Category: Effects of Social Media

One of the most controversial topics on earth. Should teens use social media? I believe that social media is a healthy environment for teens because it is a place where you learn and can express yourself. It creates happiness socially and physically. It is an area of belonging where people can express themselves and build relationships. And it is educational. Although some may argue that it brings teens into topics they shouldn’t be learning about, they do learn the healthy lifestyle and the good in what they should do.

Social media has proven to make teens happy, which is good for teens because during the tough times of middle school and all the stress building up, there is barely any time for yourself, and that small amount of minutes on social media could help. Although this won’t occur if your scroll passively during down times, a lot of time is spent on your phone talking to friends and going on social media, and because of this it becomes easy to gain happiness because there is a lot of scrolling, and it’s not just passive observations.

Social media helps you with mental health, which is very good for teens because they get to see other people with the same problem, they can talk with other people on discussion boards about these issues, and they can get help with their problems. For teens, this is very good because there is much more to life than they think, and they learn that from all these lessons and topics online, which can impact how they act and how they deal with stress. This is very helpful for teens. Nataly Kogan an author who talked about happiness and social media said: “Feeling connected to others is one of the main foundations for our emotional and physical well-being” (‘How Social Media Can Make You Happier’). She later mentions how we consume the content we are observing, which makes us feel connected to more people, which makes them happy because we are commenting on others’ posts and discussions, and this brings joy to them as we see that we are doing something which is good because it creates one more source of happiness for teens. For teens, it is actually very tough to find something that will make them happy.

Furthermore, social media creates an area of belonging where teens can express themselves and build relationships. Social media shows teenagers a space to represent themselves and express themselves in the public. From that, they can find a sense of belonging where they always feel included with the people online, whether it’s a group with their friends, online discussion boards, Instagram comments, or YouTube comments. Feeling included is very important because teens decide how they feel about themselves in large part by how their people react to them and how people treat them. With the inclusion of all these opportunities, teens will always feel they have someone to talk to and they will feel good about themselves because they know they have company. Because of the many discussions and chats on social media, there is a lot of genuine support given by friends, which is very helpful to the individual’s feelings.

Social media also helps teens express themselves. According to the Washington Post, “The popularity of fan fiction (original stories based on existing material that people write and upload online) proves how strong the desire is for self-expression. Producers and performers can satisfy this need through social media. Digital technology allows kids to share their work with a wider audience” (Knorr, 2018). This shows how kids expressing themselves is important because of how they learn to communicate with others find people with their interests and have conversations. This is all because of the connections through social media, which proves how much of a difference social media really makes. This proves how social media creates an area of belonging where teens can express themselves and build relationships.

Because of the variety of pages on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, there is no geographic limitation. There is so much to see about the things around you, and there is so much to learn about the countries you didn’t know and interesting facts about them, which are really good because it makes your brain stronger as you are getting important facts and information into your head.

Moreover, from all these learning methods, tutorials, and resources shared through social apps and YouTube, kids will learn strategies that will make most things easy for them and it will help them a lot daily. Social media can also, if used in a certain way, help students with subjects they are working on in school. They slowly absorb information and will be able to use it as an advantage in class and get better grades.

Social media is educational because students learn about their bodies. They see the success and failures of getting fat and how it happens. Daily, they see healthy habits/ diets they can follow. Not even that but they learn what is bad for them and how it affects them in the sport they play or just how it affects them on a daily basis. They learn the many important things that without social media will be very hard to learn, but because of the absorption of the users, it comes straight to them and is slowly being glued in their heads, which is very good for a teen who is slowly developing their brain.

Although social media can expose teens to very dangerous and unhealthy topics, it also shows them how to go against such things as they are shown. Because of the various teens and adults using the app, it majorly talks about adults’ lifestyles and the teens learn from what happens when adults do something bad or what those bad things are. But because of the many pages and accounts on Facebook and Instagram, there are pages that show how these unhealthy topics like drugs, bullying, and salvage activities. It does show all of these and how many of these rappers and artists smoke and drink. But there are also many pages that post how the doses can affect you and how there is a healthy lifestyle that will be good for you and beneficial.

Summing up, social media is good for teens because it creates happiness, an area of belonging where teens can express themselves and build relationships, and it can help educationally. This can make a difference in the public because it will make people much smarter more social and will decrease one of the earth’s biggest killers – depression. We should care because this will help advance quicker to our future, will spread every new idea or concept quickly, and teens will catch on to the many things they learn. It is very important because one day these teens will be the leaders of the generation. If we put teens on social media, we will have better, happier, more social, and much smarter generations to come.

Works Cited

1. Aacap. Role Models and Children, www.aacap.org/aacap/families_and_youth/facts_for_families/fff-guide/children-and-role-models-099.aspx
2. “How Social Media Can Make You Happier”. Happier, www.happier.com/blog/how-social-media-can-make-you-happier/
3. Hwang, Lillian Steenblik. “Analyze This: Most Teens Have Been Cyberbullied”. Science News for Students, www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/blog/analyze/analyze-most-teens-have-been-cyberbullied
4. Knorr, Caroline. “Five Ways Social Media Can Be Good for Teens”. The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 Mar. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2018/03/19/5-ways-social-media-can-be-good-for-teens/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.717584b7cae4
5. “Pros and Cons of Social Media & Internet Addiction”. Carrier Clinic®, http://carrierclinic.org/resources/good-bad-in-between-of-social-media/
6. “Social Media and Psychology| Our Wired World and Mental Health”. AllPsychologySchools.com, www.allpsychologyschools.com/psychology/social-media-psychology/
7. “The Role of Social Media in Education”. LCIBS, 24 Jan. 2019, www.lcibs.co.uk/the-role-of-social-media-in-education/

Social networking is an interactive platform for communicating or exchanging information with people across the world. It is deeply revolutionized the way individuals communicate with one another. As a result of industrialization and modernization, the 21st century had provided loads of innovation. The utilization of social networking may be an outstanding characteristic of technological progress and has become one of the most necessary tools in people’s daily lives. Social networking platforms like Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and LinkedIn include sharing stories and videos and using applications and electronic communication to connect with others. Most educators in most higher education institutions support technological developments wherever access to numerous-to-many instead of simply one-to-many Internet connectivity is suitable for user activities. Thus, social networking at the university level is of great use to students. When examining its overall facilities, such networks, when compared to their negative effects, still provides academic benefits.

