In the digital world of today’s media, the definition of how social media has been dictating personal life and creating Happiness is a much debatable and controversial thing. Since the advent of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, with more and more individuals getting woven into the fabric of everyday life, the problem of how such virtual spaces interact with people’s mental health is becoming more topical decade after decade. The main aim of this essay is to examine the argument that social media either higher or lowers the degree to which its users feel happy. Through philosophical interrogations and critical thinking approaches this paper aims to find the deep powers of social media that may have far-reaching consequences on Happinness and other worldviews. A fine analysis of this matter adds to the debate about the complex cause and effects of the relationship between humans and technologies in the modern age.
Social media gives an individual a platform for interaction and self-expression, which could be a source of Happiness because people often get fulfilment from others’ acknowledgement and love. However, the impact of social media on people still needs to be fully understood, as the outcomes are complex and change over time. This essay argues that likely to win at first, social media makes people happy, but after regularly tuning in, it may be dangerous to emotional well-being. Aspects, for example, eternal social comparison and the generalized lingering fear of missing out, can continually influence and decrease a person’s general Happiness. Through an in-depth investigation of the difficulties mentioned above, we strive to defend psychological well-being, thus calling for a balanced and mindful approach to digital engagement to ultimately achieve lasting Happiness.
As defined in philosophical discourse, Happiness exceeds every pleasure and encompasses a more profound sense of fulfilment and well-being. According to Moore & Parker’s Critical Thinking, Happiness can be understood as a state of flourishing characterized by satisfaction with one’s life and fulfilment of one’s desires. This definition provides a framework for evaluating the impact of social media on users’ Happiness.
Social media are like virtual places where people interact: users can share their feelings and be liked or clicked on. The public likes or positive comments appeal to most people’s self-esteem, enhancing their self-worth and social life. That sounds good; it further emerges that maintaining social links with other people across physical distances reinforces the feeling of belonging and enhances social bonds, which in turn is very beneficial in building up feelings of Happiness and contentment (Bhandari np). These platforms help people contact each other and perform social interaction. They play a role in a path to immediate fulfilment and, in the short term, Happiness boosting. Nevertheless, it is essential to acknowledge the short-term happy feelings that digital assurance brings and to consider what may become of those who depend solely on online approval for their daily dose of sustained Happiness.
But often, the uninterrupted, not lasting demand for social media engagement adversely affects social media users’ Happiness. Perpetual replaying of the imperfect lives of people, similar to Instagram and TikTok videos, is a possible trigger for feelings of incompetence and social comparison. Thus, it may negatively affect the users’ self-esteem and content (Lee et al., np). Moreover, the addictive aspect of social media, combined with the fear of missing out, creates anxiety and dissatisfaction in the long run, which detracts from the user’s overall Happiness and mental peace.
In the course of the above argument, both inductive and analogical reasoning plays a substantial part in appraising the influence of social media on human Happiness (Moore and Parker, np) by analyzing the claims and the arguments that contradict and support them on how valid and relevant each essential premise is. Socially, Media use can benefit people somehow, but the point opposite of this claim can be illustrated by the same delicate complexities and risks that come with such a thing.
In conclusion, the relationship between social media and Happiness is not unidirectional and necessitates deliberate examination. Though social media platforms grant access to social contacts and expression, their impact on Happiness is diverse and is determined by factors, including social comparison and feelings of missing out; through close validating of the premise with a critical thinking method, one can make informed judgments on the rise of social media use and the potential happiness consequences. In line with that, in the future, more people need to be involved in mindful and balanced engagement with social media to protect users’ well-being and Happiness in the digital world.
In this essay, critical thinking is highlighted as the key feature that makes it possible to review the claims and imperative logic is also utilized to evaluate complex issues like social media’s influence on human Happiness. Performing a critical thinking exercise, we can uncover the intricacies and multi-layered dynamics of this subject matter, enabling us to improve the following social media interaction by bringing up this issue or issue closely related to it.
Bhandari, Pritha. “Inductive Reasoning | Types, Examples, Explanation.” Scribbr, 12 Jan. 2022,
www.scribbr.com/methodology/inductive-reasoning/.
Lee, Ming-Hsuan, et al. “Does Using Social Media Increase or Decrease Happiness? An
Empirical Study of Facebook Users in Taiwan.” Papers.ssrn.com, 11 July 2022,
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4320225.
Moore, Brooke Noel, and Richard Parker. “Critical Thinking.” Mheducation.com, 17 Mar. 2020,
“Chapter 11: Inductive Reasoning” Critical Thinking