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The internet generation (iGen) is the first cohort to have lived their entire adolescence in the age of the smart phone (those born between 1995-2012).

This generation is experiencing ever higher rates of loneliness, depression, anxiety and mental health issues in general (even before Covid), leading to questions about the potential contributory impact of smart phone and social media use.

The first version of Facebook (FaceMash) was started by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004 at Harvard University. Today there are 2.8 billion FB users worldwide, over 1.8 billion daily users.

According to the Pew Research Center, more than 70% of Americans use social media (SM) (up from 5% in 2005 and 50% in 2011). Most are daily users. Adolescents and young adults are the highest users.

SM plays a substantial role in the social and emotional lives and development of adolescents and young adults, with unknown implications. While there is an explosion of interest and research in this area, the data are, as yet, unclear. Conclusions are often contradictory. And influences on mental health outcomes are numerous, making it difficult to separate out aspects of SM use from other factors.

Science does tell us that social connection is one of the strongest contributors to overall health, including physical health, emotional health and longevity. This association seems to by mediated by a number of interconnected factors, such as hormone release (oxytocin and others), effects on inflammation and the immune system, and the buffering of stress. Chronic stress, involving stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, can be toxic for the brain and body. According to the buffering hypothesis, social support can reduce the negative effects of stress on health and wellbeing. Having fewer human connections is associated with higher risk of heart attack, stroke, sleep disturbance, altered immune system, higher inflammation and stress hormones, and even cancer. Studies also show that perceived social support protects against stress-induced depression and anxiety.

In-person human-to-human social contact, eye contact and touch have many beneficial physiologic effects. Touch can reduce the experience of physical pain, lower stress hormone levels, and boost the immune system. In one study, people who received hugs tended to develop fewer illness symptoms when exposed to the common cold virus.

We dont know if there is a difference in the magnitude or quality of health benefits depending upon whether the social connection is virtual vs. in-person.

Here are some examples of the conflicting research results regarding SM use and adolescent mental health (pre-Covid). We do know that exposure to the blue light of screens before bedtime can interfere with sleep. One 8-year study of adolescents (from age 13 to age 20) showed no relationship between time spent on SM and anxiety or depression. Multiple other studies of teens, however, have shown a relationship between exposure to media and low self-esteem, substance use, depression, loneliness, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Directionality is unclear; maybe people who are anxious or depressed are more likely to use SM (for avoidance, to escape pressures, to connect to others, as a diversion, etc.).

There are many possible benefits of SM, depending on how it is used, how often, and what it might be replacing. In general, active use of SM (engaging with others) tends to be healthier than passive use (just scrolling through other peoples feeds). Some studies point to the benefits that can be derived from playing video games with others, including problem-solving and social connection. Online social networking and accessing communities of support (such as for LGBTQ youth) can play vital roles in gaining sense of belonging, learning information, connecting to resources, alleviating loneliness, and exploring identities.

Some of the negative aspects of extensive SM use (and overall time spent on-line) are well-described. Even before Covid, adolescent in-person communication has declined, while online communication has increased. Young people, in general, are more likely to experience discomfort making eye contact, making a phone call, maintaining an in-person conversation, and approaching an adult such as a teacher or advisor.

Adolescents may find themselves targets of harassing or abusive on-line behavior, including stalking, being overly monitored by a significant other, or being pressured to send sexual photos. Cyberbullying (both as victim and perpetrator) may be more psychologically damaging than in-person bullying, and can be a risk factor for suicidality. These days, bullying extends beyond the school day and into ones home and bedroom; there is no escape or downtime on social media. Studies suggest that the more time spent online, the higher the risk of becoming a victim and/or perpetrator of cyberbullying.

Other SM risks include exposure to content that is harmful or inappropriate to age. This can include porn, pro-anorexia (pro-ana) sites, seeing disturbing content, and violence. Copy behaviors can follow, including anorexia, bulimia, and other forms of self-harm, such as cutting. Repeated exposure to graphic depictions of disturbing news events, such as videos of police violence or natural disasters, can be traumatizing.

