There’s no doubt that social media is a force for good in so many ways. It keeps us in touch with distant family and allows us to buy things we want in just a few clicks. However, there is a dark side when social media deception can harm in so many ways.
Fake news and fake people
What about the news you read? Is it true or is it factual? Are you researching to check constantly that what you are reading isn’t fake news?
And then there is the sinister side of social media. Paedophiles that pretend they are children to lure real children into a trap. There are grooming gangs planning to abuse children with horrifying results. What about the gangs inciting youngsters to violence for nefarious and violent purposes?
Social media deception doesn’t stop there. People can pretend to be something they are not. Those jealous of another’s holiday can post pictures of a much better holiday that they never really went on.
Used wisely, the myriad of social media platforms provide the quickest form of communication the world has ever known. But just like every other form of over indulgence too much may not be good for you.
Human interaction
How many hours per week do you spend physically interacting with your friends and family? As ridiculous as it sounds this doesn’t mean sending them a text whilst sitting in the same room with them? We mean sitting down for a meal and a chat with no devices turned on, or maybe meeting up with friends for an ‘eye contact’ type of conversation.
Perhaps you missed that elderly person who needed help crossing the road. When was the last time you didn’t have your head down, looking at your phone, whilst walking along a street?
If you haven’t done this for weeks, months or years you are living in a virtual world and not the real one. Your connection with the world around you is slipping away not to mention your observational skills.
Social media deception comes in many forms
This lack of human interaction damages relationships too. You may feel your partner cares more about their virtual friends than they do about you. Or perhaps you think they are secretly having an affair with one of their ‘virtual’ friends, more particularly if their phone is switched off.
Clandestine relationships can thrive over the internet. There are websites that specialise in promoting affairs for married people. Is social media inspiring people to be more dishonest?
At Lie Detector Test Ireland we don’t find it surprising that many of our clients, who suspect infidelity, tell us it began online. Their partner either met through an online dating site or a social media platform.
Used wisely, the myriad of social media platforms provide the quickest form of communication the world has ever known. But just like every other form of over indulgence too much may not be good for you. What do you think?