Firstly, according to numerous studies, the key advantage of social networking for educational purposes is that it facilitates learning. As Ellis (2001) has mentioned, the positive aspect of online interaction among teachers and peers contains numerous facts, such as accessibility to peer and expert information, the ability to collect feedback from teachers and peers, and also the opportunity to focus on the communications shared. Learning is becoming more important for the students as educators use social networking as an appropriate learning tool and the connections between academics and their pupils have increased. Students acquire critical thinking skills along with self-reflection and knowledge and purpose-building skills by expressing their views, debating, and challenging the ideas of others, and working together against a group solution to a given problem. Around the same time, creating new skills and knowledge and being perceived as happening in a civilized way as each student can at any time access online information from various sources. To conclude, social networking facilitates learning for students as it has access to online books from various sites that are easily available to anyone, and this platform facilitates communication between teachers and students.

A further point is that using social networking enables the development of new university-level friendships and relationships. Like other social networks, Facebook improves learning through interrelation, interaction, social connection, and involvement. Many social networks, such as Friendster and Myspace, empower users to introduce themselves, express their social networks, and interact with others. Such platforms can also be employment-related, such as LinkedIn, relationship initiation, such as Friendster, or connecting those who have common interests like music, such as Myspace. Social media in the education sector gives a student the opportunity to interact with other students and educators. Scholars applaud tools of networking for their ability to recruit, inspire and support students in substantive communicative action, sharing of knowledge, and collaboration. “Students could benefit from chatting to gain knowledge with other students, teachers, and outside sources” (Jain et al., 2012). To conclude, digital technology helps students to improve their satisfaction with their studies and it benefits them to reduce their stress.

Additionally, one of the factors that have led to students’ use of social networking is flexible learning. As Collis (2001) has stated, flexibility is among the most appealing characteristics of social networking learning. Flexible learning extends learners’ decisions about what, where, where, and how to know. This promotes various learning styles, such as e-learning. Blended strategies incorporating face-to-face and online education are preferred to online teaching alone. Face-to-face lessons are likely to provide high levels of emotional comprehension, whereas online function accessibility and versatility will inspire students to achieve academic activities. As stated by Cheong (2002), “This leads to the different points of view of the students, forums including chat rooms which occur in social networking offer possibilities for the exchange of ideas on subjects, which enhances the chances to take advantage of opinions and ideas and their alignment with the students’ views, and helps to build a strong foundation for students in their information intent”. The concepts of learning affirm that interaction is an important element of the educational process.

However, social networking has a detrimental effect on a student’s education if it generates dependency and disturbance. Like with many websites, students are persuaded to deny their learning and study times preferably to communicate with friends online. With Facebook and Twitter, many learners are now hooked to the online rave of the time. Today several learners and youths have social media accounts. It might not be improbable that a ward is performing poorly in school. Olubiyi (2012) noted: “Students are so immersed in social media these days that they are almost 24 hours online. Even during classes, it was witnessed that although lectures are on, some students are always busy pinging or Facebooking”. Times which should be channeled into studying, research, and creativity were overshadowed by the desire to meet new online friends and most of the time they are busy investigating trivial issues. Therefore, because of distraction from social media, most students’ academics endure setbacks. It has been noted that using these sites also influences the use of English and grammar by the students. In their online forums, the learners are used to writing short forms of words; they forget and use the same in classrooms. They are using things like ‘4’ instead of ‘for’, ‘U’ rather than ‘you’, ‘D’ instead of ‘the’, etc. and this might negatively impact their class evaluation.

Nonetheless, social networking sites like Facebook and Instagram are linked to the connection between concerns regarding privacy and online behavior. Studies have demonstrated that users can raise very strong concerns about the protection of their private information, but are less than cautious about preserving it. While much of the demand for information on social media by individuals is involuntary, users are increasingly more confident with showing a huge amount of information online. Thus, one of the main concerns for users who are registered on these platforms is privacy. Privacy is one of the obstacles facing the use of social networking in education.

To conclude, it would be great to maintain that while online social networking utilization has both advantages, as it will facilitate learning and make it more flexible and it can even create new relationships and friendships, there are also disadvantages, such as lack of privacy, dependency, and disturbance. It will remain the most powerful tool in higher education to boost learning without any boundaries as the world is shifting significantly towards technology due to modernization. If learners are aware of the consequences of planning their time, participating more effectively in their studies, and then using their common sense, they will not face any disadvantages in meeting the demands of learning through social networking sites. Institutes also include a primary role to play in encouraging younger people’s effective and ethical use of the Internet with a view to promoting learning. Therefore, the technology and social networking platforms in specific need to be supported by a solid pedagogical approach and try to produce the desired educational benefits.

Social media is part of our daily lifestyles in our days, and there are one-of-a-kind approaches to outlining social. It is a computer-based technological expertise that helps the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and formation through viral networks and communities. It is a collective time period for net websites and features that core of attention on communication, community-based input, interaction, content sharing, etc. According to Blackman (2022), the time period social media describes interactive laptop-mediated utilized sciences that facilitated the creation or sharing of information, ideas, professional pastimes, and one-of-a-kind kinds of expression via the use of visible communities and networks. The most essential factor about social media is that it makes existence very easy. However, it has both blessings and risks elements. The benefits of social media include awareness, data, and updates, as nicely as education, while on the other hand, the dangers of social media consist of dishonest and relationship issues, hacking, and cyberbullying. The topic of the advantages and disadvantages of social media is what this essay is about.

The most necessary position of social media is awareness. As people, we are in a function to be conscious of taking place around the world due to social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, and many more. Social media create attention in our minds as people. It acts as a medium of data that helps human beings to do innovations and attain success by way of the enhancement of capabilities and knowledge. Social media has made all people aware of happenings spherical in the world.

Furthermore, social media serve as a grant of statistics and updates. Through social media, we can keep ourselves up to date with information about any element taking place in the world or all of us in life. Apart from television, radio, or data papers, social media helps us to grant the right facts via way of displaying genuine photographs of content fabric and sources. For example, we see a commercial of an automobile marketed with the aid of using SPAR superstore, and we are now conscious of the competition furnished by way of SPAR. Social media helps in showcasing the true world globally.

Furthermore, social media beautify educational programs. This refers to educating and gaining knowledge of taking area correctly, on the other hand no longer with college premises, alternatively in social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. For example, existing corporations have been successful to pool their full-size vast range of expert corporations into streams of digital schooling output handy to a healthcare practitioner working inner intensive care with getting entry to the Internet. It makes gaining understanding less difficult by connecting educators and gurus all over the world with the learners. It also helps in improving abilities by using the usage of enhancing understanding and creativity. More than that, it creates flexibility in the gaining know-how of the process of willingness, and educators can join at their very personal pace of time.

