My College Experience - Dictated by My Phone

From a young age, I was taught that keeping in touch with your friends and loved ones was an essential part of growing up. I would constantly call my parents, sisters, and friends from school so that I could know what was happening in their lives. In the words of Sherry Turkle, a professor at MIT, I became “tethered” (Turkle 171). Now, Turkle is notorious for writing a prolific amount of “anti-technology” pieces, but her bias is valid, as I was quite literally being “tethered” to my friends and family back in New Jersey.

At the University of Michigan, I have found myself becoming more independent than ever before. Yet, I find myself struggling to refrain from contacting everyone I know and not letting social media rule my life. Sure, this “rule my life” phrase may seem a little dramatic, but in today’s society where every person’s actions can be broadcasted in a millisecond, more and more teenagers, including myself, find themselves comparing their social experiences to those of others.

In SI 110, one of the main topics that was discussed was whether or not a deluge of information created a “utopia” or a “dystopia.” Obviously, an argument can be made for both sides, but in the lives of college students, I believe that an environment in which every student compares their grades, social life, and extracurriculars to those of their friends is created on social networking sites. As someone who has been on both sides of this scenario, where I was flaunting my accomplishments as well as comparing my life to the lives of others, I believe that it is imperative to analyze the role that social media plays in changing the psychology and self-esteem of college students. By integrating both personal experiences as well as documented research, I hope to tackle an issue that many college students endure, that of constantly comparing their lives with the lives of people around them.

I hope not only to share my personal experiences with my readers, but exemplify that there are millions of teenagers who compare themselves to others via social networking sites, causing harm to their emotion and psychological well-being. In addition, I hope to come to terms with myself, and show myself that I should be content with my experiences in college, and not compare my experiences to others.

Ultimately, when looking back at the phrase Professor Turkle used (“tethered”) in order to describe individuals that are too attached to their phones, and especially social media sites, it is imperative to view the implications that being “tethered” has on a human’s psychology . Now, popular researchers such as Clay Shirky and Howard Rheingold argue that “cognitive surplus” and a prolific amount of data published on the Internet can be beneficial to society and individuals, and many college students may benefit and enjoy using social media and integrating it into their everyday lives. However, it is equally as important to recognize the effects that this information has on individuals who feel the need to compare themselves to others, as this may lead to an increase in depression and anxiety, negatively effecting the mental health of these individuals. As someone who believes that these social media sites can have an extremely negative influence on individuals, primarily teenagers, I hope to inform my readers how to use social networking sites without feeling the need to compare themselves to others.

Work Cited:

Turkle, Sherry. Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. Basic Books, 2012.