The Downfalls of Social Media for Our Youth

Social media seems to be changing how we communicate through society. Adolescents are consumed with media for an estimated 7.5-8.5 hours per day (Georgia, 2014; Giedd, 2012). Instead of interacting with each other face to face adolescents are socializing through their phones (George, 2014). The purpose of the paper was to research how social media affects the brain, sleep, and cyberbullying (Lemola, Perkinson- Gloor, Brand, Dewald- Kaufmann, & Grob, 2014; Mills, 2014; Betts & Spenser, 2017).

Various forms of media, such as the television, radio, newspapers, movies, magazines and most notably, the internet, have impacted heavily on the youth. The media not only serves as a source of information but also provides a source of entertainment. Media sources have relentlessly worked on creating appealing images that entice the youth to their content. Although these may be informative, the youths have been coerced into consuming more time reading or browsing for such information. Recent advancements in computers and mobile phones have led to ease of access of the internet via advanced wireless devices. Whereas this creates a tech-savvy generation, the content provided by some media houses may be uncensored and entails violent acts,

What is America’s Youth without social media? Social media is a big part of the American society. Most definitely the youth part of the society. Social Media comes with many pros and cons. It lets you stay in contact with new friends, lets you reconnect with old friends. It’s also a way of creating a mini biography for everyone in the world to see. Social media can be used responsibly or it can dangerous for some users. When used carelessly social networks can cause great damage to anyone. Some people don’t realize when using social media how much information they put out there for the world to see. Young teens can rarely tell when they put their selves at risk when using social media. Social

Society is now immersed in the era of the digital age. Gone are the days of searching for hours in the library for the answers to a particular question, writing letters that can take days if not weeks to reach its recipient or simply visiting friends to reconnect. The Internet has provided a way to obtain and share a vast amount of information instantaneously on devices such as laptops and mobile phones. As a result, the number of users is increasing at an exponential rate as more people go online and embrace the convenience of the world-wide web. Social media sites allow the user to share personal information, photographs and videos at their own discretion as well as view the information shared by others, such sites have become an integrated part of everyday life especially amongst adolescents. Although, this modern way of social interaction and information sharing has its advantages it can likewise have a negative impact on the lives of some individuals. This essay will suggest that while the Internet has advanced communication and is growing in popularity, the issue of bullying has similarly evolved. Consequently, cyberbullying is now a recognised problem faced in most societies and educational institutions. To deal with this new phenomenon, countries such as New Zealand is proposing changes to existing laws and legislations.

While some young people utilize technology to create great content such as music, literature, or coding, it has created a budding effect of a generation that is obsessed with consumption. The truth is the majority of youth’s time has been excessively dedicated to passive activities like watching tv or online videos, gaming and scrolling through social media. According to Common Sense Media, when it’s summed up America’s youth is using an average of 6 hours of media daily, not counting for school or homework. That is a massive chunk stolen from a child’s day and the effects can be extremely damaging. It is leading the young generation of today to become overstimulated, over-scheduled and under pressure to perform both academically and beyond

A person “can just post something nasty… instead of risking an unpleasant confrontation face to face” (Banks 14-15). Different psychological studies show that when there is a conflict and people try to fix the problem, face to face, it is often resolved. Usually when the person being demeaning or harsh sees the other person becoming emotional, they back down; with communicating online, a person’s reactions are not seen, so there is no mental filter. They do not see or hear that what they are saying can be hurtful so they continue with it (Kang 58-61). To make matters worse, apps and social media sites are being created that are completely anonymous. These apps create an atmosphere in which people can say anything they want to another person and not receive any punishment. Because of technology, more people are becoming victims of cyberbullying by not only people they know, but people they do not know. About “nine of ten teen users said they have witnessed ‘mean or cruel’ actions aimed at peers online” and very few people were reprimanded for their behavior (Kang 49-50). There are no set restrictions as to what can be posted. Although some sites and apps claim to have age restrictions, or places where one could ‘report’ or ‘flag’ posts, these are hardly ever enforced or used (Kang 46-47, 67-68). Technology has taken away the human filter and the online ones; without these, bullies will just continue to bully.

