“Facebook is proving that social media is the recent monarch because of its strong influence on the social, political, and economic cultures of the current society.”
The Facebook Culture
Initially, the truth was the basis of culture in society, but not anymore. The era of social media has left every response open-ended, creating a culture of uncertainty. Ideally, the “it depends” clause birth in social media has succeeded in manipulating the mind of the society. Consequently, culture is now born through a few individuals’ abilities to defend their opinions on different aspects of the society popped through social media dialogue and through their ability to sway significant figures on social media.
Facebook Influence on the Economic Culture
A market place was popular in the 17th and part of the 18th century, where batter trade used to be the day’s order. However, approaching the 19th century favored by the advancement in technology, more literal stores have .been closing down, and so are individuals losing income sources. The improvement in technology has caused a shift in the world’s way of trade, incorporating an online business, with Facebook providing a podium for it. Essentially, Facebook dais enables entrepreneurs to advertise and execute the requested orders to their customers, even without contact (Past & Peehss). Facebook provides clientele an opportunity to select and order products at the convenience of their homes. Resultantly, the traffic of trade has proven that the culture of the business is successfully taking a different course. Despite the verbal effectiveness, the question of the legitimacy of the Facebook business always arises. While others see a chance to squander innocent customers’ money via false online products, others carry out the business with competence and effectiveness. The arising question is how then will facebook deal with the issue of online business legitimacy since it provides the platform for the same?
Nonetheless, the amount of sales is greatly influenced by the entrepreneur’s aptitude to create “entrepreneurial groups” and entice multitudes. Albeit the groups are formed on an entrepreneurial angle, they serve as a dais for discourse by members where they discuss issues and trends. Following the discussions, many individuals are swayed into buying products to fit into the trends and the ideologies of others (Paset & Peehss). The endless opinions deny an individual’s mind its sovereignty. Attributed to the social influence of others, most of the Facebook users fall victim to influenced purchase. Does it pose the question: is purchase as a necessity or as a social need? The question further proves the presence of uncertainty in the social media business to the customers.
Facebook Influence on the Political Culture
Politics are, no doubt, one of the leading peace determinants in democratic countries. Before the technological error, politics involved just but the physical appearance of post seeking leaders accompanied by fliers and posts at most. However, thanks to 2G technology that allowed the sending of images via social media networks like Facebook, politics took a different course. Technological evolution has led to the attachment of live videos and the creation of live content on Facebook. Attributed by its ease to use and its effectiveness in reaching vast populace almost instantly, Facebook has become one of the campaign pillars. The former president of America, Obama, for instance, is one of the leaders that embraced Facebook not only as a campaign dais but also as a communication podium to his followers. On the other side, his followers used different social media platforms to share president Obama’s campaign messages, attracting large masses of followers. An example of such words is “This is where our movements for change began,” video shared in 2012, attracting 216000 views. Facebook’s contribution to politics is further seen in research that showed there is an excellent connection between political influence and Facebook following (Williams, Christine & Girsh 26). For these reasons, it is evident that Facebook politics play to influence general party politics at large.
Also, Facebook allows the formation of social-group networks. These social networks, through their discourses, lead to the creation of social movements that act as the eye of people in the government in an indirect way. A research conducted in England on the power of Facebook dialogues in pushing for projects showed that the conversation did not primarily address the pool issue (Clara et al. 3576). Though it was the main issue, other issues affecting the society, such as healthy living standards and family needs, came forth (Clara et al. 3576). Additionally, there was a drastic amplification in the number of followers with the numbers escalating within the initial 48 hrs from 9 to 4463, and to above 8000 in the first month (Clara et al. 3576). The discourses exhibited on the Facebook page of the pool project attracted different thoughts and hence its popularity. For some, it was a memorial page of a preexisting pool, while for others, it was a never gotten opportunity to speak their grievances out. Ideally, through such a social media platform, the government is reminded of their responsibility by the citizens, hence kept in check. Unlike the initial years where the government’s opposition checks the government while the elects present the citizen’s grievances, Facebook is devolving politics to the citizens’ levels.
Within the boundaries of a Facebook page dialogue, there is an increased possibility of conflicting opinions. Consequently, there is an increase in temperatures from the arising debates. In an attempt to find support and swaying figures to self, a rivalry equivalent to a “political potential” is bound to occur. For instance, in the pool reinstatement debate, while a group upholds the idea, another group does not enforce the plan. As a result, the discourse turns into a streamlined manner that involves individual responses to the economic, social, and social-political perspectives. Since the proposal of pool reinstatement is by the council, the reiteration by the public against the project almost each using plural in pronouns creates a political disparity between the board and the public (Clara et al. 3577). The issue essentially turns out to be a collective responsibility of the people towards their stand over the pool against the council’s word on the same, especially following the council’s responses (Clara et al. 3577). The political temperature in such Facebook dais indicates the disparity in recent politics (Clara et al. 3581). In this case, Facebook dialogues portray politics as a daily activity affecting daily living and not a term thing like it used to be initially.
Facebook Effect on the Social Culture
Mental Health
The area of human health is viewed as one of the vast growing areas in the world following constant research by scientists, social scientists, and psychologists. Initially, the general health of individuals was viewed in an angle of pain and physical distress. However, with the constant research and combination of psychologists and social scientists’ efforts, human health is viewed as a combination of not only the physical but also the spiritual and mental well being of an individual. Before the days of the phone, social interactions were physical. In the era of social media, Facebook plays a vital role in advancing communications socially for its members. Through these social interactions, individuals can relieve mental stress (John et al. 3). A research conducted by the American Psychology Association shows that support facebook gained from Facebook interaction through posts is helpful for the general well being of an individual (John et al. 3). This outcome results from the feeling of acceptance and entertainment offered on Facebook.
