From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :

, Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the creation, sharing, and aggregation of content, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. Common features include

Online platforms that enable users to create and share content and participate in social networking.

User-generated content—such as text posts or comments, digital photos or videos, and data generated through online interactions.

Service-specific profiles that are designed and maintained by the social media organization.

Social media helps the development of online social networks by connecting a user's profile with those of other individuals or groups.''

Dr. Danah Boyd on social media : 

Dr. Boyd emphasizes that social media has transformed how people connect and interact. It allows individuals to maintain relationships over long distances and reconnect with old friends and family.

She also says that it fosters the creation of online communities where people can find support and solidarity, especially those who might feel isolated in their offline lives.

Dr. Boyd acknowledges the mixed impact of social media on mental health. While it can offer support and community, it can also contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues due to factors like cyberbullying, social comparison, and addiction to digital devices.

So, is Social Media more bad than it is good, or vice versa? The answer is in how YOU CHOOSE to use it.

This ambiguous answer can lead to even more questions, so let's start with the first question that probably pops into your mind when you have read the previous statements, which is, "How do I use social media in a good way?"

Things such as avoiding biased, cherry-picked, or false information are fundamental in filtering bad media and choosing good media. 

Another thing you can do in being able to distinct which information might be closer to the truth is to look for the most objective point of view in somebody's statement, even though that might not be 100% possible as the majority of articles are written by humans, and humans are not flawless and can generate thoughts, the closer to the 100% mark of objectivity the better. 

Another important thing you can do and the last one on this article's list, is research one's history of uploading to social media, reputation can mean a lot on the internet nowadays. 

Another question that might come to mind is, why would people want to use media mischievously? '' 

The answer is money.

Social media can be a great source of income if used correctly, but it can also become a way of abusing people's trust for money. Every click you get on your article represents a source of income for one publisher, and even though one person's click might be pennies, multiplying that by thousands or even hundreds of thousands, will result in some serious amount of money. 

This is called clickbaiting. 

Another reason why people might use social media in a not-so-honorable way or , Not by the book " is for internet fame ( aka. clout ) 

People have always been obsessed with fame, and social media is the best platform for showing yourself ( ideas, creations, art, etc. ) to the world. 

That also includes dumb stuff such as licking a cactus, eating a cactus, jumping in cacti with a motorcycle, and many others. 

I blame both the creator and the consumers for stuff like this, but hey, entertainment is one of the main reasons why people use social media.

To wrap it all up, Social Media is indeed a double-edged sword, and if you learn how to master it, it will become the most powerful weapon that somebody can have, such as unlimited information and quality entertainment.