Social Media Affects Youths On Massive Scale

Social media are any websites and applications found online that allow users to communicate with one another using different media. There are several reasons why social media can have a positive outlook on a student's life.

Social media helps students enhance communication, whether it be with another friend, a university they are looking forward to, or even a job they want to get. It allows them to receive crucial information.

According to the University of San Diego Professional and Continuing Education, ”Real-time communications can increase student engagement, collaboration, communication and overall participation”.

Social media also allows a creative aspect to express themselves which may support mental health.

  Douglas T. Buzenski, Capital University states, “Social media platforms can serve as creative outlets for college students to express themselves through art, music, writing, or videos. Engaging in creative endeavors can promote positive mental well-being and self-esteem.”

While there are positive parts to social media, there are some negative aspects too.

For one, many students may not be comfortable sharing their opinion outloud anymore. When something goes on social media it allows the world to view it, and is often judged upon. 

According to the Knight Foundation, only 1 out of 4 students believe that dialogues on social media are civil, and only half are comfortable to share their opinions online, meaning they want to please others and suppress their true opinions for approval. 

Physically, using phones too often can also take its toll on a student's mental health and growth of the body.

“Studies link social media use to poor sleep, memory issues, and academic struggles,” Mass General Brigham MCLean states. “The brain-body connection means stress can turn into headaches, nausea, or even tremors.”

When Ms. Cobb, English teacher at John F. Kennedy High School, was asked about student behavior due to social media, she explains how students seem to have an obsession with their phones.

“I think that social media now is more engaging than before,” Ms. Cobb explained, further explaining the results of the growing social media. “People are withdrawing from talking in person and gearing their attention to online conversations and online relationships.”

When asked about the positive and negative aspects of social media, Ms. Cobb said, “I think the good part of it [social media] is that people are able to build connections with people that maybe they would never have an opportunity to meet if social media didn’t exist.”

However, Ms. Cobb did also add, “Where it's bad, is when it becomes an addiction and you’re only relying on social media for all of your social interactions, to the point that it’s like disabling your ability, where you can’t interact with people in person or you don’t feel comfortable.”

In an interview with Allison Rodriguez, librarian at JFK, she explains how there are both upsides and downsides of having social media.

 In terms of the library she states now students now know exactly what books they want as they have seen or read about them already on social media.

“I see upsides for kids who don’t have a lot of friends, they come in here [the library] to hangout and still have something they can do or they can still talk to friends who maybe aren’t on campus.”

Adding on she stated, “Downsides I see is I don’t see as many people talking to each other.”

Social media is undoubtedly a large aspect in many students' lives. However, it does come with its own positive and negative aspects, which students must learn to navigate. 

Photo from Unsplash | Social media creeps up on youth development.