“Are you accustomed to receiving your news in 140 characters? Watching videos in under 10 minutes? If so, you may be changing the way your brain works. Studies show that social media has a profound effect on the human mind, something we should all be aware of.” It’s surprising how many areas of our life are affected by social media. As social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter further incorporate themselves into our everyday lives, it’s predictable that the way we use these tools will have some effect on the way that our brains function. There’s no doubt that one of the greatest innovations of the past decade has been the introduction of social networking, but social media is slowly ruining our minds. The fact that we don’t notice how dependent we actually are, that we no longer live in the moment, and that we’re so into this cyber world that we forget it isn’t reality, proves why social media participation is drastically affecting our minds.
As of October 3, 2013, there are over 500 million people worldwide who use Facebook and Twitter, and more than 250 million people who log in daily. Although your immediate intention might be to “tweet” real quick, or post a new status about your latest life epiphany, Americans don’t realize how addictive and a major time consumer social media is. “A new survey from consumer and business credit reporting company Experian, found Americans spend an average 16 minutes of every hour spent online on social networking sites.” These numbers aren’t shocking due to the fact of how easy it is to access your account nowadays. From the age of smart phones, mobile usage takes social media addiction to the next level, and since we don’t go anywhere without our phones, we are always connected to t...
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...lming and taking pictures. It’s sad to say that these things occur often, and it’s ridiculous how us as a society no longer have a problem with it happening. Sure it’s okay to snap a few photos during a fun night out, you didn’t get all dolled up for nothing, right? But there’s a thin line between no longer living in the moment and wanting to capture a few photos to save as memories.
According to Forbes.com, in the United State alone approximately 56% of adults own a smartphone device. With that being said, it just makes the “live in the moment” form of expression that much harder. What happened to going out without any mobile device distractions with the people you love? Wouldn’t you rather enjoy the night, rather than document it all? Life should be about seizing the moment, appreciating the fun times while it lasts, not posting every bit that occurs while so.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that social media has a profound effect on the human mind, something we should all be aware of.
- Explains that americans don't realize how addictive and a major time consumer social media is. according to experian, americans spend an average 16 minutes of every hour online on social networking sites.
- Explains that social media has a substantial role in society, and today it has the power to influence the thoughts of people.
- Explains that social media can add stress to a person's life and affect their health.
- Analyzes the negative health issues that social media brings upon an individual, and the reasons why people become addicted to it.
- Opines that our generation is becoming too dependent on scrolling through their social media feed to acquire important news and information.
- Opines that modern society is relying too heavily on the online networking world to gain full knowledge of critical information.
- Opines that social media participation is affecting our minds because we no longer live in the moment.
- Argues that 56% of americans own a smartphone device, which makes the "live in the moment" form of expression harder.
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- analytical
- explanatory
- Thinker Means Pocketing Your Cell Phoneopinionated essayThe article also talks about how we immediately pick up our phones. I have witnessed this happen at a concert before. In which the performers were trying to hype up the crowd but instead of everyone going along with it and dancing, people stood still phone in hand recording instead. I believe that smartphones have also caused people to lack the ability to live in the moment.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that todd leopold's why being a thinker means pocketing your cell phone and doug gross' have smartphones killed boredom state valiant reasons why smartphones and other electronics have changed our everyday lives.
- Explains todd leopold's article, why being a thinker means pocketing your cell phone, about the man who sat at an office doing nothing, using his imagination to produce ideas that would enhance the company and increase revenue.
- Explains regina dugan's quote, "sometimes i find the quietest times in my life, speak the loudest." she finds deeper meaning and relief in life when she is allowed to think.
- Opines that the article is trying to teach us that great things can be done without a device in hand and that being bored allows us to let our minds wander and use creativity and imagination.
- Analyzes how doug gross's article, have smartphones killed boredom, addressed the issue of how smartphones have interrupted our daily lives by trying to eliminate or satisfy our day.
- Agrees that fiddling with our phones addresses a basic human need to cure boredom by any means necessary.
- Opines that smartphones have also caused people to lack the ability to live in the moment.
- Concludes that the article is trying to tell us to live in the moment and allow ourselves to get bored so that we can truly connect with the people and things around us.