However, there are some disadvantages of social media, such as dishonesty and relationship issues. People have started out using social media as a platform to come across their greater 12 and get married to them. But, after a few years, it can also lead to unhealthy relationships or even divorce simply due to the truth they have given improper information about every other. It can damage their complete existence via means of cheating on each other. It can additionally lead to infatuation among teens, which can distract their minds and provoke them to do something wrong.

Furthermore, any other drawback of social media is hacking. That is a top-regarded danger of social media where hackers can without any situation hack a person’s account and data. This can lead to serious troubles in one’s life.

In addition to social media hacking, there is also cyberbullying. Many humans in particular children, have flipped out to be victims of cyberbullying, as it is very effortless at existing to create face debts and fake profiles and threaten the distinctive person. Cyberbullying has resulted in many suicides, depression issues, etc. People have started out out the use of social media as a platform to unfold fake records and rumors, which has induced unhealthy surroundings in society and the country.

In a nutshell, social media has both advantages and disadvantages. People can meet on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and get married, which is one of the remarkable aspects of social media. Teaching and getting to know can take area efficaciously on social media instructors enticing learners. A seller or service enterprise can be to meet plausible clients, now no longer clients effectively. People misplaced their lives due to social media due to the truth they get wrong data such as fake unemployment opportunities. Therefore, it is extremely quintessential for a persona to be increasingly cautious when using social media.

Nowadays, In modern life, social media is expanding quickly. It is utilized by numerous individuals all over the world. Social media is mainly very well known among the teenagers of this generation. Nevertheless, still, in this case, numerous teenage individuals cannot control themselves and are dependent on social media. The compulsion to social media has numerous severe impacts which include a lack of study habits, excluding their lives from the world, and health conditions.

To begin with, addiction to social media makes children have terrible grades in academics. Because of social media, many people who were fabulous understudies have ended up being terrible students. Each day, these people come to the lesson, but they do not center on concentrating on the lectures. Whereas their teachers are teaching, they are utilizing cell phones to surf Facebook, Instagram, or chat with companions on a messaging platform. They continuously check their cell phones every five minutes to see what is going on on social media. If the children use social media in classes, how can they be attentive to the teachers and get what teachers are saying? Additionally, not as it were at school but moreover at their comfort places, these children who are dependent on social media do not work out or read the new lesson sometimes before getting to school since they are active with social media. It can alter a youthful individual from a great student to an awful one.

Furthermore, youthful individuals who are dependent on social media can live distant, absent from reality. Because of the use of cell phones all day, they will not have time for outdoor exercises such as playing sports or camping. Rather than going out to meet friends or have a conversation with their family, these children cherish chatting with people on social media. They will fair remain at home and spread their news on social media. They post status or photographs to share with their friends on social media. Slowly, they will start to live in a virtual world.

Furthermore, final but not the slightest, the use of social media excessively will have a horrible effect on the lives of children. Since the children are dependent on social media, they will go to bed late to read the news on Facebook or chat with other people affected by the effects of social media negatively. Staying up late is highly destructive to the well-being of these children, particularly the brain. In case the child does not rest up to the required time, their health will be affected severely by losing weight or continuously feeling tired. Their brains, too, will not work viably, and they will be in languid condition. In addition, the habit of using social media can cause sadness in people. When children utilize social media, they will see other individuals on social media. In the event that the youth see other individuals who are superior to them in appearance or ability, they can feel second rate.

Social media, however, carries the threat of blackmail and identity fraud. Individuals take photographs from other accounts and make use of them as their claim. There are a lot of stories on the web of individuals who have found accounts beneath a different title but with all their pictures. Lack of privacy on social media profiles can be a significant risk to social systems. Identity fraud has not been the only negative effect, but it can also destroy the life of a child or pre-adult. Subsequently, even in the event that something was posted and taken down, it could still be out there someplace. Improper photographs or photographs of one party, etc. might be found afterward in life and deliver the person bad imagery. Colleges and occupations may discover these pictures and dismiss the employee because of it. Children, particularly teenagers, have to be compelled to watch out for what they post or are labeled in since the child will never know where it will end up being. Everything is included in an individual’s advanced impression and can be followed back to the person afterward in the future.

Social media refers to forms of a system and email channels dedicated to open-based participation, interacting, changing ideas, and collaborating through bookmaking, and networking microbiology.

Cybercrime refers to the unlawful activities which are conducted by computer systems or the internet. It’s also the growth of crime in more densely populated areas.

This paper will discuss the relevant effects of social media on cybercrime.

Identity theft or character theft is the most common technique the scammer used. They employ the technique by use of sending incorrect emails to people claiming that they are from the bank or any economic business firm. If someone gives out their private information to the criminal, the scammer will get a chance to access all your accounts and also open another account that may be using your name but different passwords will enable you not to access the account again. Identity theft can take edges to be fixed back. Each person is advised to protect his or her private data from these scammers.

Security price tag .cybercrime criminals concentrate on a business scale, which is both large and large businesses. Hackers will crack down on their mainly targeted company’s machines or government passwords. When they have the passwords it will be easier the steal the essential information that will benefit them. They will own the firm privately. This is according to [ Rodgers-M ] 2009.

Due to cybercrime, many youths have a second life. It’s done when they watch pornographic videos on the internet and they tend to copy what they call their second life are doing on the videos. It’s a disadvantage to them because most of them will eventually drop out of school, early marriage or even be pregnant at a tender age.

Loss of essential information and evidence is the most expected problem., for in a court where there is a lot of evidence that is to be presented in the future and the detainee does not want to be jailed, he might hire a hacker to destroy the evidence or he does it by him her herself provided he has access to the computers. The client’s most essential information can be leaked from a business organization which will cause insecurity to the customer. The information may get lost forever or retrieved later.

Damage reputation, an organization or a company that gets hacked may suffer from a bad reputation and it will face many more problems even after paying the early initial damages. When this happens to any company the customers are likely not comfortable when handing their data to the company in question and they may claim for the more expensive compensation. It will result in the closing down of the company, gain a negative reputation, and the brand image of the company will be tarnished. They won’t be able to compete with other big companies. Moreover, the firm will lose more trades.

