Since its induction in the early 2000’s, social media has impacted people of all ages, however, it’s also hurt just as many along the way. As most things do, it has both its ups and downs.
Media Sites
Social Media has come an extremely long way in a short amount of time. Not only has it been helpful to people when gathering the latest information, but it allows people to express their own opinions in a way that they can’t do verbally. As good as that sounds, it can also be dangerous. Allowing people to make their opinions public, along with having the ability to judge another’s can be unpredictable. The most popular Social Media sites used by teenagers include: Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest. Snapchat and Instagram are the most hazardous sites for young teenagers.
Distractions
Twenty-six percent of parents have reported that their children have been attacked over social media sites in the United States. Of teenagers between the ages of 13-17, nearly 70% own both Instagram and Snapchat. On average they spend nine hours on these sites daily. Not only does this give people the opportunity to post negative things, but it’s also extremely time consuming. Spending time with family and friends, doing homework, extra curricular activities, and other hobbies is by far a more sufficient way to use your time. Not only does this highly affect teenagers, but it affects adults just as frequently. Bob Sullivan, NBC News Columnist, wrote that “some students, even when on their best behavior, can’t concentrate on homework for more than two minutes without distracting themselves by using social media or writing an email.” Social Media affects people in all different ways. Some think that it benefits them, while others think it’s problematic and only brings negativity to our society.
Teen Development
Along with all the negativity social media brings, it’s common that many teens and young adults feel pressured and need acceptance while using these sites. As teenagers are just developing their own opinions, they often feel the need to change them based on others. Social Media takes people’s opinions away from them. Teenagers often use these sites as a way to impress others, without thinking how it can affect their lives in the long run.
Low Self-Esteem
Seeing models’ posts on Instagram makes young women feel insecure about their bodies and it lowers their self-esteem. However, young women don’t realize that a lot celebrities and models actually Photoshop their pictures. Teenage girls compare themselves to other girls who completely transform their body features. This causes teens to spend their time and money to become to try and become the “perfect Instagram model.” In an article published by Psycom.net “those who had spent more time on social media had 2.2 times the risk of reporting eating and body image concerns, compared to their peers who spent less time on social media.” For these reasons, social media definitely can have a negative effect on teenager’s lives.
Conclusion
Social Media will only continue to grow and shape the lives of future generations. Teenagers should take advantage of it by providing and gathering relevant information rather than using it in negative ways. Although you can’t control the lives of everyone, we can work to minimize the usage of Social Media and make the technological world a safer, more respectful environment.