631 wordsRead More - Flavio Nienow is the author “Are We Really Capturing the Perfect Moment?”, this is was an editorial published in Burns Lake, B.C..The editorial is about the modern usage of cell phones and how the use of them is phasing the user to a point where they are not appreciating the current moment, but capturing photos, videos, and texts of it. Throughout the article Nienow discusses a variety of situations he has been in and how the use of cell phones affected the situation.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how flavio nienow would claim personal interactions and relationships would be improved if smart phones were used less.
- Analyzes how flavio nienow would claim that people would not benefit from smartphones ability to easily record and share life’s experiences because it is distracting the person from the current moment.
- Analyzes how flavio nienow would claim that complete "disconnection" would not be a realistic possibility for an individual because people rely on their phones to capture moments and communicate with others.
- Analyzes how flavio nienow's editorial cites some experts and their predictions that cell phone usage will peak and decline. jacobs claims that technology is only going to advance and the usage of cell phones will only become worse.
- Analyzes flavio nienow's "are we really capturing the perfect moment?" and alan jacobs' "i went back to a dumbphone".
1076 wordsRead More - An Analysis Of Our Minds Can Be Hijacked?analytical essayToday, modern technology has changed our way of life in many different ways. We spend most of our time staring into our phones and do not realize our surroundings. According to Jean Twenge, the author of “ Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation”, ninety-two percent of teens report going online at least once a day, and fifty-six percent admit they go online several times a day. This may sound unrealistic but why do we spend so much time on social media? In “ Our Minds Can Be Hijacked”, an article by Paul Lewis, Lewis interviews Google, Twitter, and Facebook workers who helped make technology so addictive and demonstrates how we can prevent ourselves from being harmed by it. I believe companies are partially responsible for creating addiction
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how modern technology has changed our way of life in many different ways. they believe that technology encourages mindless actions and wants addiction to take over.
- Analyzes how neil postman's "5 things we need to know about technological change" explains that there are always winners and losers in technological change.
- Explains how nir eyal, from "our minds can be hijacked", argues that we shouldn't blame the companies for making their products so good we want to use them.
738 wordsRead More - Analysis Of Can The Selfie Generation Unplug And Get Into Parksopinionated essayIf we stay so wrapped up in technology we can miss very important things that are happening around us.In the article “Can the Selfie Generation Unplug and Get into Parks?” Jonathan Jarvis says that “young people are more separated from the natural world than perhaps any generation before
In this essay, the author
- Explains that today's teens feel that their lives are based around their phones and technology. they are too busy looking at nature on their smartphones, then to actually go out and experience it.
- Opines that technology is a bad thing, but too much of anything is not good. we need to appreciate what we have at this moment because it will not be around forever.
- Opines that if we stay tied up in our phones and ignore the world around us it wall fall to pieces. we need to take care of the natural world before it is too late.
- Explains that due to the loss of wildlife habitats some species may become endangered or even extinct, causing a decline in the ecosystem.
- Opines that we need to stop being so attached to our phones and appreciate the natural world around us before it fades away.
632 wordsRead More - The Personal Impact Of The Instant Gratification Effect On My Lifeexplanatory essayI love to take photographs of sunsets and nature in general; this is generally only satisfying to myself. However, with my phone, I can take a photograph of a sunset and instantly post this photo to social media and receive feedback. When people see my picture they can “like” it and I receive notifications. In moderation, such a device would be an awesome outlet for my amateur photograph skills; it’s an instantaneous process that requires little to no effort on my part. While this seems like a beneficial aspect, it really only sets me up for disappointment in future endeavors. In the real world, there is no such thing as instant gratification and relying on my phone as a source of false pride in my work will only fail me later on. This effect also affects the way that I start and carry out romantic relationships. Instead of asking a girl for her home number and awkwardly asking her parents if she is home and available, I can ask for her cell phone number or snapchat username, and again, she can instantly reply. This instant gratification takes all of the work out of a relationship and decreases the quality of the relationship. It can create a relationship devoid of any real feelings and allows these relationships to become detached from the people involved. Both aspects of this effect have detrimental long term consequences that are directly related to increased cell phone
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how they began playing travel basketball in 2008 and decided to buy a cell phone for their 15th birthday. the idea of being able to contact anyone or access social media at any time appealed to them.