Additional charges may occur to the company or the government in question to pay the technician to come and renovate the hacked network and also the computer systems. Any organization will be forced to pay even more for safekeeping and preventing the firm from another attack. They will have to pay to buy other computers and to pay funds to the technician for the computers to be installed properly. Further, this reduces sales since the customer will shift to another company to buy their commodities. According to [D. Hadler.] 2009

Loss of job opportunities. As a result of hacking a company, the employees will be forced to evacuate, also known as the opportunity cost.

Lack of peace in your health. Trackers may go to the extent of leaking out your wearable health. They leak out your individual health information and your sleeping schedule. They will also be controlling your social media account like your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and also your What Sapp account using their cellphone. Your entire life will be revolving around them.

Nevertheless, the youth have also been affected. They are being isolated from their society friends and even their parents. Their social harmony is being broken. Their personal or individual relationships maybe with their parents, friends, relatives, and even their schoolmates may break down. This will result in the youth being frustrated and moral disorder.

The youth tend to lose more time on the internet watching video link, for example, pornographic videos, instead of doing something constructive things with their lives. After watching these videos they will start to copy the same culture from their second life and end up damaging their reputation. Other youth will lose or gain pleasure after watching these videos.

References

1. Baggili I, Rogers M (2009) Self-reported cybercrime: An analysis of the effects of anonymity and pre-employment integrity. International Journal of Cyber Criminology 3(2):550-565
2. Patton, D., Hong, J., Ranney, M., Patel, S., Kelley, C., Eschmann, R., & Washington, T. (2014). Social media as a vector for youth violence: A review of the literature. Computers In Human Behavior, 35, 548-553. DOI:10.1016/j.chb.2014.02.043
3. Mobile Life Youth Report. (2006). the impact of the mobile phone on the lives of young people. Car phone warehouse. Retrieved 15 August 2007 from http://www.yougov.com/archives/pdf/CPW060101004_2.pdf
4. D. Halder, & K. Jaishankar (2011), Cybercrime and the victimization of women: laws, rights, and regulations, Information Science Reference

I am awakened by the ear-piercing sound of my 6:30 alarm—right next to my head. Obviously, because I sleep right next to my phone, like a lot of other teenagers today. How attached are we to our phones? On average, people spend 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phones and most people pick up their phones 58 times per day. Personally, I spend 6 hours and 10 minutes on my phone, and I pick up my phone 209 times per day. My phone habits, along with many others, are overwhelming, but is it really all for the bad? Although there are many negative aspects of social media, as a society, we are striving for inclusion.

When creating your innocent account, did you think you could ever become addicted? Fifty percent of teens feel addicted to their phones. A study at Harvard University states that “when people are going through social media platforms, it lights up the same part of the brain, that also ignites when taking things such as drugs” (Adam). Scrolling through social media releases dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, which is why it is so addictive and promotes behavior. There are four major dopamine “pathways,” with three being “reward pathways.” All three of these pathways become active “when anticipating or experiencing rewarding events, and every time a response to stimulus results in a reward, these associations become stronger” (Hartley). Although this effect is nowhere near as intense as a hit of cocaine, positive social stimuli results in a similar release of dopamine. The rewarding social stimuli such as laughing faces, positive recognition by our peers, and messages from loved ones activate those reward pathways. Phones have given us the opportunity to be exposed to both positive and negative stimuli (Hartley). Due to the addiction, there is an irrational fear of being without your phone or being unable to use your phone: Nomophobia. It’s the phobia that we all have, but hate to admit it. About 73 percent of people have experienced a state of panic when their phone is nowhere to be found. Maybe it is because people spend 2-4 hours per day on their phones in the United States, which can add up to 2,600 touches daily. It has even gotten to the point where we feel vibrations that are not even there. We are not obsessed with the phones themselves, but with the hyperactive community that lives inside of them. It can lead to picking up your phone every few minutes and not interacting with peers. It may not pose to be a problem, but it is an addiction that people in the United States feed into daily.

As well as addiction, social media creates unrealistic beauty standards that young people think they have to live up to. For as long as anyone can remember, magazines and advertising have been creating an ideal beauty, which only a minority look like, while all the others try to achieve the look. This can lead to disorders. There is evidence that social media is linked to body image issues. This includes dieting, body surveillance, a strong desire to be thin, and self-objectification (“How”). From models Marilyn Monroe to Kendall Jenner, impossible standards are set through makeup, photoshop, and so much more. Nowadays, companies are beginning to include plus-size, transgender, non-binary, and colored models, but there is much more to be done. Only “.69 percent of those who walked the runway last season were plus-size models,” while “only .77 percent were openly transgender women and non-binary models,” and only “38.8 percent of models were non-white” (Seth). Although there have been moves toward inclusivity, much more remains to be done.

Although there are many issues with social media, it is an outlet for some. Social media is where people can share their stories and finally be themselves. For example, there are influencers who go out of their comfort zone and speak on important issues people keep quiet about such as assault, disorders, and sexuality. Those influencers, who can share their thoughts without revealing their identity, speak up for those who can’t, or for those who need to hear it. There are openly gay influencers who, I know, made it easier for my brother to accept himself, because he, like any other homosexual person, struggles to be open about themselves. What really matters is who a person follows. A person can follow people that they look up to—people who make them feel good about themselves. Or they can follow people that they are jealous of, resulting in themselves being the cause of their own spiraling sadness. You control your happiness.

Therefore, studies are beginning to “show links between phone usage and increased levels of anxiety and depression, poor sleep quality, and increased risk of car injury or death” (Hartley). This correlation is caused by the time spent on social media creating electronic relationships, which are less satisfying than real-world relationships. This leaves teenagers feeling socially isolated. As well, friends post the “most perfect” pictures on social media leading to comparisons and self-esteem issues (Miller). Mental health is extremely affected by social media. A study in the United Kingdom found that 41 percent of teenagers who use social media on a school day suffer from mental health difficulties compared to the 21 percent who spend no time on social media (“Pros”). Another study in 2017 found that over half a million eighth to twelfth graders exhibiting high levels of depressive symptoms increased by 33 percent between 2010 and 2015. In that same period, the suicide rate in girls in that group increased by 65 percent. In addition, in the time since phone usage has become prevalent, there has been a spike in reports of students seeking help at college and university counseling centers, principally for depression and anxiety. Visits jumped 30 percent between 2010 and 2015 (Miller). So, why is it so hard to disconnect?

