Elisa Godoy
Mr.LaMar
English 1
11 December, 2015
Social Media is Harmful to Teens
Social media has taken over the world of adolescents. Melissa Healy says that social media is a good thing and is safe. Social media is not a good thing and is most definitely not safe. Social media contains and causes cyber bullying, depression, and online predators.
ANXIETY AND SLEEP LOSS Social media causes anxiety and sleep loss. As anxiety.org states, “ A large item contributing to social media anxiety is the compare-and-despair factor.” This causes people to compare themselves to others. They feel self-conscious and the need to be perfect. When it comes to sleep deprivation it is not just social media. It is technology in general. Electronics
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Mikel Theobald states in his article, “ It furthers the vicious cycle of sitting at home by yourself and being remote. You become a victim of your own thoughts as you become less attuned to the outside world around you.” Another thing Theobald says is that you could start talking to people who trigger negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions instead of talking with people who are living a more positive and healthier lifestyle.
CYBERBULLYING AND ONLINE PREDATORS
Cyberbullying is a major issue when it comes to social media. It is so much easier to be bullied through the internet. This online bullying causes teens to become depressed and suicidal. Social media is influencing kids to commit suicide. It is estimated that 52% of teens are being cyberbullied (qtd. in nobullying.com). Online predators are also a big issue. Online predators use the anonymity of the internet to their advantage. These predators look for teens that are emotionally vulnerable. Predators try to tempt adolescents into sexual conversations or to even meet in person.
SOME POSITIVES TO SOCIAL
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It is also clear that the positives do not outweigh the negatives. Social media is a harmful and dangerous because it causes anxiety, sleep loss, and depression. It is also known to contain cyberbullying and online predators. Social media needs be eliminated to keep adolescents safe, happy, and healthy.
Works Cited
"Cyber Bullying Statistics 2014." NoBullying CyberBullying Resources. N.p., 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
Healy, Melissa. "Teenage Social Media Butterflies May Not Be Such a Bad Thing." Los Angeles Times 18 May 2010: n. pag. Print
"How Social Media May Be Causing Sleep Deprivation." How Social Media May Be Causing Sleep Deprivation. N.p., 09 Sept. 2015. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
"The Facts About Online Predators." The Facts About Online Predators. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
Theobald, Mikel. "Depression and Social Media." EverydayHealth.com. N.p., 29 May 2014. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
"Why Are Teenagers so Sleep Deprived?" Www.childmind.org. N.p., 10 June 2014. Web.
"Why Social Media Causes Anxiety." Anxiety.org. N.p., 05 June 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.Elisa
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