MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY
In the present world, social media has progressively become a part of our daily scheduled activities. According to the 2018 Pew Research Center study, 88% of respondents between the ages of 18 to 29 reported using some kind of social media. Seventy-eight percent of 30- to 49-year-olds said the same. Interestingly, about 64% of people between the ages of 50 and 64 use social media on a frequent basis. For a generation that didn’t grow up with the internet or social media, this statistic is surprising how they adapted swiftly to technological growth and advancement. These brief statistics demonstrate the prevalence of social media use in our culture.
With the rise in media technology growth, more attention needs to be given to its effects on people. The endless stream of communication and connection
provided by social media is changing the way we think and absorb information. As it is, people are currently developing social media habits that can simultaneously benefit or even harm their mental health depending on their response to it.
Due to the popularity and use of the media, researchers have inquisitively extended their research to analyze and understand the psychology of social media in our constantly connected culture.
People’s choice of upload on social media depends on the type of material to be uploaded and the type of social media platforms. When people want to post pictures, they tend to pick Instagram because it tends to attract a more visual audience. When they want to post jokes and fun activities, they go for Twitter because this form of media conveys news and information faster and efficiently.
Other social media applications include; Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram and they all have their functions and level of competence. As of April 2017, Facebook enjoyed the exalted position of being the market leader of the social media world, with 1.97 billion monthly users, in addition to posts, social media sites are clouded with pictures and video uploads, and according to the recent numbers, about 400 million snaps a day have been recorded on Snapchat, with around 9000 photos being shared every second.
This number is tremendously huge and it strongly emphasizes the fast-rising of social media which in more years would achieve greater advancement.