Social media does allow people to meet new friends very easily. 81 percent of teenagers connect with people through social media, and many of those teens said social media made them feel supported during tough times. 57 percent of those teenagers have met a new friend online (“Pros”). While meeting new people and feeling more accepted is a good thing, it can pose a problem in relationships. Back in the day, many people remained married until death. Even now, we can look at our grandparents: many of them remain married. In our parents and our generation, the divorce rate is nearly 50 percent. There are so many couples who have caught their spouse cheating on them via means of social media. The conversations may start innocently, but continue onto flirting and meeting up—eventually leading to cheating on your partner. Studies have shown that Facebook plays a major role in modern infidelity. On Facebook, people post what they want others to see: a perfect life. You may be slightly unhappy in your relationship, and believe everyone else’s relationships are perfect. Social media is a distraction from your own relationship, which makes it harder for you to be present. It then becomes easier to start up a conversation with someone new online (Adam).

Social media, regardless of the positives and negatives, controls our lives more than it should. As a society, we have strayed away from living in the moment. We live through our screens instead of in real life. Even in my childhood, I can remember utilizing the dining room table, playing outside with my friends, and popping up at my uncle’s house just for fun—but now it is all a memory. But why? Why have we gone from spending quality time with loved ones and friends to spending time cooped up in our rooms on our phones? Although social media can harbor positive and negative impacts, we should live in the present. We can never get back the time we waste on social media. Spend quality time with your loved ones—you never know when it’s going to be the last time you talk to them.

Social media has become a very influential aspect in many teenagers’ lives in this day and age. Many teens use this aspect to come up and gain followers and money, and some only participate in it for entertainment. From viral videos to viral challenges, many teens have been following and riding the social media wave. Dancing is a popular way to gain followers on social media, and who doesn’t want to be social media famous? Many young children have been participating in this trend on social media, gaining them worldwide fame and fortune. A New York Times article described the app as “TikTok is more machine than man. In this way, it’s from the future — or at least a future. And it has some messages for us,” (Herrman). The author described the app, in this statement, to be one of the future meaning that it is ahead of our time and that it depicts the world of social media as we know it now. This statement shows how it is changing our lives, by giving the most advanced technology, making it addictive you young users. In the same article, the author discusses how the app has had an ongoing effect on participation it has demonstrated. The article states, “Apparently you just … show them things and let a powerful artificial intelligence take notes. You start sending daily notifications immediately. You tell them what to do. You fake it till you make it, algorithmically speaking,” (Herrman). This statement describes how the company influences users to use the app. It manipulates young users exposing them to many different views, that can lead to negative or positive impacts on their life. It tells how the system of artificial intelligence plays a role in drawing in users so that they can take part in the actions of the app. From the appearance of the app to the manipulation of young users by the controllers, the app expresses both negative and positive responses.

The app is something positive for young users because it gives them an opportunity to express their creativity through dancing and singing. On the negative side, the app as a whole is unhealthy for young users, as well as any social media app because of the amount of screen time it exposes them to and also strangers. Social media has been introduced in the 20th century, and its appearance seems to be something of interest to many Americans. This device is a major influence on young children and can dictate most of their lives forever. YouTube has been around for a long while also, this is where most streaming takes place, and where even younger children spend most of their time viewing others. This forces children to isolate themselves, separating them from the real world. A psychology article talks about the effects of social media on a child’s mental, the article states, “For one thing, modern teens are learning to do most of their communication while looking at a screen, not another person,” (Ehmke). This quote explains the handicap that social media places on children because of the feeling of independence it places on them at young ages. This is something not of a positive effect, because of the developmental qualities that the children miss out on because they are on social media, out of touch with reality. Social media is a part of everyone’s life at this age. You can’t dodge it, or ignore it because it is everywhere. It is a new form of communication and discovery that everyone is taking the approach to. The only problem is the damage it is doing to children and young adults. Social media is handicapping society mentally, and will maybe be a big cause of change in the future. Social media is a platform everyone has an input into and can learn from. Overall social media is a powerful positive platform, but if you use it to handicap you, it could become very negative.

The Impact of Social Media on the Sport Industry

Today, social media presents athletes with several benefits and challenges which in turn can affect the athlete themselves or their career. Social media platforms have allowed fans to express their emotions with athletes in both a positive and a negative manner. (4 Kavanagh et al 2016). Research on which the effects social media can have on these athletes can increase their stress levels. The scrutiny and criticism remarks are only increasing as there is a twenty-four-hour open line of communication, seven days a week between social media followers as well as the traditional media towards athletes. Athletes can receive negative comments across several different social media accounts before, during, and after competition events (3 Smith 2018).

In this essay, the impact, whether positive or negative, of social media on sporting athletes, will be explored to gain insight into what areas of social media play a role in these athletes. The aim of this essay is to determine what are the effects of these social platforms on the athlete’s state of mind, from unwanted comments and from media pressure put on them for the very reason they are part of the social network, to build their brand.

Main Body

In recent years social media has become a place where athletes using these platforms can prosper or have negative consequences. Research on this matter by (1 Greenleaf et al 2001) investigated factors that result in Olympic athletes that have been affected by increased media attention taking away from their focus which is their competition event. (21 Australian Olympic Committee 2015) has acknowledged that social media can have an effect on the athletes receiving malicious messages, negative feedback, and online bullying can all lead to un-wished emotions in not just Olympic athletes but athletes from all sports from across the spectrum. Research by (22 Sari 2011) was conducted between 15 different male and female athletes across different sports to reveal what different areas of social media had negative and positive impacts on the athletes. The data analyzed revealed that several different themes identified had a psychological effect including unwanted commentary, branding pressure, competitor content, and mood management.

Now more than ever social media platforms have provided an avenue for fans to have direct contact with athletes to voice their sexist remarks, physical threats, and emotional ridicule towards athletes (6 Guerin 2017). These hateful messages from displeased fans online and on social media are an act of bullying and it’s an easy target for them to attack athletes online if their performance does not match their expectations (5 David et al 2018). Sadly, this abuse is in all levels of sport as (7 Sanderson & Truax 2014) have seen an increase in fans attacking college student-athletes. These athletes, when reading or receiving content about themselves experience issues when faced with messages of sarcasm, threats, mocking, and belittling after competition events. The rise of social media and the increased criticism of competition contribute to disappointing results where it is damaging performance (23 Fynes–Clinton 2012). The majority of these college students and professionals are adolescent athletes. The authors (9 Berryman et al 2018) believe the presents of cyberbullying and the link between social media is responsible for the increase in mental health issues in the adolescent population.

