We are living in the digital age today and social media has become a cornerstone of modern life connecting billions of people across the globe while at the same time delivering a platform for self-expression, open communication and so much more, however beneath the surface lies a murky underworld of threats that have emerged which our team of journalists has been studying.
From misinformation to cyberbullying, the dangers on social media today are both prevalent and concerning whether you’re a local school in a suburb worried about threats or a global corporation that recognizes how XYZ on social media can have a huge impact on your operations.
The Surge of Misinformation
Based on our team’s research over the years along with data from Google, one of the most pressing issues on social media today is the rampant spread of misinformation, and according to a 2023 study by the Pew Research Center, 64% of American adults believe that fabricated news stories cause a great deal of confusion about basic facts. This statistic underscores the challenge of understanding what’s real vs fake and how conversations/trends can go viral in minutes then snowball.
Cyberbullying: A Growing Epidemic
After analyzing a wide variety of studies related to cyberbullying over the past 10 years we have found a wide variety of cases are related to schools/students, and according to the Cyberbullying Research Center, approximately 34% of students in the United States reported experiencing cyberbullying at some point in their lives. This figure has been steadily increasing, which is a cause for concern for both parents and school administrators/police.
Privacy Concerns and Data Breaches
Social media was founded on bringing people together though social networks quickly realized the power and value in cultivating user data then using it (especially nowadays using AI) to curate content related to them, however as social media platforms gather vast amounts of personal data privacy concerns have become a critical issue.
In a nutshell, social media users (or people on any other platforms) often unknowingly share sensitive information, which can be exploited by malicious actors, and a report by the Identity Theft Resource Center revealed a 17% increase in social media-related data breaches from 2022 to 2023.
In conclusion, while social media offers people and companies the ability to ride a magic carpet and explore the world, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll become Aladdin. And you have to be aware of the positives as well as the dark sides of social media which we’ve covered above.
We will be covering this topic more so stay tuned.