- Describes how they became aware of their procrastinator tendencies in the ninth grade when they turned five assignments in late in earth science for no reason.
- Explains how their cellphone has increased their outreach into the world, but it has lowered their ability to communicate with people through conversation and written language.
- Explains how their attention span has been depleted due to their addiction to social media, especially instagram. the inability to focus on any one task without being distracted by the thought of checking their phone has become a major inhibitor in their school career and daily life.
- Explains how the instant gratification effect affects the way they start and carry out romantic relationships.
- Opines that the long-term effects of having information and the internet outweigh the benefits. they regret subjecting themselves to such an addictive lifestyle that requires so much time.
1088 wordsRead More - Social Depression: The Causes And Consequences Of Social Mediaanalytical essayAmericans today tend to believe that social media has benefited them to connect with others quickly. Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) use social networking sites, up from 7% when Pew Research Center began systematically tracking social media usage in 2005 (Perrin). Technology has contributed many benefits for our society to enjoy and one of this is social media. Social Media refers to an online application such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, or Pinterest that people enjoy to share photos or videos. These applications can be accessed through computers, laptops, IPads, tablets, and smartphones. Today nearly two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone, and 19% of Americans rely to some degree on a smartphone for accessing
In this essay, the author
- Explains that social media has helped people connect with others quickly, and argues that it has a correlation to depression/loneliness.
- Explains that people don't think about the negative aspects of using social media because they are too focused in expressing their happiness or materialistic things. marche believes that social networking sites cannot force people to be lonely.
- Explains walton's belief that social networking sites like facebook don't necessarily cause depression, stating that depressed feelings and comparing oneself to others go hand in hand.
- Analyzes how rosenwald contradicts walton's claim that individuals' depressed is correlated to self-esteem. he believes that social media benefits people who are unable to socialize in the real world which helps them communicate effectively.
- Argues that rosenwald's claim that social media is a great advantage for people who are shy is mistaken because he overlooks the general public.
- Analyzes how marie ellis argues that self-esteem is the only correlation to depression. walton asserts that people feel depressed when they compare themselves to others.
- Analyzes how marche believes that people can look through their social media without the rapid assumption that they are depressed.
- Explains that social media is like a virus, you can't stop people from going online. there are many studies that prove it to be true.
- Explains that social media has become a part of our lives, helping us connect with long-distance families or to find new friendships online. too much of it, especially for adolescents and young adults, can be detrimental to their health.
2219 wordsRead More - It’s no secret that internet and social media has become a major part of our society. In the last 14 years the number of internet users has increased by a whopping 566% and 2,495,518,376 people in this world have access to the internet. 70% of them use the internet on a daily basis. On average that 70% will spend 3.2 hours daily on social media, such as Instagram, Tumblr, Google+ and YouTube.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that internet and social media has become a major part of our society. in the last 14 years the number of internet users has increased by 566% and 2,495,518,376 people in this world have access to the internet.
- Introduces alexis ohanian, the co-founder of reddit.com, a "democratic front page of the best stuff on the internet".
- Explains how greenpeace put a tracking device on the humpback whales to protect them from the japanese government.
- Explains that greenpeace had suggested some really interesting names such as kaimana, anahi, and the best of them all, mister splashy pants.
- Narrates how reddit changed its logo to a fighting mister. splashy pants, and greenpeace's marketing campaign based on the issue. japan called off their hunting mission.
- Asks whether japan cared if greenpeace wasn't a small radical group of activists. the government's decisions can be pressured by the internet.
- Explains that greenpeace was at fault when the internet demanded that the whale should be named mister. splashy pants and created a line of merchandise.
- Concludes that the internet is a powerful place, but it's your choice to utilize it to your advantage or deprive yourself from everyday life through it. japan and greenpeace were willing to not do what they originally wanted, to achieve success.
