Social media is a collective term for websites and applications that focus on interactive communication, enabling people to interact with each other by sharing and consuming information. (Example: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, etc).

Now most people own a Smartphone and access to these websites has become very easy.

Social media is a boon and a bane.

People use social media to stay in touch and interact with friends, family and various communities. Businesses use social applications to market and promote their products and track customer concerns.

The actual fact is the social media has taken over our leisure time.

People tend to hit Social media websites and applications for everything they feel like to gain some insight. This has impacted most of their leisure time.

Most people who were earlier able to spend some quality time with family and friends are now living in isolation as they keep browsing some of the other kinds of stuff. Interaction with family and friends mostly happens on a social network platform. Even when we meet our family and friends, most of the time goes into taking pictures, posting it and checking the number of likes.

The addiction of social media is most common among the youth. The addiction of social media can destroy the academic life of students as they waste their most of time on social media instead of studying and learning. It also does not leave much time for students to pick up a hobby like music or dance. Students are spending less time outdoors in picking up sports much required for physical development. Constantly gazing on the screen also worsens the eyesight of students.

Why do people engage in social media?

Humans are a social animal meant for life in a group. We feel more confident when we know that we are not alone.

We also need attention and we don’t always feel in our ordinary life.

We can say that social networks expand the boundaries of our social group. With your Smartphone in your hand, you can communicate and interact with people from all over the world. It is inspiring; it is interesting, it has not happened before.

And yes, social networks are easy. And as you know, we do not like to complicate our lives.

What is the conclusion on how social media has taken our leisure time?

Of course social media has taken a big chunk of our leisure time. But it is not a bad thing to happen… There is so much variety of content that is available that the leisure time gets extended always…

Just the off side is that people should draw a line for their own self to restrict accessing social media when they are physically around people… they should interact and enjoy those moments instead of tucking their heads in the handsets while attending social gathering and family get-togethers.

Excess use of anything is harmful and the same thing applies to social media too.

“The greatest weapon is not a gun or a bomb. It is the control of information. To control the world’s information is to manipulate all the minds that consume it”.