Social media sites are platforms for carefully curated (and photoshopped and filtered) images. Even though people, on one level, are aware that these are not realistic (FakeBook), time spent on SM has been linked to low self-esteem and feelings of insecurity, as well as the development of disordered eating. Physical attractiveness (and thinness) is overvalued. FaceMash, the first version of Facebook, was a hot-or-not rating site of Harvard female students. If self-worth is highly linked to appearance, self-esteem and mood can be unstable and externally mediated, changing quickly based on the number of likes or positive comments one receives from photos posted to SM. Adolescents are especially sensitive to peer influences and are therefore more susceptible to these negative feelings.

The FOMO (fear of missing out) phenomenon is amplified by SM, as people post photos of all the fabulous parties they are attending, the people they are with, and vacation spots. Social media envy leads to feelings of sadness, self-doubt and anxiety as people compare their lives with what they are seeing on SM (Facebook depression).

Addiction (used colloquially here) to SM is another area of increasing concern. Addiction can be generally described as a repetitive behavior that some people may have difficulty controlling or stopping. It involves a compulsive quality, unsuccessful attempts to cut back, and ongoing use despite negative consequences. SM use can, in some cases, reach this level. It may replace other important activities, such as sleep or schoolwork. Smart phones and SM platforms are designed to be addictive, with frequent notifications and the speed of interactions, instilling fear of missing something if not checked frequently. A like or positive comment can trigger a dopamine release, and a craving for more of the same. The rewards of SM are unpredictable, as one is never sure which post will receive positive feedback; such variable reward systems (gambling is a good example) are especially likely to result in compulsive repetitive behavior. (Internet Gaming Disorder was added as a condition for further study to the most recent edition of the psychiatric diagnostic manual (DSM-5) in 2013.)

The displacement hypothesis describes another concern. Time spent on SM is time not spent doing other things, such as being physically active, sleeping a full night, being outdoors, socializing in-person, engaging in hobbies, and daydreaming. For optimal brain development, children and adolescents need to engage in a full range of activities (including substantial off-line time).

SM is a significant platform for disinformation, where one cant tell real from fake (inaccurate statements, as well as doctored photos and videos). Inflammatory and false information often gets amplified because our brains are wired to react more strongly (and therefore read, share and like) to posts eliciting powerful emotions (such as anger) as opposed to measured and nuanced information. Because we are highly responsive to favorable social responses, such as likes, this becomes a positive feedback cycle, further distorting reality, intensifying negative emotions and increasing societal divisions. The basic human drive for belonging to an in-group of like-minded people is especially strong in adolescents; when certain opinions are shared repeatedly by ones online community, its harder to maintain objective judgment.

For parents, you can engage your children in ongoing discussions about some of the benefits and pitfalls of their SM use. Familiarize yourself with what sites they are visiting and platforms they are using. Here are some signs to look out for, suggesting that their SM use might be of concern:

We are in the midst of a SM wave that we do not fully understand. And the stakes are high for the health of our younger generations. It is reassuring to know that research on this topic is ongoing. In the meantime, while there is much we still do not fully understand about SM and mental health, the following recommendations are based on strong evidence:

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iGen, Social Media and Mental Health - The Crozet Gazette

Bigger is always better. Many of us think this is true when it comes to building our online networks of social media friends, connections and followers. But new research suggests the opposite may be closer to the truth: curating small networks of trusted connections may be smarter in the long run. While this may seem counterintuitive, it also comes with a caveat.

We often feel compelled, and are even encouraged by social media platforms, to grow our networks. Consider all the prompts about someone else you might know and who to follow. We all want the sociometrics (that number of friends or followers posted in the corner of your profile) to look good.

Offline and online social networks

Both offline and online, our social networks can function as either prisms or pipes. As prisms, they broadcast to others our likes, dislikes, opinions, interests, activities and more. They signal who we are, or want to be, to our network of social connections.

As pipes, they act as conduits through which help and resources can flow. Using our networks as pipes is an important part of how we build relationships. We give and receive advice, advocacy, endorsement, emotional support and tangible things (like entrepreneurs do, for example).

Studies of face-to-face networks have generally shown that, whether we use our networks as prisms or pipes, bigger is better.

But what about online?

We flock to social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram because its easy to view, share and store our connections, allowing us to communicate with them whenever we want. Thats what makes connecting online and offline so different. We cant search and find a comment we made six days ago to a friend over coffee. We can, however, find and reshare a conversation we had with our Facebook friends three years ago. It turns out thats a really important distinction.

