One of the biggest social platforms in terms of user popularity is Facebook. Despite the bad press that it has gone through recently, over 16 million South Africans use this product.
But while social media platforms are great tools for communicating with our peers, they also open users up to being swayed by trends.
Facebook is, of course, only one part of the social media landscape. To gain a better understanding of the full picture, take a look at the analysis on the vetro media website.
Young people, in particular, like to feel that they are 'with it'. This means that social media can really steer people in certain directions to follow current trends.
While this is good from some perspectives, it can also have a negative influence on some young people. The only way to avoid such negativity is to be aware and not join the flock.
One of the biggest dangers for young South Africans is being misguided about personal money matters. If you would like some tips on how not to be misled, you would do well to read an article titled Peers and money – how to handle it.
The best piece of advice for anyone when it comes down to reading social media is also something that we say about the press, and that is not to believe everything you read. People have a habit of wanting to belong to something – to be a part of what is going on. It is this habit that can get you into trouble if you let it.
It’s this wanting to belong that some unscrupulous individuals take advantage of. And if you are not careful, you can get ensnared.
*Image courtesy of Vecteezy