Even with all the negative impacts this area of social media presents to athletes, social media allows athletes to stay connected with fans who appreciate them and their support networks established to feel positive reinforcement (8 Heyes et al 2019). For some athletes, this is the drive and motivation used to train on the aspects criticized (7 Sanderson & Traux 2014).

Customers now are looking for information on the brands and products of athletes (15 Bruhn et al 2012). Athlete endorsers can reach out to their big fan base through their social media accounts like Twitter being able to share information via tweets with possible customers (17 Janson et al 2009). Athletes in partnership with an unfamiliar brand may have negative consequences as (14 Asena et al 2014) revealed that an endorser’s perceived attributes are influenced by the products they endure. Athletes are pressured to build their brand and maintain good public relations to increase their image but also increase their levels of stress (2 Geurin 2017). Prioritizing the image that an athlete wants to portray on social media is time-consuming and takes away from your performance (23 Hodge and Walker 2015).

Social media is a valuable marketing tool for companies to promote their products through social media communications (16 Eagleman, 2013). When athletes get the opportunity of an endorsement deal it positively impacts them for the ability to manage their personal brand, market themselves to potential sponsors and gain endorsement deals but ultimately increase their fans base with increased interactions (Browning & Sanderson 2012). Athletes who have created a good image and following earn up to an extra 300,000 dollars per tweet (18 Milord, 2015).

For athletes who are comparing social media accounts with their competitors is a factor affecting athletes’ anxiousness (10 Hayes et al 2019). When these athletes are comparing accounts of competitors it has a negative impact on athlete’s well-being and self-esteem (27 Vogel et al 2014). Time spent reflecting on competitors’ posts creates additional stress and anxiety (24 Dale 2000).

Focusing on the positive for this issue can also be looked at to help an athlete use the social media platform to analyze, and gain an advantage or knowledge from their posts (25 Fitriana and Xin 2009).

Social media and networking sites play a role in mood management as they can relieve pressure through social media if they have positive effects but negativity can If not, they have options of handing over the management of the account to a loved one or friend for the continuation of the event or switch it off completely until the event is over to minimize the stress and avoid reading, listening or seeing any media reports or comments about them so that they can’t be negatively affected. (30 Kristiansen et al 2011).

The list of impacts facing athletes being a part of the social network mounts up on them psychologically. For athletes, different areas of social media can create different pressures and a way to relieve them to take their mind off these is to use social media as a diversion (12 Frisby and Wanta 2018). These athletes seek a diversion or distraction in order to switch off the pressure (26 Johnson Knobloch-Westerwick 2014). It is important that athletes find relaxation strategies that are positive for their psychological preparation for competition (27 Ungerleider 2005).

Conclusion

By addressing social media problems that affect athletes in the build-up to competition, they can minimize the impacts they have on their performance and on the effects the person may feel. The key areas of social media founded by (22 Sari 2011) impacting the athlete each had different effects on the athletes themselves.

Unwanted commentary from social media followers impacted them more negatively by experiencing feelings of their efforts and achievements were not good enough or up to standard (5 David et al 2015). Even scarier is the fact that mental health issues are related to online abuse (9 Berryman et al 2018) will only increase these negative feelings found. Through social media, athletes have a better connection with their fan base and through this, they create a positive support system (8 Heyes et al 2019) to counteract the negativities that are presented to them through negative social media.

The impact of branding pressure was also a factor affecting their performance as this not only took time away from the athlete’s training but meant that the athlete’s image was becoming more important than preparation for competition (23 Hodge &Walker 2015). Athletes experienced feelings of increased stress levels to engage in traditional media and now social media interactions (6 Geurin 2017). Athletes could also capitalize on this valuable tool to market themselves to gain endorsements, and sponsors and to have a greater connection with the online community (Browning & Sanderson 2012).

Impacts of competitor content were an issue when comparing their account to their competitors just a simple post put up by them that may through them off and doubt their training or themselves. This doubt and comparing accounts only added to the stressor and anxiousness felt by athletes (24 Dale 2000). When there’s a negative a positive can be found and it is an important one if athletes were to use their competitor’s accounts to their advantage to examine and acquire knowledge from them to use against them in competition it would greatly benefit their performance (25 Fitriana &Xin 2019).

Social media and networking sites play a role in the mood management of athletes. Athletes should be aware of how social media platforms affect their stress and anxiety levels and how to deal with these impacts appropriately. If any or all social media affects their performance at competition handing over control or witching off would be the ideal solution for that athlete (29 Kristiansen et al 2011). If they address social media problems to understand what affects them, they will be able to find and maintain a relaxed physiological state (27 Ungerleider 2005).

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Abstract

There is mounting evidence to suggest that there is a link between social media usage and the state of the mental health of millennials and emerging adults. A range of academic sources, current news channels, and charities have outlined potential links between social media use and the well-being of young people. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which using social media influences the mental health of young adults, positively or negatively. Factors that are fundamental to mental health such as sleep quality, self-esteem, and body confidence will be investigated to determine whether they are affected by social media usage.

The main themes in the current paper revolve around; positive influences from social media use, negative influences from social media use, links between using social media and depression, and how influences from social media on mental health can addition, the research will also pay attention to potential differences between gender regarding the relationship between mental health and levels of social media usage and whether boys or girls are more susceptible to its influence.

The aim of this research is to provide further clarity over factors influencing well-being and their linkages with social media use such as; sleep quality, self-esteem, and body confidence amongst others. The term self-esteem refers to how we value and perceive ourselves, based on our own beliefs and opinions of ourselves (Mind.co.uk). Self-esteem and body confidence can be reduced by social comparisons with social media influencers, celebrities, or even friends and family. It is imperative to gain a better understanding of how young people’s and emerging adults’ mental health is impacted by social media. This is particularly true where there are negative effects since this can lead to reduced quality of life and even in the most extreme cases lead to severe depression or self-harm. Improved knowledge regarding the relationship between social media use and the well-being of young people and emerging adults would likely enable them to be better protected from the potentially harmful side effects of social media in their daily lives.

Literature Review

Social Media Usage

For millennials, exposure to technology has been evident since birth. Millennials that are 20 years old in 2019 were just 6 years of age when Facebook was founded (Barr, 2018). Growing up with this technology has embedded gadgets such as the iPhone and iPad into the lifestyles of young adults, and consequently for the vast majority social media use has become a large part of daily routine.