Its when we use our online networks as pipes, not prisms, that small matters and seems to be valuable. In a recent study of Canadian entrepreneurs, our team of researchers uncovered this counterintuitive point and shed light on the reasons why. We think it suggests some broader insights.

Using our online networks

For people to actually use their online networks as pipes for resources and support, three things need to come together. First, we need to believe we have the ability to ask for or give a resource or support (termed exchange). Second, we need to have a way to actually make the exchange happen. And finally, we need to want to conduct the exchange.

All those digital viewing, scanning, sharing, searching and storing capabilities of our social media networks make it really easy for us to believe we have the ability and arrangements to use our networks as pipes. I can quickly and easily ask my online network for something I need and get a quick response. But our research suggests that we dont always have the willingness to ask.

Through interviews with entrepreneurs, we uncovered that the reason is likely that people are really worried about what others will think. This perceived social judgment risk can get in the way of entrepreneurs getting helpful resources from their online networks. We suspect its not just entrepreneurs who are worried about this. Thats because perceived social judgment risk is a product of audience collapse, which reduces our willingness to reach out online.

Audience collapse happens when we add people to our online networks from all aspects of our lives. These might be people we know well and people we barely know; personal connections, work acquaintances, volunteer connections, hometown connections and those with shared interests and hobbies.

By building these varied and oversized networks, and inviting so many different people to join, our willingness to ask for help goes down. With all that searching, viewing and sharing, who knows where our request might land?

Our research reveals that many of us likely perceive a lot of social judgment risk in asking for anything but information from our online networks. We are worried that others will judge our asks as weak, needy, unsure, confused, too personal or otherwise inappropriate, making us less willing to seek help. This dark side implication of bigger is better social media networking is rarely discussed.

If this resonates, what can you do?

To make our social media networks useful as pipes, we suggest creating trust networks. These are purpose-built to stay small yes, small. Only add people who will support, not negatively judge, any ask for help you might make these are the people you trust.

A trust network is likely to be very high in reciprocity, or the giving and getting of help, because all members feel it is a safe place to ask for and give help. It becomes a really useful pipe network where small, not big, is valuable.

So, if you want to use your online networks as a prism to signal things to the world stay big. But if you want to give and get help, then create a purpose-built, small trust network on social media. We think youll be glad you did.

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When it comes to social networks, bigger isn't always better. Here's why - Hindustan Times

SAN FRANCISCO When Indias government ordered Facebook and other tech companies to take down posts critical of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic in April, the social network complied on some posts.

But once it did, its employees flocked to online chat rooms to ask why Facebook had helped Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India stifle dissent. In one internal post, which was reviewed by The New York Times, an employee with family in India accused Facebook of being afraid that Mr. Modi would ban the company from doing business in the country. We cant act or make decisions out of fear, he wrote.

Weeks later, when clashes broke out in Israel between Israelis and Palestinians, Facebook removed posts from prominent Palestinian activists and briefly banned hashtags related to the violence. Facebook employees again took to the message boards to ask why their company now appeared to be censoring pro-Palestinian content.

It just feels like, once again, we are erring on the side of a populist government and making decisions due to politics, not policies, one worker wrote in an internal message that was reviewed by The Times.

Discontent at Facebook has surged over its recent handling of international affairs, according to interviews with more than half a dozen current and former employees. For weeks, they said, employees have complained about the companys responses in India and Israel. The workers have grilled top executives at meetings about the situations and, in one case, formed a group to internally report Palestinian content that they believe Facebook had wrongly removed. This week, more than 200 employees also signed an open letter calling for a third-party audit of Facebooks treatment of Arab and Muslim posts, according to a person who saw the letter.

The actions are another sign of internal unrest at Facebook as employee criticism broadens beyond domestic issues. For the past few years, workers largely challenged Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive, on his handling of inflammatory posts from former President Donald J. Trump. But since Mr. Trump left office in January, attention has shifted to Facebooks global policies and what employees said was the companys acquiescence to governments so that it could continue profiting in those countries.

Theres a feeling among people at Facebook that this is a systematic approach, one which favors strong government leaders over the principles of doing what is right and correct, said Ashraf Zeitoon, Facebooks former head of policy for the Middle East and North Africa region, who left in 2017.

Facebook is increasingly caught in a vise. In India, Russia and elsewhere, governments are pressuring it to remove content as they try to corral the platforms power over online speech. But when Facebook complies with the takedown orders, it has upset its own employees, who say the social network has helped authoritarian leaders and repressive regimes quash activists and silence marginalized communities.