541 wordsRead More - The Causes Of Social Mediaexplanatory essaySocial media is a resource that a majority of people use to keep in contact with their loved ones. These sites are powerful resources because one can post or share something to their personal page and within days it can be shared all over the internet. The leading competitors of social media sites are Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Many people in my generation post every personal detail of their lives, whether it is what they ate that morning, or who their new date is. Now that smartphones are faster than ever, social media is even more accessible with the use of applications. Social media has become an addiction that is plaguing this generation.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that social media is a powerful resource because one can post or share something to their personal page and within days it can be shared all over the internet.
- Explains that the use of social media is a subtle addiction, as defined by the webster dictionary.
- Explains that this generation believes that social media is the key to an exciting life and a successful social life.
- Explains that people now document events with pictures, updates, and locations. they go to concerts to enjoy the music.
- Explains how social media affects teen's self-confidence and body image, and how it can lead to eating disorders.
1176 wordsRead More - Persuasive Essay On Tumblrsexplanatory essayThe internet is a wonderful place full of useless information, random pictures, and halfway decent homework help. First invented for the government to use, it is now open to the entire world… and by the entire world, of course, I mean the United States of America. America is the greatest country in the world and we have come up with the one most addicting thing that humans crave. We have become extremely addicted to social media. It has overtaken the human race like a zombie invasion from Mars. Sharing, posting, and liking have consumed America as a whole. More specifically: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Snapchat. Each has its own addicting property and has its own clique: The Facebookers, Tweeters, Bloggers, and Snappers. Each is a different
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the internet is a wonderful place full of useless information, random pictures, and halfway decent homework help.
- Explains that facebook is a social media app that allows people to share photos, posts, and all around random crap with "friends." extremists post multiple times an hour, while normal facebookers cringe with hatred.
- Explains that tweeters are popular people who need other people to know what they are doing exactly at that moment so they can stay popular. scrollers scroll through twitter periodically throughout the day, looking for some juicy gossip.
- Explains that tumblr is a mix between many sites, though it has its own feel.
- Explains that snapchat is an app that allows the user, or snapper, to send a picture to another person and it will disappear forever from the internet after three seconds.
- Opines that social media addicts should be free to use this information in anyway helpful to them, such as finding out what kind of addict they are.
907 wordsRead More - The Effects of Social Media on Human Brain and Behavioranalytical essayDespite the drawbacks, social media has grown at a rate where it is inconceivable that things will change anytime soon. The field of research into changing brain patterns based on our increasingly umbilical devotion to social media platforms is still very much in its infancy, but will be a fascinating one to keep an eye on into the future. We are living in a brave new world, and advances in technology are only going to create even more ways of connecting and communicating with each other — virtually, at least.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the effects of social media on human brain and behavior, stating that the essay will provide a balanced outlook on the positive and negative effects.
- Opines that kids as young as 10 years old neglect chores, studies, social relationships, and even themselves as they are blinded by mind-altering media applications.
- Explains the average attention span of a human being at present is seven seconds long. ten years ago, this figure was at twelve minutes. 25% of the current generation forget the names and details of close friends and relatives.
- Explains that an average worker in the uk checks his email inbox 30-40 times an hour, which is once every 90 seconds.
- Explains that a study from ucla found that 57% of students felt that their generation used social media for self-promotion and attention rather than for getting ahead in the world.
- Explains that social media has brought about positive things, such as reducing communication barriers and creating groups with like-minded people.
- Explains that research has proven that social media changes people's brains as well as their social lives. recent studies have shown that media defines how much power we hold in the modern society.
- Analyzes zizek's ideology by analyzing the chapter "the other and the birth of the subject" in how to read lacan.
- Agrees with andrew eig's "group and myth of the cyberaspace" in his book social media and group psychotherapy.
- Explains that dr. zak khan of the university of south carolina suggests that social networking triggers the release of generosity-trust chemical into our brains.
- Explains that oxytocin acts as a trust lubricant between mothers and babies. it drives issues of generosity, empathy, and sharing.
- Argues that synthetic, online connections are being processed as real-world connections in our brains.
- Argues that social media infantilizes the human mind and increases the risk of attention-deficit disorder.
- Explains that the brain is chemically changing at all times by our daily use of social networks, but how do we retain the information we deem necessary?
- Opines that social networks are a must-have in this generation and that they should be used moderately.
- Opines that social media has grown at a rate where it is inconceivable that things will change anytime soon.
1397 wordsRead More