Society today has put an influence on being popular, defined as being “regarded with favor, approval, or affection by people in general” (Dictionary). Popularity in today’s society is ultimately dictated by our media, more specifically Social Media. Social Media, commonly used by teenagers, warps how we act, dictates our appearance, and gets us to value retrospectively unimportant ideals, in order to reach a status of popularity. An unrealistic picture of popularity is painted by the Social Media teenagers devour. This desire to be popular, as well as how popularity and Social Media can corrupt a person is expressed in the book, Be More Chill, by Ned Vizzini. Be More Chill follows Jeremy Herre, a high schooler who’s desire to become popular …show more content…
The strongest standout for Social Media in the book is the Squip, a supercomputer pill which Jeremy takes to gain popularity. Without the Squip, Jeremy expresses extreme social anxiety, he counts his humiliations and explains that “Failure justifies all my worrying and planning” (Vizzini 25). As anxiety and the isolation from being popular hit Jeremy, he turns to the squip to dictate his life to him and to give him the validation he needs, giving up control in the process.The same emotions Jeremy experienced before he obtains the Squip are the exact same that lead to people giving up their control to Social Media “There’s no shortage of evidence that loneliness, social anxiety and social isolation can cause excessive use of social networking sites in young people. For example, a study...found that real life social interaction was negatively associated with excessive use of Twitter, and loneliness was a significant factor that mediated this relationship”(Davey). People take their anxiety and self-doubt to Social Media in order to try to self-validate themselves. Unfortunately, Social Media addiction only brings out more anxiety. The Squip demands the “rules” of popularity to Jeremy throughout the book, ordering him how to act, appear, and what to do. The Squip explains the reasons he’s so demanding as, “HUMAN SOCIAL ACTIVITY IS GOVERNED BY RULES AND I HAVE THE PROCESSING CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND, OBEY, AND UTILIZE THOSE RULES”(Vizzini 109). This description shows the reader that Social Media teaches the rules to it’s users, dictating how to gain popularity. These rules lead to unrealistic standards and value of nonexistent “likes” and “follows”, and also can bring around anxiety. One of these rules relates to making comparisons to peers in order to make changes in popularity, which Jeremy already starts to make when looking at his “unpopular” friend Michael right when he obtains the
We as humans constantly are concerned about our social image and outcomes. These newly updated online technology tools help us use the Internet to communicate with friends and to share information and resources with our networks of contacts. Anecdotal evidence suggests social media are altering our opinions and influencing our choices, which plays a great role in conformity. Furthermore, by deviating too far, individuals risk rejection. If a person feels that he cannot change the situation, he is unlikely to try anything new. The apathy becomes self-fulfilling. No one tries anything different, and consequently, nothing
Popularity is now being defined by the amount of “friends” and “likes” one gets instead of how many times he or she actually see a real person. Gopnik explains in his text “How the Internet Gets Inside Us” just this, “A social network is crucially different from a social circle, since the function of a social circle is to curb our appetites and of a network to extend them”. The appetites Gopnik refers are the level of social interaction every human needs. It is part of basic human nature to have the need to be social. Social networks provide the illusion of being connected but once the tab is closed the realization that no one is around becomes
John Green, a well-known American author, vlogger, actor, and editor, once said, “That’s always seemed so ridiculous to me, that people want to be around someone because they’re pretty. It’s like picking your breakfast cereals based on color instead of taste.” Everyone is born different, but there are always those people who just look better than others, or in other words, more popular, and most people just try to hang out with them. However, there are also people like John Green who do not care about being popular. He once stated that it is “ridiculous… that people want to be around someone because they’re pretty”, which really means that he has never been popular and thinks kissing up to popular kids is just obscured. However, being unpopular
In “Is Facebook making us lonely” Marche speaks about Facebook coming at a time where Loneliness was at its peak. He argues that the popularity of Facebook came because it promised a connection that people longed for during the period of peak loneliness. Facebook in his eyes is seen as an outlet for the lonely. The popular social media site helps those who are alone cope because they feel as if Facebook connects them to the world and their “real friends”. While “Love in the age of Like” may contrast those views it does not make any of Marche’s claims inferior or untrue. Ansari simply just offers a different view on the effects of social media and technology overall. Rather than argue on the side of isolation Ansari believes that technology provides a real connection that has never before been offered to society before. In my belief Ansari’s stance holds more weight and is more relatable. Marche’s stance also argues that Facebook does indeed connect us, which is its job. His article and research proves exactly what Ansari is trying to convey to the readers of his own article. One thing that both have taught me through these readings is that Technology can be a double edged sword, it all depends on who is behind the keyboard and also the users intentions. Each author has also taught me that regardless of your opinion the effect of technology on today’s society cannot be denied. The day and age we
“Turn Off the Phone (And the Tension),” an article written by Jenna Wortham, is about an experience away from social media. Social media is all about sharing details of one’s life while investing themselves into others. While doing so this takes away from their own experiences that are happening right in front of them. Wortham shows how ironic it is for someone to share a part of their lives and yet not have the time to enjoy it. This problem is shown to be a common epidemic for the millions of people who use social networking sites/apps and that too much time is spent away from current events, thus taking the beauty out of life. Wortham then quotes Gross on how our society has a spread of information that is too vast. What ends up