The result has played out in a kind of internal culture clash, with a growing movement of dissenting rank-and-file workers versus its global public policy team, which deals directly with governments, said the current and former employees. Many workers have argued that policy team members have been too willing to accede to governments, while policy team members said their colleagues did not appreciate the delicate dance of international relations.

Dani Lever, a Facebook spokeswoman, denied that the company had made decisions to appease governments.

Everyone at Facebook shares the same goal, which is to give a voice to as many people around the world as possible, and we push back on overreaching government requests wherever we can, she said. She added that Facebook removed content only after it was reviewed according to the companys policies, local laws and international human rights standards.

Of the employee discontent, Ms. Lever said, Just as people off of the platform are debating these important real-world issues, people who work at Facebook are, too.

BuzzFeed News and the Financial Times earlier reported on some of the employee dissatisfaction at Facebook over Israeli and Palestinian content.

A divide between Facebooks employees and the global policy team, which is composed of roughly 1,000 employees, has existed for years, current and former workers said. The policy team reports to Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer.

Many employees subscribe to the idea that Facebook should stand up to what they see as dictatorial governments. But the policy team, which operates in dozens of countries, often has to weigh the likelihood that a government will shut off the social networking service if the company does not cooperate with takedown orders, they said. Sometimes allowing some speech is better than none at all, they have said.

Facebook has faced many tricky international situations over the years, including in Russia, Vietnam and Myanmar, where it has had to consider whether it would be shut down if it did not work with governments. That has led to the employee dissent, which has begun spilling into public view.

That became evident with India. In April, as Covid-19 cases soared in the country, Mr. Modis government called for roughly 100 social media posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to be pulled down. Many of the posts included critiques of the government from opposition politicians and calls for Mr. Modis resignation.

Facebook removed some of the posts and briefly blocked a hashtag, #ResignModi. The company later said the hashtag had been banned by mistake and was not part of a government request.

But internally, the damage was done. In online chat rooms dedicated to human rights issues and global policy, employees described how disappointed they were with Facebooks actions. Some shared stories of family members in India who were worried they were being censored.

Last month, when violence broke out between Israelis and Palestinians, reports surfaced that Facebook had erased content from Palestinian activists. Facebooks Instagram app also briefly banned the #AlAqsa hashtag, a reference to Al Aqsa Mosque, one of Islams holiest sites. Facebook later explained that it had confused the #AlAqsa hashtag with a Palestinian militant group called Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.

Understand the Covid Crisis in India

Employees bristled. We are responding to peoples protests about censoring with more censoring? one wrote in an internal message, which was reviewed by The Times.

Other employees wrote that Facebooks Israel office was headed by Jordana Cutler, who previously worked for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The employees said Ms. Cutler, who did not respond to a request for comment, was pushing an agenda favorable to Mr. Netanyahus government by taking down anti-Israeli content from Facebook.

The role of the public policy team for Israel, like the one for Jordan and Palestine, as well as others around the world, is to help make sure local governments, regulators and our community understand Facebooks policies, said Ms. Lever, the Facebook spokeswoman. While these teams have local knowledge and understanding, their only charge is to serve as representatives for Facebook.

Mr. Zeitoon, the former Facebook executive, cast a wider net. There is a feeling there is a significant tilt within Facebooks management, a systemic approach that does not benefit Palestinians, he said. People are mad they are challenging their bosses. They see this as emblematic of so many problems at Facebook.

The frustrations were vocalized on May 13 at an employee meeting that was held virtually. At the session, one worker asked Nick Clegg, who leads public affairs, to explain the companys role in removing content tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to attendees. The employee called the situation in Israel fraught and asked how Facebook was going to get it right with content moderation.

Mr. Clegg ran through a list of policy rules and plans going forward, and assured staff that moderation would be treated with fairness and responsibility, two people familiar with the meeting said. The discussion was cordial, one of the people said, and comments in the chat box beside Mr. Cleggs response were largely positive.

But some employees were dissatisfied, the people said. As Mr. Clegg spoke, they broke off into private chats and workplace groups, known as Tribes, to discuss what to do.

Dozens of employees later formed a group to flag the Palestinian content that they said had been suppressed to internal content moderation teams, said two employees. The goal was to have the posts reinstated online, they said.

