With the week closing out the semester in Psychology of Social Media, I have taken the time to look back and consider each lesson and was blown away by the reality of the digital revolution. This week’s module was directed towards the focus and priorities of social media and how it affects us all. I completed a discussion post on the impact of social media/screen time on our children for this module. Although, this is a major concern, the overuse of social media need to be addressed. Our children are a product of what we teach and that includes how we model social media use. I was most impressed by healthychildren.org and their sponsorship of a Family Media Plan. These plans are beneficial for old and young by ensuring that we do not fall victim to social displacement.

This week we focused on the positive aspect of social media and its effects on society. The exposure through social media increases the availability for positive empathy and helping behavior. Prosocial behavior has the ability to foster positivity in our daily lives, triggering a pattern of behavior rather than a single action. Our accessibility to this behavior is associated with greater physical health, better relationships, and an overall better psychological well-being. Therefore, Prosocial behavior is invaluable for not only the recipient but the giver as well.

This week our module discussed the amplification of social media and the psychological effects of overuse on society. I found there are numerous antisocial behaviors associated with constant posting creating the need for instant validation/gratification in all aspects of their lives. It is imperative that we take a step back “unplug” and reattach to what is around us, creating physical connections rather than digital ones.

Fake news and misinformation are intensifying and now affecting the way we interpret daily events. The polarization and controversial media outlets have triggered a significant decline in public trust. From the start, fake news has always been intended to inflame passions and prejudices, however, fake news is not a new occurrence. It began 500 years ago with the invention of print. The media landscape has changed and rather than using the technology for good it has been used to deceive, mislead, and harm others through dissemination of fake news and misinformation. The media must provide trustworthy journalism to begin rebuilding trust and alter the disinformation by not legitimizing it.

Journalism today has transformed over the last two decades. Today, as a society, want information at our fingertips and unfortunately that leads to erroneous information being released. Traditional media no longer satisfies a society that requires instantaneous data – that sort of news requires time to objectively review the information and prepare it for reporting. This week we watched Katie Couric’s “Social Media and Real-Time Journalism Revolution”, and she claimed that in this world of social media and journalism that you either modify your methods or get left behind. She titled her generation the “sandwich” generation – not growing up with today’s technology but compelled to utilize it to remain prominent in today’s journalism.

This week I was assigned a question…is Google making us stupid? Initially I thought this as an absurd question, however, after reading and listening to the required sources this week I quickly changed my opinion. Today, as a society, we are so attached to social media and digital technology that we are unable to disconnect for family and friends. Our phones, laptops, tablets, and even gaming systems are placed before loved ones which is breeding isolation and detachment. In school, I was required to read, contemplate and even memorize to gain the knowledge needed to excel, today, students only need to know where to locate that information. Social media and digital technology may have placed the world at our fingertips, but future generations just may lose out on interpersonal and communication skills imperative to happiness.

Digitalizing the catalog system has allowed information and collections to be accessible to all. It has made the invisible, visible – the speed and ease of access exceeds expectations

This course has been a challenge this far due to my minimal use of social media – My most common app is Facebook due to the ease of use and connectivity. I really look forward to learning and increasing my knowledge of social media as a whole.