My mom is like a lot of other moms: she doesn’t want me to be on social media, even though I’m already going to middle school. I initially tried to convince her to allow me to have a cell phone, but after sitting through thirty minutes of talking, I’m convinced that social media isn’t that great.
As social media is growing exponentially worldwide, so are concerns that social media platforms are decreasing users’ well-being. Recent investigations have uncovered that Facebook was aware of mental health risks linked to the use of Instagram yet kept that information secret.
Social media harms teens and children by normalizing risk-taking behaviors. TikTok has been linked to dangerous and antisocial behavior by researchers, who also indicate the platform initiated a case of school vandalism.
Using social media also exposes teens to cyberbullying. Almost half of the teen users on social media report being bullied. Other users are attacked by offensive comments. Watchdog groups have identified platforms such as Twitter to be full of cyberbullying, yet the platforms do little to stop hurtful posts and comments.
However, despite the detrimental effects of social media, many users elect to continue using the platforms because the platforms are designed to entrap your attention to make money, and it’s hard to quit the platforms once you’ve begun using the social media platform. Sadly, this is like how addiction to nicotine, alcohol, or drugs works, and some users report psychological cravings for social media. Even among those not stuck to their phones 24/7, hyper-connectivity is still an issue. Because the average teen uses nine hours of media every day, the always-accessible social media platforms can affect your concentration, focus, and sleep.
When worse comes to worst, social media can result in suicide, one of the leading causes of death of children under age 14. Suicide rates among teenagers drastically increased from 2007 to 2017 when social media increased its hold on the world. Sadly, suicide rates among 10- to 14-year-olds have grown more than 50 percent over the last three decades, according to the American Association of Suicidology. What’s even more astounding is that number is increasing every minute.
Of course, there are still some upsides to social media. Social media can help you communicate with family, friends, and people with the same interests as you. Also, social media can be a platform to raise awareness on important issues, find new friends and groups, and even discover valuable information. Despite these positive effects, more and more teens are experiencing anxiety, cyberbullying, and addiction due to the social media platforms dominating our lives.
Using social media can have many life-changing downsides. While there still are many upsides, it’s important to be careful on the world wide web: there are hackers, cyber bullies, and strangers lurking everywhere.
As social media is growing exponentially worldwide, so are concerns that social media platforms are decreasing users’ well-being. Recent investigations have uncovered that Facebook was aware of mental health risks linked to the use of Instagram yet kept that information secret.
Social media harms teens and children by normalizing risk-taking behaviors. TikTok has been linked to dangerous and antisocial behavior by researchers, who also indicate the platform initiated a case of school vandalism.
Using social media also exposes teens to cyberbullying. Almost half of the teen users on social media report being bullied. Other users are attacked by offensive comments. Watchdog groups have identified platforms such as Twitter to be full of cyberbullying, yet the platforms do little to stop hurtful posts and comments.
However, despite the detrimental effects of social media, many users elect to continue using the platforms because the platforms are designed to entrap your attention to make money, and it’s hard to quit the platforms once you’ve begun using the social media platform. Sadly, this is like how addiction to nicotine, alcohol, or drugs works, and some users report psychological cravings for social media. Even among those not stuck to their phones 24/7, hyper-connectivity is still an issue. Because the average teen uses nine hours of media every day, the always-accessible social media platforms can affect your concentration, focus, and sleep.
When worse comes to worst, social media can result in suicide, one of the leading causes of death of children under age 14. Suicide rates among teenagers drastically increased from 2007 to 2017 when social media increased its hold on the world. Sadly, suicide rates among 10- to 14-year-olds have grown more than 50 percent over the last three decades, according to the American Association of Suicidology. What’s even more astounding is that number is increasing every minute.
Of course, there are still some upsides to social media. Social media can help you communicate with family, friends, and people with the same interests as you. Also, social media can be a platform to raise awareness on important issues, find new friends and groups, and even discover valuable information. Despite these positive effects, more and more teens are experiencing anxiety, cyberbullying, and addiction due to the social media platforms dominating our lives.
Using social media can have many life-changing downsides. While there still are many upsides, it’s important to be careful on the world wide web: there are hackers, cyber bullies, and strangers lurking everywhere.