One of the goals of the research is to highlight the prevalence of social media usage among young adults at the present time. As explained by the Global Digital Report (2018) ‘more than three billion people around the world now use social media each month. ‘Almost 1 million people started using social media for the first time every day over the past year – that’s equivalent to more than 11 new users every second (Kemp, 2018). These statistics clearly underline how social media has revolutionized the way people, particularly younger generations, communicate with each other.

Another question that will be investigated during the research is; how does social media usage impact measures of well-being such as sleep quality, self-esteem, and body satisfaction? According to an article published in the E-Clinical Medicine Journal, frequent social media use can be related to online harassment, poor sleep, low self-esteem, and poor body image; in turn, these are related to higher depressive symptom scores (Kelly et al, 2018). This article discusses how numerous plausible potential intervening pathways relate young people’s mental health to the amount of time they spend on social networking platforms (Kelly et al, 2018).

Negative Impacts on Wellbeing

The problems surrounding exposure to social media and associated negative implications on the mental health of millennials and emerging adults will be reviewed throughout the research. The Good Childhood Report 2017, written on behalf of the Children’s Society and Young Minds, revealed that 38% of young people reported that social media has a negative impact on how they feel about themselves, compared to 23% who reported that it has a positive effect. These percentages are based on a large sample of 10,000 children aged 8-15. Yvonne Kelly from University College London claims ‘the average fourteen-year-old may be using social media for 3-4 hours per day. The average fourteen-year-old getting a poorer quality of sleep is more likely to have lower self-esteem and is more likely to experience cyberbullying as either the victim or the perpetrator (Kelly et al, 2018). ‘The effects of cyberbullying can be profound including depression, anxiety, isolation, and in some cases suicide’ (Richards and Caldwell, 2015). Online harassment and cyberbullying of social media influencer and reality TV star Mike Thalassitis, including the accumulation of Tweets and social media posts labeling him ‘Muggy Mike’ and portraying him in a negative light are claimed to have contributed to his suicide in March 2019 (O’Connor, 2019).

Healthwatch Essex conducted interviews with 2500 young people and highlighted that frequent exposure to body ideals could negatively affect self-esteem. Findings also revealed young people feel pressure to conform to beauty standards. This can lead to harmful behaviors to achieve results such as disordered eating and disengagement from exercising publicly’ (Fletcher 2018). In isolation, these results would not offer any concrete evidence since the whole sample would be from the same area (Essex) and so there could be a bias, ideally, a UK-wide sample size would be preferable. These results suggest that social media can lead to reductions in self-esteem among young people. Unlike the Good Child Report, Healthwatch Essex does not give an age bracket for ‘young people’, so the reader does not know exactly how old the interviewees were.

Depression and Suicide

The association between social media and self-harm remains poorly understood and it must be remembered that social media is just one influence on young people’s mental health (Lancet, 2019). There have been several instances recently where disturbing images or videos have bypassed Facebook’s security filters and landed on users’ newsfeeds. A recent example of this was the terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019 where the whole attack was recorded on Facebook Live by the perpetrator (Smyth, 2019). This has resulted in Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently calling for help from the government in regulating social media content, proposing a new set of regulations to prevent harmful content from quickly spreading across the internet (Isaac, 2019).

Research is largely focused on the relationship between screen-based activity and mental health issues, with fewer studies exploring risk factors of screen time using qualitative data (Lancet, 2019). Young people using social media are susceptible to making comparisons between themselves and celebrities or social media influencers, ‘The abundance of manipulated images of idealized beauty online are linked to individual perceptions of body image and self-esteem which in turn are associated with poor mental health’ (Kelly et al 2018). Correlational studies consistently show that social media usage is associated with body image concerns among young women and men, and longitudinal studies suggest this association may strengthen over time (Fardouly & Vartanian, 2016).

The results of a qualitative study reported in the Journal of Adolescents researching possible links between social media use and depression found that ‘adolescents who experienced high levels of psychological distress, unmet mental health needs, and suicidal thoughts were more frequent users of social media such as Facebook. This relationship seems to vary with age as a study of older adolescents with mostly low-frequency users found no relationship between distress and social media usage’ (Radovic et al. 2017). The issue here is that only 23 participants were involved and there was a female bias (18:5), the results would be more reliable with a considerably larger sample size.

According to editorial authors in the Lancet, ‘sleep has been shown to be linked to mental health’ (Kelly et al. 2018). Tang et al (2017) claim sleep forms an integral part of public health. Excessive time spent on social media or staying up late into the night scrolling through social media can prevent young adults from getting adequate sleep and consequently impoverish their mental health. A study conducted by Radovic et al. (2017) on nearly 500 Scottish adolescents found that frequent social media users experienced poorer sleep quality and increased signs of depression. ‘Sleep interruptions from notifications and anxiety at missing new content only represent two of the many possible links between social media use and poor sleep (Woods & Scott, 2016). Although this study provides evidence suggesting that prolonged periods of social media usage do negatively impact mental health in young adults, there are several limitations surrounding the methodology of the research. The gender and age of participants were not recorded (Woods & Scott, 2016). These details would have been preferred since they would have allowed a deeper level of analysis to be undertaken and comparisons between genders and narrower age groups. Another potential issue is that many participants weren’t native English speakers, this may have reduced the accuracy of results since participants may have struggled to understand questions (Woods & Scott, 2016).

Positive Impacts on Wellbeing

To maintain an unbiased perspective the benefits derived from using social media to young people’s mental health will also be reviewed. For example, in a recent report published by the Royal Society for Public Health ‘Dr. Papadopoulos advised that technology takes away physical barriers to social connections’ (Elmore & Wragg, 2019). This provides an opportunity for shy, introverted young people to socialize without the pressure or anxiety of having to physically interact which may have been holding them back previously. ‘Social media provides a rich opportunity to unite generations’ (The Lancet, 2018). Samaritans use Twitter to facilitate ‘organized discussions’, claiming in their findings from their Digital Futures consultations that, social media contributes to reducing feelings of loneliness amongst young people (Russell & Hunter, 2015). This illustrates how for some young people social media acts as a support mechanism and enhances mental health and wellbeing. Although Samaritans fail to reveal how many participants are involved in these discussions or to indicate how beneficial these kinds of Twitter discussions prove to be.

Birmingham University conducted a study on 1,346 young people and found that social media can provide a ‘valuable learning resource, with 63% reporting that social media was a good source of health information’ (Goodyear & Wood, 2018). The phrase ‘health information’ is not qualified in this statement, there is no guarantee here that the young people are referring to credible sources on social media platforms, but it suggests they at least feel a degree of inspiration or motivation from them.

