Negative effects of WhatsApp on its Users (Essay Sample)

Negative effects of WhatsApp on its Users
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Institution
Negative effects of WhatsApp on its Users
The advancement of technology has vividly changed the human society. The great opportunities it offers play important roles in nearly all grounds of life. WhatsApp Messenger is among the major developments in technology that have become part of most individuals’ social lives. It creates a platform that enables users to chat through texts and calls, share media (photos, audio files and videos) as well as enjoying group activities. It is commonly used on smartphones and computers. Not all phones are compatible with the WhatsApp application. Although it is not a mandatory application, it has become the most used text service of the recent. The benefits of WhatsApp outnumber its drawbacks. Above all, WhatsApp is very addictive and can pose fatal consequences to regular users. For instance, a run-away car hit my friend Abdul, as he was lost in his world of WhatsApp in the streets of Muscat. This paper explains various drawbacks of WhatsApp on its users.
Firstly, the use of WhatsApp has destabilized the tight relationship among family members. Family members no longer have hospitable atmosphere as they used to have. Everyone is ever "busy" interacting with his or her phones or tablets (Coosto, 2014). Before the invention of WhatsApp, a family would sit and play games together around a table. However, with the invention of the social media, the perspective of entertainment has transformed into watching funny video clips, viewing crazy selfies/images and memes, and listening to weird audio clips forwarded in various WhatsApp groups games that people play individually. Today, instead of eating a meal or watching TV together as a family, every family member prefers being alone in their rooms loudly laughing at the humorous content in which they are exposed. Consequently, most youths spend more time with their phones on WhatsApp than they do with their families and relatives (Ashrafulayan, 2012).
WhatsApp has also contributed to modifying people’s social norms. Some people use WhatsApp to help them cope up with circumstances that could be emotionally traumatic. They deal with conditions that they would not wish to face in person through the internet communication, social media, or texts. Such situations may include dealing with bullies or ending a relationship. In addition, meek and shy individuals are comfortable conversing with other individuals without getting worried of their conversation topics, as well as awkward moments in the conversation. Even though this seems convenient and effective, the use of electronic media such as WhatsApp to evade stressful circumstances may affect their capacity to intermingle with one other.
In addition, WhatsApp has impacts on "face-to-face" social contacts. Social isolation is the lack of contact with other individuals in conventional day-to-day living, for instance, in the workplace, homes, with friends, family, among other social activities. People tend to detach themselves from others by getting occupied in their "little world." of managing WhatsApp groups and updating friends and family on their whereabouts through continuous change of profile pictures and status, even when they are in company of other persons. Moreover, just like the case of Abdul, it is more embarrassing to see people very busy in their phones, especially while crossing the roads. It is clear that most people love the virtual world more than they do appreciate the real world. Various researchers have exposed that the socially isolated people die young and live shorter lives. Others assert that social isolation may cause a number of health problems. It may lead to depression, anxiety, despair, rage, and many other problems, even being cold. A study done by scholars from Duke University and the University of Arizona reveals that social isolation is on the rise in America. This study has established that 25 percent of Americans have no one to talk to about personal issues. This fraction is more than twice the number that is found in a similar study in 1985. As Oprah Winfrey says, "The young generation spend a lot of their time in WhatsApp instead of taking part in constructive activities to build themselves.”
Even though WhatsApp addicts believe that they have improved their multitasking ability, scientific researches prove otherwise. WhatsApp Messenger is more than just the use of a tablet, phone, or reading through the inbox. It has developed to an endless flow of unfiltered information streaming through various notifications in phones. This makes people preoccupied with WhatsApp for the better part of their day (Spymasterpro, 2014). This has created a society full of interruptions and lack of concentration in more important and fruitful involvements. Since most individuals have become so absorbed in social media (especially WhatsApp), there have emerged created perpetual distractions to concentration in any aspect of life.
Moreover, WhatsApp has played a role in the rising cases of obesity in both children and young adults. The pediatricians also affirm the situation. Even though the principal conventional traditions emphasize the quantity and kind of foods that kids eat, a study suggests that the rise in cases of obesity is caused not only by food but also by the lack of exercise emerging from the frequent use of social media like WhatsApp. The use of computers, mobile devices, and tablets has resulted in sedentary living among the young and old. For instance, people spend more time chatting with online friends, and enjoying watching crazy WhatsApp videos rather than exercising or even strolling around.
WhatsApp also has effects on some individuals’ sleeping habits. People are carried away by online activities, such as group conversations, that make them stay awake up to late hours. This is due to continuous flow of information that keeps the brains active for long. Besides, the close glow from the screens may alter the release of the sleep chemical (melatonin). Sleep in America Poll, the study carried out by an N.G.O named The National Sleep Foundation in 2011, suggests that the well-known "sleeping problem" is influenced by the use of electronics when intending to sleep. Besides, the Sleep Poll has discovered that a good number of Americans are not satisfied with the period they spend sleeping. Medical experts advise that technology should be kept out of bedrooms in order to sleep healthily
Social Media platforms: WhatsApp have also distorted the sense of reality in some individuals. As people watch ...