Members of Facebooks policy team have tried calming the tensions. In an internal memo in mid-May, which was reviewed by The Times, two policy team members wrote to other employees that they hoped that Facebooks internal community will resist succumbing to the division and demonization of the other side that is so brutally playing itself out offline and online.

One of them was Muslim, and the other was Jewish, they said.

We dont always agree, they wrote. However, we do some of our best work when we assume good intent and recognize that we are on the same side trying to serve our community in the best possible way.

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India and Israel Inflame Facebooks Fights With Its Own Employees - The New York Times

Impact of Covid-19 on Social Networking Tools Market Revenues to spike over 2021-2026Category: #technology|By Admin| Date: 2021-06-05 |Product ID: 2105713|

The Worldwide Social Networking Tools is thoroughly inspected in the report to help market participants improve their business planning and ensure long-term success. The authors of the report used simple language and easy-to-understand statistical images to provide detailed information and data on the global Social Networking Tools market. The report provides key information to players and suggests actionable strategies to gain a competitive advantage in the global Social Networking Tools market. Describes how several players compete in the global market Excerpt from Amla and discuss the strategies they use to differentiate themselves from other participants.

Executive Summary:

The latest Social Networking Tools market research report provides a comprehensive analysis of this industry, with a key emphasis on all the factors that will impel or restrain the growth momentum of the industry. Moreover, it provides insights on the various market segments and uncovers the top growth opportunities, followed by a detailed examination of the competitive landscape.

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According to experts, the Social Networking Tools market value is expected to bolster at CAGR of XX% over the forecast duration (2021-2026).

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Impact of Covid-19 on Social Networking Tools Market Revenues to spike ove - Business-newsupdate.com

Enterprise social networking refers to an organizations use of social media, both externally and internally, to connect with individuals having similar businesses or interests. Internally, such social tools can enable employees to collaborate more effectively and tackle business challenges. Externally, such tools can give employees access to resources and knowledge about customers.

Enterprise social networking involves the use of in-house intranet software, along with third-party social media platforms, namely Socialcast and Yammer to better communication and collaboration between employees. Besides, having handles in public social media platforms of the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ can enable an entity to reach out to or stay connected with their customers and also carry out research to better business processes and operations.

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Global Enterprise Social Networks Market: Key Trends

Enterprise social network is an important problem solving tool that also brings about connectivity between different departments. Various organizations are implementing these to better communication and collaboration between employees via media. Enterprise social networks bring about seamless connectivity between departments and enable employees to voice their concerns via the platform. They also help to up productivity by allowing healthy exchange of ideas and suggestions between employees.

Another major benefit of enterprise social networks is that they bring about transparency in the functioning of the business. They are also an effective knowledge management tool. To promote their corporate image and brand, majority of large corporations are leveraging social media policies to ensure employees communicate without any hindrance using the various social networking channels.

However, unlike their larger counterparts, the small companies are concerned over the usefulness of enterprise social networks on account of the reduced number of employees they have. In addition to that, eager uptake of enterprise social networks by employees is another challenge.

Currently, enterprise social network is seeing uptake across industries spanning retail, IT and telecom, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), healthcare, and professional services. Among them, the IT and telecom sector is seeing substantial adoption of such tools tools. Going forward, other sectors namely retail and professional services are also predicted to emerge as major drivers of demand for enterprise social network.

Global Enterprise Social Networks Market: Regional Outlook

Geographically, the key segments in the global market for enterprise social networks are Latin America, North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Of them, North America and Europe are key markets on account of entities in the region keen on lapping up latest technologies to enhance efficiency.

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Global Enterprise Social Networks Industrial Market: Competitive Dynamics

Prominent participants in the global market for enterprise social networks are salesforce.com, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, MangoApps Inc., TIBCO Software Inc., Kaltura Inc., JIVE SOFTWARE, Inc., VMWare, Inc., Socialtext, Inc., Zyncro Tech S.L., and IBM Corporation. The report throws light on their sales and revenues, market shares, and the winning strategies. It also leverages analytical tools of the likes of SWOT Analysis and Porters Five Forces to understand the opportunities and pitfalls awaiting companies operating in the global market for enterprise social networks.

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.

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Enterprise Social Networks Market 2021 : Industry Analysis and Detailed Profiles of top Industry Players KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper - KSU | The...