INFORMATION SOCIETY: PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES (AN EDUCATIONAL STUDY)

The work examines psychological approach to social networking sites (SNSs) and their impact on people. It cannot be categorically asserted that social networks bring only benefit or harm. There are both narrowly focused social networks, which can be useful for work purposes, and multi-user ones, with huge functionality that ensures both the fulfillment of business goals and entertainment. They can help pass time, but they can just as successfully induce addiction in people with excess of that same time. Consequently, the influence of social networks on society is very diverse and ambiguous, and the impact on a particular individual depends on subjective qualities. Since social networks are a relatively recent phenomenon, this potential relationship between their use and feelings of loneliness and depression has not yet been properly investigated. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is another mental health effect that's been strongly linked with the use of social media.