Social Media and its Effects

861 Words2 Pages

Social media has become a major part of our society today. We can say that every aspect of daily life is influenced by some form of mass communication. There are various forms of social media, which include pictures, video, texting, television, and social networking websites. These outlets of communication are able to reach a vast audience in split seconds, allowing diverse cultures to interact with each other. Because of this almost immediate reaction, it allows for major pitfalls, such as, the saturation of our youth with bad examples of sexual behavior and violence, which can lead to an increasing acceptance of violence in society. Researchers have shown that such behaviors are carried out by mimicking the actions seen and heard on media outlets. Proponents of social media argue of its benefits in providing teens with a supportive environment for people with similar issues. They also argue that social media provides information to teens on medical topics and health concerns. When it comes to social media the bad influences outweigh the good. Therefore, social media has an adverse affect on adolescence’s social behaviors.
Social media can be very taxing on a teen’s emotional state. According to the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), researchers have proposed a new phenomenon called “facebook depression”, defined as depression that develops where preteens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, and then exhibit classic symptoms of depression (AAP 2011). Depression can be predicted by two factors, which include rejection by peers and isolated teens with little or no friends (Hartup, 1996). The depression starts when teens are offline and the need for acceptance and social contact are n...

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...sitive virtues to combat the negative effects. We must reach the adolescents in the places they dwell on social media, to giv e them the tools to cope with the predators, the depraved, and bullies that trove these mediums.
Despite the obvious evidence of negative behavior influenced by social media, the voices of change are few. The many proponents of its benefits can be an ally in providing a supportive environment for vulnerable adolescents. Detractors and proponents must use the social media outlets to provide information to reach a common goal of safety for our youth. Come together to find ways to use the outlet to identify negative influences, and lend support to its users. Again, we know social media has an adverse affect on adolescence’s social behaviors. It must become our purpose to ensure that social media’s good influences outweigh bad.

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