Discussion Group on Social Media

    Students were invited to a discussion group on how social media affects the psyche on Tuesday, February 7th. Some felt that the media, particularly the news, delivers too much negative information, such as news coverage of mugging, murder, and rape. Meanwhile, others expressed that the people involved in the media industry might fabricate stories based on propaganda.

    Students also created a hypothetical scenario. In this scenario, media coverage would place more focus on positive topics than on the negative topics. They wondered if this shift in the media industry would make the world a more positive place. One student felt that it depends on how you define the words negative and positive. The other students expressed that they were only discussing specific negative aspects of social media, such as violence and crime. In response, the student said, "But aren't there other types of media topics besides violence and crime that can be perceived as negative?"

     This student suggested that the psyche might already make its own choices on what is negative and pessimistic and what is not, depending on the individual's perception of reality. Because of this comment, a new perspective developed. Perhaps it is not negative social media that influences our psyche as much as it is our pre-existing perceptions of the world that influence what we classify as negative.