Social media has become an important way for the world to communicate and grow closer together. 52% of people report feelings of connectedness and happiness after going on social media 5% leave social media depressed (Oberst, 2). Social media platforms; which include SnapChat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and many more. Generally, to be considered a major social media platform you need over 100,000,000 users. 52% of people feel that through social media they can improve how connected and involved in their social group they are currently. The 5% of people who leave SNS (social networking sites) depressed often experience this depression because while on social media you compare yourself against your friends and family. This comparison is usually not intentional, but when people always post the best part of themselves on social media it can make you feel worse about yourself. While social media can be a tool for good, some people use it to attack others without consequence. These people who have been attacked often develop destructive opinions of themselves and their identities. Identities can reference anything including: gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race, religion, or socioeconomic status. Social media misuse and bullying has accounted for almost 30,000 per year in the United states alone. This shows us that there is a problem with how people use social media now. A solution to this issue is introducing social media education into computer classes. Most
With the social media sites we have seen a rise in cyber-bullying, a CBS News report showed over 42% of people have been a victim of cyber-bullying (Jung). These sites have also given us a false sense of connection, it is increasingly more difficult to distinguish between ‘real’ life and what is online (Jung). Social media has also impacted our politics and businesses. From politicians and business on social media trying to reach a larger audience, it has become so commonplace we hardly notice the ads that have begun popping up on Instagram
Social Media is a form of communication in which a person shares information, personal ideas, and thoughts online. The foundation of social media began in 1997 when the first social media site Six Degrees was developed. Since 1997, social media has become an iconic name and has become part of this generation's conversation. There are over 100 million people using social media to gain access to the digital world, with over 20 social media sites including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram (Milanovic 1). Roughly 80 percent of teens and 20 percent of adults use social media daily and almost half of the users were bullied or criticized for a single comment. Comments that include discrimination, sexism, or political beliefs can be retweeted to thousands in a matter of hours. “Accusations go viral, globally, within hours, and instead of having dozens of angry voices baying for your blood, you have tens of thousands” (Haley 1). Although social media has made it easier to communicate these sites, make it easier to be critical or prejudiced to others online instead of face-to-face.
To begin, it is proven that social media makes people feel more depressed. For example, people tend to check their social media websites when bored. This boredom soon becomes sadness. As they look through their social media site, they realize that everyone else is having more fun. They notice people are out at dinners, parties, etc, whereas you were not invited to any of these occasions. This makes you quickly ask yourself, “Why am I not having as much fun as them?” As you ponder this question, it essentially makes you feel—lonely and unloved.
Social Networking: The recent study revealed that more and more people of all age groups are facing depression due to social networking. For e.g. someone enjoying outing/get together with friends or getting more likes or comments makes one feel jealous and/or left out. Most children and young people are experiencing loneliness due this.
The popularity of social media giants such as Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are on the rise and so is our nation's overall poor mental health status (The State of Mental Health in America). Studies have shown that there is a direct link between our social media obsession and our poor mental health (Walton). Social media can lead to feelings of comparison, jealousy and even delusional behavior. Another effect that social media has on our mental health is that it often leads to feelings of sadness and loneliness. Lastly, social media addiction is one of the many things that affects our mental health. Studies show that social media is often the cause of poor mental health, it can cause comparison, jealousy, loneliness and lastly addiction.
Every year, "over 25 percent of adolescents and teens [are] bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet." (cyber bullying stats) and "Cyber-bullying [is] becoming more and more rampant in school and after school among teens and children." (Bullying stats). Social media can be a great thing that can open doors to new opportunities and discoveries, however, when used incorrectly, the digital footprint left behind may greatly affect future opportunities. To prevent a negative digital footprint, children and teens must be educated about internet uses.