Albeit Facebook can reduce depression and other mentally discomforting situations, it possesses an equal magnitude in creating the same. According to the American Psychologist Association, Facebook has succeeded in creating a discomforting culture of especially for teenagers who compare themselves with their mates following their posts. Consequently, the tendency to engage in eating habits disorders, anxiety, body image problems, depressions, and alcohol consumption (John et al. 5). Despite the enormous anguish that may result from Facebook and other social media platforms, they remain one of the most effective mechanism platforms against mental distress; since it encourages social support.
Physical Health
Facebook improves the physical health of individuals through the support obtained socially. The reduction in mental distresses reduced the occurrence of physical manifestation of psychological disturbance in the material. Ideally, research shows that through the interactions on Facebook, there is an improvement in behaviors that improve health (John et al. 11). The growth could result from health tips popping in discourse or from the clips concerning health that circulate. Resultantly, there is reduced stress on both psychological and physical wellness.
Education
Academic Education
According to Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” Huxley was afraid that an era would come where books would be available but with no one to read (Neil 5). Indeed Huxley’s prediction of a period characterized by the availability of information on platforms other than books came forth in the early 21st century (Neil 5). The passivity caused by an oversupply of information in social media daises such as Facebook has created a culture of complacency among Facebook users (Neil 5). The new scholar is facebook, “Mr, know it all” evident through the discourse filling the Facebook pages at any time of the day. Resultantly, the overreliance in the facebook work has reduced the viability of books since it provides an almost instant response to every upcoming issue. Physical book libraries initially treasured and believed to be the sole source of information in the earlier years now register fewer and fewer attendance daily. Though the presence of online libraries is taking a course in the 21st century, mob psychology has justified the application of Facebook information in real life as it is perceived right. For this reason, the scholarly attitude among the global populace is compromised.
Health Education
Not all information provided on Facebook is distorted; it turns out that some of the data is useful and factual. The dilemma of choice is left in the hands of the Facebook users who, at times, are victims of their information dearth. Focusing on the positive side of information, Facebook is one of the most effective educators. For instance, during the Covid-19, pandemic Facebook users and governments through their health sectors have maximized the dais to educate the public on the preventive measure against the pandemic (Adam 3). This informative action has been accomplished through the circulation of video clips with the content and messages creating explicit discourses on Facebook pages. Following such instances, Facebook can be viewed as an educative dais as it creates awareness on health issues, therefore, improving health.
Cultural interaction
Research shows that social Facebook is the most significant social media network; therefore, its contribution to the exchange of culture cannot be overlooked. Since its invention in 2004, Facebook has played a great role in bringing different cultures together, causing some cultural interchange among its participants (Ramsaran-Forward et al.). Ideally, as a social podium, Facebook users have successfully been able to share their nativity of their way of life through posts. This exchange has been accomplished through the sharing of photos, songs, cites, food, and to an extent, the recipes. Through such posts, people have embraced other modes of dressing, singing, acting, and living, when others are fully assimilated to the cultures they view attractive (Taplin & Johnathan). Resultantly, Facebook has outweighed the initial method of transferring culture, instead of creating a cohesive culture of its own globally.
Facebook pages have created awareness of minority groups such as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ) community that was initially never mentioned. In an attempt to uphold their rights and to stand out, members of such groups have found their place in the community (DeVito et al.). The culture of humiliation and condemnation towards them has been evicted, making them fit comfortably in society. However, through its privacy, several Facebook has been used to uphold moral decadence through the sending of sexual content among the users. As Sophie et al. say, such practices lead to the dilution of the seriousness of the rape culture (Sophie et al. 5). Consequently, the circulation of sexual harassment content on Facebook has led to the same open involvement among teenagers and some adults (Sophie et al. 15). For this reason, Facebook has contributed to the breach of moral conduct among its users globally; yet morals were highly upheld in the initial culture.
Generally, Facebook, as the largest dais of social media, has managed to breach the first standards of 18th and 19th-century cultures. First, business is shifting from physical to online. Advertisements now reach enormous figures of people almost instantly through the sufficient speed of the podium. Second, Facebook has managed to emerge as the new “teacher” of society. Third, through its aptitude to pass clips and information, the health industry has led to passing educative content to the public, thus improving health. Facebook has also contributed to positive mental health through its interactive podia. Fourth, Facebook has given a dais for politics and public participation on the issues affecting them. Resultantly, politics have been viewed as daily life issues. However, following its high supply of information, Facebook has managed to “kill” scholars. Some of the destructive content has caused increased immorality, while customers have lost money to no existing businesses. Following the reasons above, Facebook, as the benchmark of the society, has created a culture of uncertainty.
Works Cited
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Move Fast and Break Things: How Facebook, Google, and Amazon Cornered Culture and Undermined Democracy. By Jonathan Taplin. New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2017. 321 pp. Figures, notes, index. Cloth, $19.72. ISBN: 978-0-316-27577-4. Richard R. John (2018). Business History Review.
Now, this. (2012, November 4). Obama’s final speech before 2012 Iowa caucus will bring you to tears. Facebook Watch. https://www.facebook.com/NowThisNews/videos/521907982014519/?d=null&vh=e
Ramsaran-Fowdar, Rooma Roshnee, and Sooraj Fowdar. “The implications of Facebook marketing for organizations.” Contemporary Management Research 9.1 (2013).l
Rape culture and social media: young critics and a feminist counter-public. Sophie Sills, Chelsea Pickens, Karishma Beach, Lloyd Jones, Octavia Calder-Dawe, Paulette Benton-Greig, Nicola Gavey (2016). Feminist Media Studies.
Williams, Christine B., and Girsh J. Gulati. “Explaining Facebook support in the 2008 congressional election cycle.” Working Papers (2009): 26.