Negative Effects Of Social Media Addiction

1680 Words4 Pages

In recent years, the Internet and what it can be used for, has exploded. Something that started out as something so simple and not so easy to use is now something most Americans, especially from ages 12 to 24, say they cannot live without. Most students have a hard time sitting through an hour long class without checking their phone for an “Instagram like” or a “Snapchat”, or even a message on the popular “Tinder” dating app. People are starting to judge others based on how many followers they have on a social media site, or how many retweets they get on a Tweet. There is a joke that goes, “Did it really happen if you did not Instagram it?” The sad thing is, it is almost not a really a joke anymore. Between what some would call addiction, to bullying, to narcissism all beginning at a young age, social media is having a negative effect on the youth of our generation. There has been a lot of talk lately about how teens have become addicted to social media. Parents struggle with getting their children to not touch their phones at the dinner table, teachers with taking phones away from students due to texting, even on dates when the other person is checking their Instagram. It is as if teens today cannot go a whole hour without touching their cell phones. Social media addiction is seen most in young adults, and a study done by IStrategyLabs in Washington DC showed, “Adolescents and college students constitute about 40% of social networking users”(Disalvo 501). Forty percent being almost half of all users, it is clear that social media is something much more popular with the worlds youth, as it has become more available and popular in the last decade or so. A study done at Harvard University gives some insight as to why social media ... ... middle of paper ... ...hoose to, and are not as worried about the consequences as they should be. Many people even choose to leave their profiles on public, allowing anyone who should search their name into their “private” lives. Social media has many different effects on all aspects of ones life. It is an outlet and can be used both positively and negatively. With how readily available it is in today’s times, a lot of users have been guilty of misusing sites, at least from what they were designed to do when created. The Internet and Social media causes a threat to young adults in more ways than one, and more than many young adults even realize. What they choose to post can affect their physical and mental safety, their academic reputation, and also their professional one. Young adults should use more caution when actively using Social media sites, and not let it consume their lives.

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