How Social Media Is Transforming Society

by Christopher Clark




This essay will be addressing the question, ‘What do you think is the most significant transformation to society in the 21st century? Why?’ I believe that the rise of social media is the most significant transformation. This can be shown in the ways that is has affected communication, the news and extremism. Social media differentiates the 21st century from previous centuries in the way that it has altered the way that many throughout society act and behave.

Firstly, social media has transformed the way that communication happens in this century. The instant speed that messages can now travel has altered various aspects of society, for example it has had a great effect in the most recent Hong Kong protests. The ability to communicate the companies that have not backed the protest movements and identity them as targets to destroy led to the voting for the council elections in Hong Kong. The protest groups were mobilised to protest and thus a large number of pro-democracy candidates were able to be voted into power. Previously, this would not have able to have been so well coordinated without the assistance of a rapid way of communicating. Following on from this, distance across the world means much less now than it has in the past. It is easily possible to speak and communicate with people on other sides of the world and this has had a myriad of benefits. It can help academics share ideas with each other as to how they can further research. Furthermore, families can speak with each other if they are separated, which has changed the structure of family as we are still able to communicate despite distance separating us.

As well as this, communication on social media has opened up another area of bullying online. The problem of cyber-bullying has created a large amount of issues. It has led to the rise of the ‘cancel culture’ that has plagued celebrities recently with the intense criticism for often small offences, that can end up being incorrect, such as the story with Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun. However, by this point, many have already had careers ruined. As well as this, cyber-bullying has a massive effect at schools, with it often being a huge issue for students. Overall, communication through social media has changed society, some of it can be positive, but the issue with rapid bullying is one of the more negative aspects that social media has brought.


The way that the news is disseminated through social media has also had a transformative effect on society. Firstly, again in the same way as other communication, news is spread instantly throughout the world. Whilst this does have immediate advantages, such as help arranged during the Californian wildfires, or having to warn people of terrorist attacks, there are also disadvantages to this quick spread as well. Disinformation can also be easily circulated, and people may be spreading things that are not true: ‘fake news’. This is something that social media has greatly contributed to, which is shown in the recent move by the Conservative Party who switched their Twitter handle to that of ‘factcheckUK’. As well as this, Donald Trump continues to run a successful misinformation campaign through his Twitter page. This has the ability to make many believe that what he is saying is true and thus is misleading the trust that has been bestowed. This is something new in the 21st century; although there has been disinformation in the past, the scale of what is happening is unparalleled and so is its effect on society. People are sharing what is instantly in front of them, not checking to see if it is true or not. This is not moderated by many of the social media companies and people attempting to fact check cannot do it at the speed at which the disinformation is being released to the world. Overall, the way that the news is spread through social media is a huge societal change, firstly now that we can give immediate warnings, but also more negatively about what news now is, which is that of something that does not necessarily represent or tell the truth.

Finally, social media has changed the way that extremism has been spread around the world. Firstly, the rise of the Islamic State was greatly assisted by its ability to recruit on social media. They used a variety of social media sites to manipulate many young people into joining their fight, whether that be fighting on the front lines, carrying out attacks or becoming wives for the members. This rapid recruitment was something that was enabled by social media, and different to other time periods. As well as this, it enabled them to claim attacks as soon as they had happened, this could instantly spread fear throughout people. As well as this, social media has enabled more far-right elements to also grow from a more grassroots level. For example, the attack on the mosque in New Zealand seemed to have been born out of the chatrooms 4chan and 8chan as well as other far-right groups. This has also enabled other attacks such as an incel inspired attack on a yoga studio in the US. These attacks and groups that have helped inspired them were born out of the legitimacy that they were given by other people on social media. Overall, more extremist views have grown out of the freedom social media has given them. 

In conclusion, social media has had a transformative effect on society in this century: the way that it has altered how we communicate with the world around us, how news is spread and the way that extremism has grown on both the far-right and also in terms of Islamic extremism. Not all of this has been a positive transformation - but is has still transformed society.

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