We are dictated by social media. It’s controlling. It’s possessive. Yet, we haven’t even paused to realize it because as teenagers we don’t know any differently. With teens as the subject of example, it is clear that social media has become a way of life. So now there is a debate. What exactly is it that social media does to us? Is the teenage generation the first product of a world run by social media? Most importantly, is this a positive or negative thing for us? There are many different things to consider. With all factors in mind, the biggest question of all comes to mind. Since it first emerged, what has social media truly changed about today’s teen generation?

In the article, “The Bad, the Ugly, and the Good of kids Use of Social Media,” Jim Taylor gives us a definition of the phrase internet addiction. He states, “Internet addiction is commonly characterized as excessive use of internet that interferes with daily functioning and that can lead to distress or harm,”. The addiction from the internet surely has a price to pay. Internet addiction is harmful psychologically, addictions to the internet shouldn’t be our only concern when it comes to social media, and internet addiction has no age limit.

The phone you have in your hand or back pocket may be doing more harm to you then you think. The device you allow your child to use may have content you would never let them see. The social media networks everyone browses can hurt you more than throwing a brick at a window. Using the internet and technology has increased risks of many problems. People can suffer from mental illnesses, being hacked, having personal information shared, and become less social. The internet can be an amazing resource for students, adults, or the general population as an inquiry tool; however the internet has a negative impact on American youth’s mental and social growth.

Children and adolescents are growing up in a different world than adults and college-aged students did. They are constantly surrounded by people using advanced technology in their everyday lives and assimilate this behavior as normal. Social media is quickly evolving, and it is impossible to reject or hide from it. Not only is it an important part of socialization within peer groups, but now it is used to market and motivate people to become a part of a larger community. It is undeniably changing the way people communicate and how we find and share information. This change from basic to advanced did not happen overnight, but children being raised now for the next generation to come won't see it as a change. Having all this social media at our fingertips leaves room for many communication errors, which can affect humans overall well being. How should parents introduce a technology to their children that may not benefit their developing brains?

Words like “Instagram”, “Twitter”, and “Snapchat” are some of the most used words in today’s generation. People are finding it harder and harder to hold a conversation without these terms slipping into their vocabulary, this is because Social Media has become a huge part of everyone life’s. Social media has taken this world by storm, but has seemed to target the minds and emotions of young people in the best and worst ways.

Social media seems like an opportunity to reach out to more people, but how does it really influence the lives of youth, specifically teenagers? Social media sites open up a door to new people, places, and advertisements. This content does not always show innocent material, and these people do not always provide an appropriate message. It is reasonable, therefore, to question whether social media's "social" aspect is worth the damages it may cause. Certainly, social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., have made it easier to communicate, but these sites can have a negative impact on youth culture by increasing exposure to harmful content, limiting verbal interaction, and subjecting them to cyber bullying and peer pressure.

Evaluate the impact of the growth of digital social media on teenagers around the world.

For such a long time, physical bullying has been the largest problem schools and parents had to face with their children, but now another form of bullying has arisen; cyber bullying. In society today, teens are drawn cell phones, laptops, and other technological advancements. Social media is a way for many teens and adolescents to interact with one another and share countless happenings of their personal lives. Cyber bullying occurs when individuals use the internet to send or comment cruel and unnecessary messages to another. In its various forms cyber bullying includes, indirect and direct harassment, posting inappropriate pictures, impersonating another being, or just being plain cruel. Although anyone can become a victim of cyber bullying, improper use of the internet can further induce harassment, due to the adolescents desire to use modern day technologies. The harassers could be classmates, online “friends’’, or anonymous users. One barrier that is difficult to overcome is determining who is responsible for the attacks online, because many bullies hide behind fake usernames or profiles to protect their real identity, which is commonly known as “hiding behind a screen”. (Bonanno 2013). The motives for a cyber-bully are never clear, some might say

Some of the top benefits of social media over the years are that it is free to anyone, the content can get out to resources virtually immediately, and it can be delivered to a wide variety of people. For these reasons, communication through social media has become an extremely accessible and convenient way to communicate. It is also popular for those who need to be in contact with others. One example that comes to mind is a teenager who goes away on a trip to visit a friend or family. They can be hundreds of miles away but still talk to their parents as if they weren’t. Another example is a person who is shy and has a hard time making friends face-to-face, social media sites are a great way to meet people and build relationships.