Social media has been around for ages. It’s one of the most used pieces of the internet in the world. Apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and Tiktok are all new parts of our society. Social media can offer many different benefits and opportunities to express yourself and be who you want to be, but have you ever wondered just how much it’s affected our present-day world?

One of the main points we have to focus on is the media that we consume, and that isn’t always a good thing. There have been many studies based on the impacts of social media on young and learning brains, like teens in the 20’s. Social media can be linked to permanent mental health problems, like depression and anxiety. 

 A study from 2019 that included over 6,500 U.S teens from ages 13-16 who spent more than 3 hours on social media a day was linked to trouble sleeping, mental health problems, and negative effects overall in their well-being. 

Social media can also have lasting effects on problems with our appearances. The online world will boast about unrealistic beauty standards and body stereotypes for all genders. Women are forced to feel like they have to be prettier, thinner, and change their looks to feel content with themselves. The same goes for men. 

We popularize people who photoshop the images they post on apps like Instagram, when in reality, the bodies they’ve created are unachievable. 

The people we see on social media can also cause problems physically, like eating disorders. They can make us believe we have to look a certain way and fit a certain standard to be found attractive. 

Social media also opens up areas for anonymous attacks to people online, which is cyberbullying. Even though digital footprints are a thing, social media still offers people the choice to say, post, and consume whatever they want. It can open up opportunities for people to harass others anonymously, and leave hateful comments on a post. 

Cyberbullying is very serious and can have effects like mental health problems, and can cause permanent things like suicide. 

Social media is not something that can be taken lightly. It’s created many problems for our society and future generations that will soon run the world. 

Interview Questions: 

What age did you first start using social media?

How do you think social media has impacted you?

Do you think social media has affected you negatively?

What are some positive and negative things about social media?

Do you feel like you have to look a certain way because of social media?

I interviewed Freshman Emma Jackson on the topic of the impacts of social media.

Here’s what she said.

“I first started using social media when I was around 9 years old, because I got a phone at 8. I think social media has impacted me in a positive way because it’s allowed me to express who I am and it makes me feel happy. No, I don’t think social media affected me negatively when I was younger. I think some positive things about social media is that it allows you to be yourself and it lets you meet new people you probably never would have talked to. Yes, I do feel like I have to look a certain way.”

I think there’s a lot of mixed opinions about the idea of social media. The online world gives you a lot of different opportunities to learn new things. It can be really good, but it can also have a horrible effect on growing minds.