Causes Of Social Media

Social Media is affecting our society in a negative way. From being the number one cause of divorce, ruining people’s careers, and being a haven for teen suicides, many misfortunes arise due to social media. People may not notice its damaging side effects yet it is slowly but surely proving detrimental to all involved in the game. By taking a step back and maintaining self-control, any human being immersed in the frenzy of social media can enjoy its perks without getting caught up in the whirlwind of unfortunate events.

Did you know social media can change you? Social media can cause problems with your health? In the article, “Student examines negative effects of social media on teens” by Aurelie Krakowsky and “The Upside of Selfies: Social media isn’t all that bad for kids” by Kelly Wallace talks about social media, but clearly it’s harmful to people. Social media is for people to enjoy on a daily basis and be updated on what is happening in the world; however it can be harmful to your health and even your education. It can lower kids self esteem and make them feel uncomfortable about themselves. It can also cause health issues and distant yourself from the people around you.

Social media, as previously mentioned can either have a positive or negative impact to the community. It is a wonderful resource for adults and children. It is used as an instant communication tool. Unfortunately, it can have a damaging effect to the community when use inappropriately. Back in the old days, bullying behavior occurs face-to-face. Now, with the advancement of technology, bullying can be done easily and instantly through the use of computer, cellphones and other electronic devices. People can share photos and videos through social media that can contain violence and sex creating a negative impact to the society, as kids and adult can involve themselves in crime related activities. However, when utilized by responsible people, social media can be used to educate and promote a peaceful, safe environment. People can also share news and information through social media which gives them awareness on what’s happening around them.

Social media has been a topic of debate for years. Some people are strongly against any use of it while others like the instant connection it provides. A major concern over social media is the lasting effects it has on teenagers. Social media can affect teenagers through many ways including things like their self-esteem. Cyberbullying is a raging topic of discussion centered around teens social media use. It can also effect their people skills and create a lack of community involvement. Some parents think that watching what their children do on social media is an invasion of privacy but is your concern for their privacy greater than your concern for their safety? Social media poses a great danger to today’s children. It can affect many aspects of their lives.

Some people may wonder what effect social media has on people worldwide. Many people are using social media daily and because of that, they might not know the effects that can be lurking behind a screen and causing harm to their mental health. Social media has many negative effects on mental health. Some people could think that mental health and social media has no relation, when it does. It is a fast-growing issue with many “cause and effect” reasons behind it. Each cause needs to be recognized along with the effect it has on the people who use social media.

Since the birth of social media people have argued whether it has a positive or negative effect on society. Social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram give people a chance to stay connected. Although, with the power of social media comes the possibility of cyber bullying. While there are some negatives associated with social media, the positives in communication all around, has made the world stronger and a better place to live in.

Firstly, I agree with Turk’s opinion that social media can result in the social isolation. Gary Turk (2014) stated “I look around to realize the media we call social is anything but when we open our computers, and it is our doors we shut.” When we spend more time engaging in social media platforms , we are less social in real life. What’s worse, even when we are joining an event, we are too focusing on looking at social media, which may be costing us in social interaction. If people do not experience face-to-face interaction with others, they may lose the ability to initiate a conversation with a stranger, which can eventually lead to them isolated by the society.

Most people believe that social messaging is more of a benefit than a consequence, but using social media can actually be harmful. Social media is something most kids, teens, and even some adults are using all the time. It has become a part of our generation’s lives. Having people on their phones all day long is not only disappointing, but also damaging. Instead of talking to someone face-to-face and hanging out, people prefer just texting or going on a social network. For some people understanding a life without social media is near impossible. Using social media can have some adverse effects such as: it causes cyberbullying, it can compromise education, and it could have an effect on social skills.

