The Big Debate: Has social media changed us?
Social media is currently evolving, but has it changed us? That’s the question we put to Dan Morris and Andy Richardson.
Dan Morris: Yes, and we must be wary
It’s hard now to imagine a world before social media, yet when I squint and click my heels together three times, I can just about remember a childhood and adolescence free of ‘likes’ and right swipes.
There is no doubt in my mind that social media has changed us; the question is, has this been for better or worse?
Social media in most forms is a wonderful tool that allows connectivity in ways even my sci-fi obsessed early nineties self couldn’t have imagined. It allows the sharing of information at a lightning pace, the growth of conversation and debate over thousands of miles, and the building of ideas between people who would otherwise never have met.
Yet, with light comes dark.
Social media is also used as a weapon with which to bully, and as a means to damage rather than enrich. In the worst cases, it is utilised by unspeakable predators seeking to take advantage of innocent users in the most despicable of ways.
