The Negative Impacts of Social Media

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The use of social networking sites is rising at great rates. According to a report conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in 2012, ninety-five percent of individuals aged 12-17 use the internet; and eighty-one percent of those use social network sites (Pew Interest). Although it is known that social media can have a useful impact on lives, often times people forget that with a positive comes a negative. The continual use of social network sites will impact teen lives more negatively than positively because they can cause huge distractions from valuable and critical pursuits like education; they can also cause mental health issues and a reduction in communication skills. Social network sites is often an easy distraction tool disturbing you when you are supposed to be doing your homework or studies. Many students believe they are capable of multitasking and finishing their work with cohesive and logical connections. Netherlands psychologist Paul A. Kirschnera of the Centre for Learning Sciences and Technologies at the Open University of the Netherlands and Aryn C. Karpinskib of Ohio State University conducted a study examining 219 U.S. university students. Kirschnera found that Facebook users typically had a grade point average of 3.06 while non-users had a grade point average of 3.82. Kirschnera states that he isn’t trying to demonize Facebook, but demonstrate the distracting nature of social network sites (Daily Mail). Students fail to complete their studies and/or homework with cohesive thought because some students give themselves a limit in completing work instead of completing the work as a whole. In the Frontline documentary film Digital Nation, Rachel Dretzin says the following in front of a small group of s... ... middle of paper ... ...dLine." BBC News. N.p., 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 18 May 2014. Shea, Andrea. "Facebook Envy: How The Social Network Affects Our Self-Esteem." WBUR. Radio Boston, 20 Feb. 2013. Web. 20 May 2014. Silverman, Rachel E. "Workplace Distractions." The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 11 Dec. 2011. Web. 17 May 2014. "Student Grades Not Affected by Social Networking, New Research Finds." Student Grades Not Affected by Social Networking, New Research Finds. University of New Hampshire, 23 Dec. 2009. Web. 17 May 2014. "Teens Fact Sheet." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. Pew Research Center, n.d. Web. 13 May 2014. Turkle, Sherry. "Digital Nation." Interview. PBS. PBS, 22 Sept. 2009. Web. 20 May 2014. .

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