The effects of social media in our lives

The+effects+of+social+media+in+our+lives

Mykah Plesner, Staff Reporter

Social media plays a big role in society today.

People are still trying to decide whether it’s helping or destroying conversations, how we look at ourselves, and our mental state.

I know in my opinion social media can be addictive, and I also think it can affect your mental health.

Kids ranging from kindergarten to teens and adults are all getting into social media and technology. More teens and adults are on their phones all the time.

Whether they are at work, in school, or simply at home.

People are getting more and more into being on their phones for hour after hours, way past times they should even be awake.

Young people report that there might be a good reason to worry about how social media and technology are a part of our lives. A survey conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health asked 14-24 year olds in the UK how social media platforms impacted their health and well-being. The survey results found that Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all led to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image and loneliness.  

When people are scrolling through all their social media feeds and see how great everyone seems, it only adds to the pressure. We’re used to worrying about how ourselves and people look compared to the photoshopped magazine models.

A study that took place in 2017 stated, “Over half a million 8th through 12th graders were found with high levels of depressive symptoms. Which increases the rate, 33 percent between 2010 and 2015. In the same period, the suicide rate for girls in that age group increased by 65 percent.” The first social media site was originally made in 1988, it enabled users to upload a profile and make friends with other users, not to bring ourselves down about how we look or how others look compared to people. Social media has changed people, how they communicate, how they look at themselves and their mental health in today’s society.