 