Social media creates emotional responses, whether it’s feeling ignored, dissatisfied, comparison or loneliness. From not getting enough likes to the amount of friends one has acquired, people have their status quo right on a convenient site for all to see. With such easy access to these negative responses, there is no benefit from these sites for individuals who are already having a hard time to fit in. Seth Greenberg, an experienced journalist for, How the World Changed Social Media, backs up my claim of these negative emotions social media can create. He explains, “In the last five years, several popular news outlets like Times, Forbes, and New Yorker have cited psychological studies that social media may increase depression, dissatisfaction,
Bullying has always been a prevalent issue among society, especially within adolescence. However, cyberbullying in specific, is becoming more intense and harmful as the use technology increases. Unfortunately, bullies target those who are different among society, such as individuals who are different in race, religion, language, and sexual orientation. Bullying is no longer stemmed from school and left there, kids are bringing these unnecessary things home with them through the use of social media. These behaviors from bullies are preventing the victims to exceed their full potential in school, extra-circular activities, and being who they are in general. Now that most individuals use social media, they are able to see who is being
Technology and its applications have influenced the means of communication among humans in today’s society. One of technology’s most powerful applications, social media, allows people to express their feelings and share their thoughts without having to speak to others in person. National Anthem (2011) and Fifteen Million Credits (2011) from the television show, Black Mirror, by Charlie Brooker show how social media affects the interactions between people, whether that be due to sharing fascinating news or enjoying comical relief. While the two scenarios shown were completely different, each revealed similar depictions of media and its significance in setting societal norms. National Anthem and Fifteen Million Credits both portray the effect of social media on the normal, everyday life of an individual by emphasizing the hidden prominence and presence of sexual stimulation, mental distraction, and entertainment values found within the changing lifestyle choices of society.
Social Media users have decreased their social bonding by becoming a victim of their own thoughts as they isolated themselves from the outside world. As the creations of new social platforms have evolved, the amount of self-hate, bullies, loneliness, and depression has increased. According to Mark Widdowson, “We all have a basic need to be liked and accepted by others and social media can play into this vulnerability. “Likes” are the currency of social media, and people who have low self-esteem may place great value on seeking validation from their social media use by trying to attract likes to their comments as a way of increasing their self-esteem (“Is social media making people depressed?”). There is a lot of controversy on what causes depression, which leads to the issue: does social media cause depression? For years now, many young adults kill themselves due to the things seen, or heard from social media. Therefore, social media does cause depression.
Facebook and other social media platforms have brought communication across the world to a whole new level. The rise of social media has created a place for children to communicate with others in both a positive and negative manner. Although it has made a positive impact on American youth, it has also contributed and exacerbated bullying in our schools. This new form of bullying, often referred to as cyberbullying, has created an around-the-clock atmosphere where bullying can occur even when school is not in session. Many professionals have sought to address the negative aspects of social media and have worked to develop a solution to bring cyberbullying to an end.
As social media gets popular and provides an easier access to the Internet, the more difficult it gets to control people’s outburst. Many people wonder, “What is the difference between traditional bullying and cyber bullying?” “What is cyber bullying?” Traditional bullying is when a person is bullying another person face to face. However, with cyber bullying is different. Cyber bullying occurs through out social media and on the Internet. Once in a while I overhear a person questioning about how teens and young kids use social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and etc. Social media has its pros and cons, pro because it gives us an easier to access to sources when we need it right away. Social media also has its cons because social media is very powerful tools, which can be taken advantage of like for example, making shanky comments on pictures or post inappropriate information about another person. Therefore, how fast is cyberbullying expending? How can we use the Internet in a positive way? Two great essays by Jesse Fleck, Leigh Johnson-Migalski, Jemica Carter, and Feleta Wilson explain these reasoning’s.
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”)
As technology progress, humans evolve to the advanced technology and enhance our lives via technology. We connect to our families, friends and others through social media such as Facebook. Social media takes up a huge part in our lives. Social media infest us with information that are relevant and irrelevant to us. Marry Marrow wrote, “It was Facebook that changed the face of e-communication; in fact, it was the first electronic social media” (para 1). She assumes that Facebook is playing a huge role in electronic communication. In the journalist Maria Konnikova, “How Facebook makes us unhappy?”, Konnikova divulges many aspects of people on social media through researching and experience, and finds how social makes us unhappy. I agree with Konnikova findings after reading her article. In addition, she concludes that if you are engaged, active, and creative you will not sorrowful on Social media, however if you are passively browsing and defuse to engage, you will be depressed.
For the baseline week, time spent on social media is 25 hours and 12 minutes, average 3 hours and 36 minutes per day. I spent more time on social media on weekends compared to weekdays where I would have university.