Did you know according to the Department of Health and Human Services that 94 percent of teens use social media? Which has showed us social media is a major problem. Social media is applications and websites that people create and share information, ideas, and messages. Social media has caused many problems, including it has contributed to people being isolated. Isolation is to be set apart or separate and to be alone, which is harmful because you can lose basic social skills. Social media harmfully isolate people and users because it causes people to not fully engage with others, they do not make friends, and they lose practice on basic social skills.

The social media is one of the most common ways of communication and pretty much of knowing anything and everything around the world these days, and it is growing very rapidly. It changes and affects each person in a different way, or ways. Some may argue that social media has a bad influence on children and young adults, and that it negatively effects their brains, character, or personalities, while most people see that the social media has a more positive effect on them than a negative one. Moreover, social media has helped many people around the world to connect, or re-connect, with each other, easily. Social media is basically the new way of keeping in touch with everything and everyone, and of even strengthening bonds between each

Despite the positives, there are many negatives associated with social media. Using social media can make a person more vulnerable to predators and cyber bullying. In this age, “Cyber bulling is quite common, can occur to any young person online, and can cause profound psychosocial outcomes including depression, anxiety, severe isolation, and tragically suicide” (“American Academy of Pediatrics”). Cyber bullying impacts society in a negative way because it is harming young teenagers’ minds. Bullies, torment, threat, harass, and even embarrass their victims by using different forms of social media. Using social media can also decrease privacy for an individual. People often give out their personal information not knowing who can see it. To average internet users, “A false sense of security may leave social networking site users vulnerable to security attacks such as hacking, leaking sensitive information, and sending viruses” (“ProCon”). Furthermore, Social media can also lead to brain disorders and can cause people to have a hard time interacting with people face to face. “Social networking entices people to spend more time online and less time talking to a person face to face.” (“ProCon”)

Social media is one of the most common ways for people to communicate anywhere and at any time in modern society. Some people think that it is beneficial to have in society. Although, many people are starting to see negative effects arise from the use of social media as well. These negative effects are increasing and becoming more problematic every day. The disadvantages of social media far outweigh the advantages. Social media effects everyone in society, especially teenagers by negatively impacting their lives, face-to-face interactions, and mental health.

Studies have shown that the average person now spends more time each day on their phone and computer than they do sleeping according to Nick McGillivray (“What are the Effects of Social Media on Youth?). Social has become part of our social society, especially for the many youths. There are positives to being on social media and also equal amounts of danger that come with using social networking sites, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. These social networking sites also have effects on today’s youth by altering the way they behave, the way they learn, in not only a classroom setting but also in the real world setting, and the way that they socialize with their peers and others.

Social media is used on a daily basis to keep people connected from all over the world. Even though many people feel like they’re connected when they use too much social media, others feel like they’re socially isolated. Brian Primack is the director of the Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health at the University of Pittsburgh. Him and his colleagues surveyed 1,787 adults in America ranging from ages 19 to 32 and asked them about their usage of 11 social media platforms outside of work. They also asked the participants questions such as how often they felt left out. The results of the survey revealed that the users who spent the most time on social media- more than two hours a day- had twice the odds of perceived social isolation than those who said they spent a half hour per day or less on those sites. Users who visited social media platforms most frequently- 58 or more times per week- had more than three times the odds of perceived social isolation than those who visited fewer than nine times per week. The study also showed that out of all the social media platforms, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram were the ones mostly associated with social isolation (Hobson).

Growing up in a generation of social media and being able to instantly send and receive text messages from anywhere in the world has caused me to not know of a time in which you could only communicate around the world with letters. I live in a day and age where communication is instantaneous, and anyone can be accessed at almost any time. In America alone, it is said that 77% of all adults own a smartphone, which means that more than ¾ of the adults living in America can contact anyone else at any time. Along with this instantaneous communication came social media and the opportunity to spread news and make normal people internet famous. Friends can send each other interesting articles and can share their political and religious views for the entire world to see. Although social media is supposedly a good thing that benefits the human race, it is causing more harm than good. Social media and the internet are causing the human race to be less intelligent and is causing higher rates of depression in teens.