Negative Effects Of Social Media

Nowadays social media have become one of the important part of our lifestyle and has a great influence in our day to day basic activities. Getting more likes and having more followers has become one of the important part of people’s social life. Teenagaers spent most of their time checking Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and many more. According to The Washington Post, “Teens are spending more than one-third of their days using media such as online video or music-nearly nine hours on average, according to a new study from the family technology education nonprofit group, Common Sense Media” (Tsukayama, Hayley). It has also mentioned that social media has negative as well as positive effects on

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.

With the help of technology, we can spread information faster than any other media source. From natural disasters, a famous figure passing away, or other shocking news; it only takes seconds for a friend to post it on their social media page, along with their reaction. With that in mind, because we live in the information age, the abundance of data we are exposed to can easily cause weariness (Kelly). As not everything shared is of interest to some individuals due to the information can be truthful, untruthful, or an opinion of the writer. Truthful information oftentimes becomes difficult to ascertain. While social media has allowed thousands to have a voice and spreads information that the user feels is important, a side effect is the spreading of false information distinguished as the truth. According to a website called Statista, eighty-one percent of U.S. Americans have had a social media profile, which is a five percent growth to previous years (Peng). While those numbers can be helpful while spreading news of a lost child on social media, negative results can take place as well. I have experienced firsthand how social media can spread news like wildfire, but in the process, the information gets twisted and changed becoming no longer truthful. Despite the previous viewpoint on the positives of social media, there are noticeably more negatives that imperil individuals.

Having social media in our upcoming generation has become one of the most popular sources of communication. Young teenagers growing up in today’s generation with social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter have provided pictures and videos that have become the first thing people look at in the morning, and the last thing they see before bed. These pictures have provided unrealistic standards as to what is considered beautiful in today’s society. By establishing unattainable standards of beauty and bodily perfection, the media drive ordinary people to dissatisfaction with their body images. The dissatisfaction can results in resorts to drastic measures, and even disorders of behavior, as people try to achieve these unreachable goals.

Social media occupies a vast majority of our time. Parents who have children in high school or college are constantly caught saying to their children, “get off your phone, do your work!” I know I can specifically attest to such a statement. Teens feel the need to often prioritize the media over work, exercise, family time, and studies. It is a mode of procrastination. One may state, “Mom, please just let me take a break, Sarah posted a picture and I need to like it or she will be mad.” We live in an era where people are deemed good or bad friends based on liking a peers photo. Social media provides individuals with instant gratification as they see the innumerable amount of like piling up on their home screens instantly after posting pictures. Vannesse agrees with this as she says, “We can’t

Walking down the hallways of any high school can be a maze. Majority of students have their heads down looking into their phones. Awkward moments are avoided by constantly refreshing social media apps to look like things are being done. Phones and social media are a huge part of life these days, “94 percent of teens who go online using a mobile device do so daily. 71 percent of teens say they use more than one social media site.” (HHS). More than half the teen population is using social media websites and the effects of them can be life long. Everything from bullying to harassing someone can occur on these sites. Along with being judged by others and judging yourself based on what other people post as well. Social media can be a great place to share things with friends but it can also be a place that lowers self-esteem to rock bottom.

The use of social media by athletes is observed more and more every year; both collegiate and professional athletes have large platforms, and many athletes choose to use social media accounts to communicate messages to bring awareness to a certain organization, show support for other athletes and teams, or to persuade fans to buy a particular product. Uniquely enough, athletes can send nonverbal messages on social media with the use of Instagram; and in addition to positive impacts of social media platforms, there can be negative consequences for athletes.

Excessive time spent on social media can cause addiction to the internet. Because technology today is extremely different than it was ten to twenty years ago, time spent online has grown significantly. “In the 1990s, children and teens spent on average four hours a day with media; these estimates have now skyrocketed to an average of six (for children) and nine hours a day (for teens). As a matter of fact, today’s children and teens spend more time with media than they do at school” (Valkenburg 2017). A jump of nearly 5 hours of time spent online within a twenty-year time span is outrageous. Social media has become a lifestyle for most teens, rather than a small hobby. The multiple hours spent online result in actions becoming habits. “This generation has made social media their top priority and