We will be conducting field research on the University Campus to try and determine the impact of social media usage on Swansea University students at Singleton and Bay campuses to add more clarity on the 18-24 age range.

Demographics Variations

The results of the Millennium Cohort Study published in the EclinicalMedicine journal discovered that ‘the association between social media use and depressive symptoms was stronger for girls than for boys. The results indicated that girls are spending more hours per day on social media than boys. Moreover, girls are more likely to be involved in online harassment than boys and are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem, be unhappy with their appearance, and get fewer hours of sleep per night than boys. During this study, participants completed a mood and feelings questionnaire where they were asked about their average hours of social media use on a weekday (Kelly et al 2018). One of the pitfalls of this methodology is the risk that self-reported data on time spent on social media may lack accuracy, participants may be tempted to under-exaggerate the amount of time due to embarrassment or shame. Although the journal claims, ‘the estimates of time spent using social media presented in our paper are consistent with those reported in other UK survey’s (Kelly et al. 2018). Kelly et al (2018) also acknowledge how ‘self-reported sleep measures may also be prone to bias’, which also adds a degree of doubt over the accuracy of the findings. However, the reliability of this source is relatively strong since in the paper it is revealed that the funder was the Economic and Social Resource Council and had no role in the data collection, interpretation, or writing of the paper.

According to the ‘Media Lives Study’ published by Ofcom, ‘girls aged 12-15 with a social media or messaging profile are more likely than boys to feel pressure to look popular on these sites ‘all of the time’ (20% vs. 11%). Supporting this, ‘some of the girls in our Media Lives study were this year choosing more glamourized or aesthetic Snapchat filters, rather than the ‘cute’ animal faces they had used in previous waves; these are popular as they are thought to make faces look ‘prettier’ and ‘brighter’’ (Ofcom, 2019). The pressure to look popular or glamorous on social media can stem from social comparisons among peers, influencers, or celebrities. This can lead to reduced body confidence, hence the girls in the study mentioned above used Snapchat filters to edit their appearance. Reinforcing these findings are the results from the UK Longitudinal Study, where it was found that high levels of social media interaction in early adolescence impact well-being in later adolescence, particularly for females (Booker et al. 2018).

In summary, the evidence explored in this review suggests there is a growing concern surrounding the negative aspects of the connection between social media use and the well-being of young people and emerging adults. There is a need for a greater knowledge of how and why social media can have these influences on young people’s well-being.

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Social Media and Society

In the current culture, Social Media is one of the most influential platforms that reveal the human condition. It has been making headways throughout America because of comments made by people. “Usl at the Stadium”, by Rivka Galchen is a narrative that presents a real-life situation where the main character deals with public shaming in response to inflammatory comments made on social media from an incident at a baseball game. Although social media has made leaps and bounds since its inception, it is its influence that has affected our culture in many ways such as reckless use of freedom of expression, negative impacts on mental health, and lapse in social skills.

I once heard that “The tongue is mightier than the sword”. (Wilmore 9) There is an increase in the reckless use of freedom of expression on Social Media. Due to protect constitutional rights in various countries, people are free to express hate, obscenities, misinformation, and harassment without any formal consequences as long as it falls within certain guidelines. For instance, in Galchen’s narrative, the public made comments about Usl such as “Please rid us of your nasty pimpled ass and put a shotgun in your mouth tonight, I’ll buy the shells.” “He is a waste of decent seats, he can sleep at the nachos stand and give a real fan a view, lol.” (Galchen 75) after comments like the ones made about Usl the reckless speech did not diminish but instead increased. No one put an end to the comments and rumors being spread. In the U.S., all of these are types of speeches that are protected by the first amendment to some degree and therefore potentially provoke the inconsiderate behavior we see growing.

Another problem with Social Media is its impact on mental health. “With the constant fear of missing out known as FOMO or the addiction of wanting to be liked or accepted, we are seeing a growth in mental behavioral disorders that is affecting the youth all over the world.” People between the ages of 17-24 are at an impressionable period in their lives and find themselves highly impacted by social media based on studies. (Graham 68) Studies are showing that kids and young adults who spend most of their time on social media are more likely to develop depression, suicidal feelings, experience anxiety, and low self-esteem due to false expectations comparisons. “he was going to go and live there. When the time seemed right, in maybe ten or fifteen years, he would return to civilization.” (Galchen 78) The main character of Galchen’s narrative thoughts under a moment of pressure makes one feel like they need to isolate themselves from society. The issue is growing in staggering numbers. Not that social media is causing mental health issues, but rather is affecting people in that age group more so than others.

Finally, there are social skills, that are slowly eroding due to Social Media. The entire narrative of “Usl at the Stadium” by Galchen represents how the social skills of society have fallen. The abusive habit of being on social media has reduced the functional interaction between people that is needed. In general, social skills are an integral part of society because it is an essential part of our ability to communicate effectively. Especially when it comes to nonverbal social skills. The ability to be empathetic, and to identify body language, eye contact, and facial expressions during a conversation. This allows us to convey, react or express ourselves appropriately so we can demonstrate understanding of each other’s needs during a verbal exchange while showing respect. Without it, we may lead to the feeling nonconnected or engaged which causes an isolated feeling of possible loneliness. Finding ourselves with the inability to relate or react responsibly while having a conversation. This lapse in skill has been a concern in the behavioral changes of this current generation which results in a lack of respect and much more.

On the other hand, Social media’s benefits come from its intended purpose of connecting people and keeping them informed. I’m not saying Social Media is bad, but instead, I’m saying they are necessary changes that are needed to prevent the likes of mental issues, physical issues, and moral issues from happening and becoming a nationwide epidemic. We as a people, for the most part, can agree that we want to prevent more of these online attacks from happening, but we have to get down to the core of the issue. instead, we should address these problems with safer and gradual solutions of preventative measures while potentially bringing upon tougher punishments for being irresponsible towards our fellow man altogether which I believe can be done.

In closure, social media’s influence on culture has become a controversial topic because it has affected our culture in areas such as an increase in reckless use of freedom, negative impacts on mental health, and lapse in social skills. Across Social Media, we continue to debate this topic on the human condition and how we behave based on the exchange of information. Many things can happen after a post of an image or comment. Awareness and tougher oversight will only make irresponsible people own up to their actions. Therefore, leading to improve quality in the experience of social media while it facilitating a healthy exchange between people.