Ever since the invention of the transistor – allowing the construction of increasingly advanced computers – digital technology has become increasingly integrated within our daily lives. Of recent times, a significant development in digital technology is its use in communication; especially in the form of social media or social networking. The psychological effects of high usage of social media (such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) in today’s society have been critically evaluated. The main risks are associated with allowing the consequences of traditional forms of bullying and the internalisation of unrealistic body ideals to be escalated due to the high frequency of use and omnipresence of social media. However, social media does present
“Nothing is perfect.” Though social media brings us uncountable convenience, there is a trade-off with the convenience. Due to the advanced technology we have, social media has become part of our life, which it means that social media could determine our sociability. In Peggy Orenstein’s “I Tweet, Therefore I Am,” though she praises Tweeter for its convenience, at the same time, she also worries that “(Tweeter) makes the greasepaint permanent, blurring the lines not only between public and private but also between the authentic and contrived self.” Since we don’t care about who we talk to, we might act abnormally due to our feelings, and
The term popularity can have two different meanings. It can refer to being well liked and accepted or “sociometrically” popular or to high status as a result of being seen as popular and high ranking or “perceived” popular (Cillessen et.al 2011). Sociometrically popular adolescents are mainly characterized in positive ways. (Newcomb, 1993 as cited by Meijs, 2010) found sociometrically popular adolescents to behave in prosocial ways, and exhibit low levels of aggression and social withdrawal. Rodkin et al.
The study only used one variable to measure the amount of behavior to become a popular student. In future studies, more measurements can be added to see if the results are similar or if precision was correct in the first study. Popularity is a relevant topic to still be studied in adolescents due to its high priority overall during student behavior. The study concluded that, including social aggression, other behaviors are factors during adolescent popularity.
Adolescents is hard enough the way it is. Trying to be someone you're not makes it even harder. I hereby declare myself independent from “being cool”. There is a certain stigma that the student body has enlisted on it’s peers. I believe there is a certain shame that high school students and students in general have made the “norm”, in which students feel the need to “be cool” and fit in with the crowd. I, therefore, am sending this declaration to all the people who feel the need to be cool. I believe that all students should be able to express themselves the way they feel, whether it be dressing the way the want, wearing the makeup they choose, or the actions they portray. I believe I have the right to change the stigma of “being cool” to
Technology is made into a scapegoat for the preexisting introversion of its users; people are drawn to information technology because it has the ability to combat loneliness. The article Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? by Stephen Marche examines how Facebook and social media affect the social habits of its users. It tells the story of Yvette Vickers, a former playmate and B-movie star who died in her home at the age of 83, with no family or friends to keep her company.
On social media, the things that people like are helping people and companies become more widely known, and in turn, improve the company’s sales. People assume if they do not have followers or likes, they are not noticed as much. Teenagers are mainly concerned with being “liked” by everyone. The more followers that a teen has, the more money a company is making. However, they do not understand how beneficial they are to the companies. To them, the likes they receive are instant gratification, and prove their worth; but for companies, if more people view someone’s photo, and the photo advertises an Alex and Ani bracelet, then the viewer is inspired to purchase t their own bracelet to maintain the same level of popularity as the person in the photo. The companies are literally turning these likes into
Social media is so popular that according to a recent article published by forbes.com, “72% of American adults are currently using social media sites; that figure has gone up 800% in just 8 years”(Olenski). Social networking was originally created to simply reconnect people with old high school pals, but in recent years it has evolved into a completely different operation. When social media first originated it was also intended for adult usage, which has in recent years expanded into the usage of all ages. Social media can create a negative affect on lives because it has been proven to be a dangerous addiction, for it takes away interpersonal relationships that are essential in life, and it has been proven to prevent people from being productive in life.
We live in a world that has become addicted and dedicated toward social media and it is driving America’s youth into the ground. Teenagers and adults are so wrapped up in social media that is runs their lives every day. Constantly people are checking their phones for the latest on social networks. They have to see pictures, tweets, statuses, comments, likes, and the list goes on and on. Social media is becoming the focus point in the modern American society that it is beginning to control people’s social skills, communication skills, and their livelihood.
Social media can be used in our days as a very helpful tool for many things in changing any person’s life ant attitude. It has a positive impact on the society level. These media will keep the person socially active and open to all what happened in the world. Sharing the latest news, photos, finding new friends and knowing the culture. Also, it allows for millions to keep in touch with each other and update for all the new technology. And, it helps people who have difficulties in communication with others to be more socialized and stronger and develop more confidence to feel more comfortable, protected and relaxed just sitting behind a screen. “It saved me time and money without ever requiring me to leave the house; it salvaged my social life, allowed me to conduct interviews as a reporter and kept a lifeline open to my far-flung extended family” says Leonard(231).