Social networking is a primary source for influencing negative behaviors, especially egotism and relationship troubles. Social media gives people an opportunity for users to share content with their friends and followers. However, some people who post photos or videos of themselves online for international viewing become more narcissistic, and will constantly refer to themselves as being of a more higher standard than others. According to one online source, the author states some online communities have the potential for altering with a user’s mentality, and can render the mind to act more egotistical and reduce their focus on other situations (Derbyshire, 2011). The claim presented by Derbyshire demonstrates that a few social networking sites can do just about as much damage to a person’s behavior than being isolated from it. The amount of content posted online by an egotistical user raises the bar for them to only care about themselves rather than the wellbeing of others. A user’s attention span (as mentioned in the data) decreases drastically due to their constant attachment to a mobile device daily as again, the attention is only focused on them. It is mainly how this young brain develops; it becomes inconsistent the more time spent on these mobile platforms for potential virtual stardom. Besides the narcissism, social media can also be the result of modern-day relationship issues. In a 2017 study done by Deseret News and Brigham Young University, the research shows

Have you ever been left upset or had the feeling of unacceptance due to using social media? Using any social media of any kind can negative effects on you, these can be, low self- esteem, bulling and your social skills.

Media has become more accessible and free of restrictions as time goes on. Media continues to grow and has become a major part of our everyday lives; especially, our exposure to social media. Young girls have better access than ever to ads, images, and videos that depict distorted body images. The effects of these images and people have had a negative effect on a lot of young girls' lives. Things such as social media are showing young women what they should look like, but those ideas are not realistic. Most of the thing girls see on a day-to-day basis are posed, edited, and altered to show what our society views as 'ideal' and 'average', when in fact it is the opposite. Young girls today are being exposed to more and more media of the same body type. Fashion and modeling industries have been rising in popularity. Young girls are seeing these models and wanting to be like them. They want their lives to look just like the models’ lives they see on their Instagrams. Many girls will become disappointed with their lives and bodies because they are not seen as the best. Young girls are also seeing Internet stars and celebrities who have this body type and they are being idealized as what is perfect. Young girls idolize them and want to be just like them. Exposing girls to overly sexualized media so early in their lives, and at such a vulnerable time, is very unhealthy for both their mental and physical state of minds. For many people it becomes an unhealthy situation and a

Social media is affecting our health. Our excessive online time is making us feel guilty, is leading to depression, dishonesty, and inability to stick to a schedule, and many other things that spending too much facing our computer screens has caused. There needs to be more awareness. Kids are getting way too much computer time. “It's bad for their socialization, it's overstimulating, it's numbing them 1” (Tanner L., adapted by Newsla, 2013) says Sara Gorr, a San Francisco sales director and mother of two girls, ages 13 and 15. She, and many others are aware of the dangers. But not too many. This quote is proof that things are going on that most people don’t think about, that maybe the newest iPhone or the best MacBook isn’t really good for your health. Other people may tell you that working on a computer can be a good way to get the job done, and it is, as long as you keep your health in mind and not be on it all the time. That is when things get a little messy. For example, Amy Risinger, a mom of two boys that both use electronics in daily life, says that

Social Media has become very popular among every single person, especially young generation. Nowadays, everyone has at least one account on Facebook or Instagram. Although, with the pass of the time most of the young people get addicted to social media, causing them a high dependence on using a smartphone or electronic devices. Moreover, social media were created to make people easier to communicate with others, regardless of where they are. Permitting them to interact and socialize with people from different culture. Unfortunately, despite those benefits that social media provide, many young people are getting more and more addicted to using them. Social Media cause distractions, emotional exhaustion, Cyberbullying, and Online Risk-Taking Behavior.

Social media and social networking are causing depressions, anxiety, obesity, cyberbullying and the rise of harassment online. Yet most teens are extremely dependent on their devices spending hours doing nothing but mindlessly scrolling. These sites do nothing but destroy the self confidence of the users often leading to addiction. Platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and more have just become an addiction we all just accept even if it is detrimental to most people’s health.

Our lives seem to be more and more consumed by technology as great advances in this area have continue to be made, especially when it comes to social media. Many researchers have begun to notice that depending on how much time individuals spend on these social media sites, they can negatively affect their daily lifestyle in very significant ways.  For example, social networking has become a huge distraction for students and it can affect their grades depending on how often they check their various accounts while doing class work.  Researchers have also come to find out that social media can contribute to the development of psychological symptoms