social media, what do you think and how to proceed?

Social media apps manage to give every user a voice and help you keep in touch with friends and family when the going gets tough. For some, social media is indispensable, for others it is like the cigarette of the 21st century.

Social media

Billions of people do have an account on apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. Every popular social media app has its own angle, but all served as a binder between users. You stay informed of the activities of others. Whether it’s the vacation your best friend is taking or the new job a business acquaintance has accepted. And of course you can also tell your story yourself. Social media offers the user a forum where he can post his thoughts, photos or stories.

However, social media is certainly not uncontroversial. You will find all kinds of controversy when you read about these apps. These include large-scale privacy scandals, issues with fake messages, cases of defamation and hatred, and power monopolies among social media companies. In addition, such apps are criticized for considering the user as a product and insufficient respect for privacy.

“Social media has become the cigarette of the 21st century. The more we inhale, the sicker we become.” That is a statement from the makers of HalloApp, a new app from former WhatsApp employees. Although a lot of social media users will tell you otherwise. For many friends and loved ones, it is the best way to keep in touch when you are hundreds of kilometers apart, for example.

AW Poll

What do you think of social media? Are you satisfied with the functioning and supply of social media apps, or do you think that policymakers should keep a tighter grip on the reins? Leave your vote in the poll and clarify your answer in the comments at the bottom of this article.