Social media brings fake news, cyber bullying, and scams. Some people argue that social media is a force for good, but the disadvantages far outweigh any benefits.

Social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook open up a place for cyber bullying and propaganda. These platforms create a place for people to openly bully and harass others because they have the comfort and security of being behind a screen.

Twitter or Facebook might be great ways to get news about what’s happening around the world, but how much of the posted information is true?

Anyone can go on Facebook and post something completely false and millions will fall for the trap because of the stubborn belief that “the Internet is always right.” This also goes for scams that appear daily all over social media platforms that just lead to viruses.

Addiction to social media is also a very real thing. Most users have an unhealthy obsession with likes, followers, and their accounts on the various platforms. People with fewer followers are affected also, as their self-esteem suffers.

With people constantly on these apps, no one has time for the simple pleasures of life. What happened to reading a book? A study by the National Endowment for the Arts says that the percentage of Americans who still read literature is only at 43 percent.

Social media does offer an easy place to talk to friends and relatives, but this breaks the bond of actual face-to-face communication between people. People’s social skills will start to decrease if everyone is on social media all the time.
Social media deserves its bad reputation, and people would be better off without it.