Social or Unsocial Media

 

When entering a cafe, most people expect to see smiling and conversing citizens drinking coffee. Instead of this scene, a cafe has many people mindlessly staring at their phones or laptops updating their blog or going on other social media sites. Social media is taking over, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are negative and positive effects of social media. These sites can help people with support, safety, and kindness, but it can also cause self esteem problems and mental disorders.

 

There are many positive effects of social media; these sites are able to change people. Many teens use social media to stay connected with friends and family, and it is also used to meet others (Barnes, Laird). The great part about the Internet is that it is easy to reach people using it. This doesn’t just mean people you know. It is also used to meet others with similar interests (Barnes, Laird). With the safety of the screen, people with mental disorders, such as anxiety, can feel safer talking to people (Rosen). Teens have also been known to show more empathy to online friends (Rosen). Not only can this help teens stay connected, but it can also introduce teens to information they were not aware of before.

 

We live on a planet with many different people. Social media can help adolescents become aware and accepting of other diverse backgrounds (Barnes, Laird). This can include different cultures, complexion, sexualities, and genders (Barnes, Laird). Depending on the site, people on social media can be accepting or not. For example, Facebook is a very judgemental  community, a lot of the people using this site love to judge others on how they look and what they say. Tumblr on the other hand is diverse and accepting.

 

Along with the positive effects, social media also has negative effects. Some major problems are how it effects a teens self-esteem, cyberbullying, and addiction. The images of actresses and actors and their body types on various social media sites can influence teenagers (Mokeyane). Some teens believe that to be attractive they have to look like these actors or actresses and wear a certain style that are “in” (Mokeyane). Social media spreads these beliefs, lowering a teens self esteem. From these beliefs, cyberbullies find their power. Cyberbullying can cause depression and anxiety (Barnes, Laird). It is also a cause of many suicides in adolescents (Barnes, Laird). *insert tumblr user story* Even with these deterring themes, people continue to go onto social media sites.

 

Addiction to these sites is difficult to avoid, and if someone does become addicted, it can afflict activities in their lives. Studies have shown that students who check Facebook or other social media sites while studying, achieve lower grades (Rosen). Some users also acquire narcissistic behaviors and other psychological disorders (Rosen). It is very difficult to overcome addiction to substances, and social media addiction can be just as hard to lose.

 

These positive and negative effects don’t necessarily need to come with social media. Without irresponsible people cyberbullying wouldn’t exist. If stereotypes didn’t exist, body shaming and self esteem problems would be a smaller issue. This can work for positives as well. It is someone’s choice to help and talk to others. It is someone’s choice to go on and create social media in the first place.

 

 

 

Citations:

 

Barnes, Angela, and Christine Laird. "The Effects of Social Media on Children." Communication and Social Media. N.p., 6 June 2012. Web. 04 May 2015.

 

Mokeyane, Nola K. "Media's Positive & Negative Influence on Teenagers."Everyday Life. GlobalPost, n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.

Rosen, Larry. "Social Networking's Good and Bad Impacts on Kids."Http://www.apa.org. American Phycological Association, 6 Aug. 2011. Web. 04