Madi Kelly
Sep 6, 2018 · 6 min read

Social Media: Positive or Negative?

Social media and technology is becoming the center of our society. Anyone can talk to anyone or share whatever they please with the simple click of a button. Our fast moving world posts more tweets and Instagram photos than ever before. But with all of this chaotic sharing and chatting, there are some negatives to the situation. When it comes down to social media, the cons begin to outweigh the pros.

Internet safety and social media security is a growing issue in modern America. Many young adults feel that they are invincible online and forget that there are dangerous individuals looking to destroy accounts and the self esteem of others. In a social networking cartoon discussing internet safety, there is an individual walking on a sidewalk and he is receiving notifications on his phone. The alerts are from a social network and it seems that random people, with creepy usernames, are starting to follow his account. He then realizes the big hand reaching out to snatch him from off the sidewalk (Source H). This seemingly dark cartoon pokes fun at the reality of our social networking accounts. We are quick to trust the internet and all of the applications on our phone that we do not think twice about what goes on behind the scenes. Some claim that we do not need to worry about our accounts because there are so many on the internet that a hacker or stalker would never come across ours, but that is completely false. Often times those that think they are safe are the ones that get caught up in the situation.

Some encourage vulnerability on the internet because it promotes confidence and positivity. In a study by Common Sense Media, 52% of teens claim social media betters their relationships with friends and one in five teens say it makes them more confident (Source A). While it is safe to say that social media does promote confidence, when looking from the wrong source, that confidence can quickly turn into insecurity. What is meant by this? When posting pictures on social media begins to be the only way teens gain confidence, it becomes unhealthy. They look too much for the approval and compliments of others instead of being confident in themselves. Dr. Wick explains, “‘If you practice being a false self eight hours a day, it gets harder to accept the less-than-perfect being you really are… and as we all know there’s no harsher judge of a kid than herself”’ (Source C). This unhealthy cycle begins to show forth prominently in our life when we utilize our social network platforms to make ourselves seem one way when we are another way. Dr. Emanuele, a psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, suggests, “‘Kids view social media through the lens of their own lives… If they’re struggling to stay on top or suffering from low self-esteem, they’re more likely to interpret images of peers having fun as confirmation that they’re doing badly compared to their friends”’ (Source C). May we remember not to compare our lows in life to others’ highs. In reality, everyone goes through hard things in life but only the highlights of our days are usually posted on social media. In conclusion, vulnerability on media can potentially be a positive but it is mostly a negative. It can limit our confidence and damage our safety and privacy.

Social media utilization in young adult culture has become a topic of question. Have you ever caught your child or friend on their phone at dinner? Or driven past a teen texting and driving? Exactly. Teens are engulfed in a world where smart phones and media stand supreme above all other priorities. UCLA scientists that scanned teenagers’ brains while they used social media found, “A certain part of the brain associated with rewards hums with activity whenever teens see one of their photos earn a lot of “likes”. The researchers also found that “liking” had a cumulative effect: When peers liked a photo, teens were more likely to like the photo themselves, no matter the content” (Source F). The satisfaction social media provides for the brain could be one telling factor why teenagers are on their smartphones so much. Humans desire the acceptance and love that social networks tend to provide for them. They also begin to become more confident and comfortable with themselves as their peers “like” and compliment them on their posts. Mountain News talks about social media overuse when they explain, “With your mobile device in hand, the constant notifications and vibrations can become a struggle in terms of paying attention to anything other than what is going on in your phone. Another problem lies in not actually waiting for a notification to appear on your phone, but checking it just because it has become habitual” (Source B). Often times we look to our phones as a way to occupy our boredom or we use it as a tool for procrastination. If we are not wise in the way we utilize our phones, they have the potential to hinder our life experiences and relationships with others. Staying present and attentive in the moment should be a higher priority than wasting time mindlessly roaming on our mobile devices.

As we all know, every decision comes with a consequence. In some cases, the overuse of our smartphones can play a negative role in our daily lives. Mountain News also talks about the impact social media has on young adults when they write, “Some people may use social media to hide behind insecurities; a shy person may be able to express more through social media than in person. Though it is good that people feel a certain freedom with social media, it is also negatively working by steering people away from making deep relationships” (Source B). When we are spending time with our friends and family, it is important to set our phones aside and work towards strengthening those relationships. Our phones are sometimes used as tools to stop us from creating those relationships; we do not want to miss an opportunity to make a friend or talk with a familiar face. How many times have you walked into a room and automatically looked to your phone instead of trying to meet others or communicate with peers? Most of the time this is the case. Instagram Reviews discusses the positive effects of social media when they suggest, “While socialization on social media is very different than face-to-face interaction in real-life, teens develop social skills from using social platforms. They learn to connect with the people they otherwise would never not contact” (Source D). While it is true that social media helps us to connect with old friends, we must not use this as our only way of interacting with others. There is a time for social media and a time for face-to-face interaction. Our time spent on social media can not dominate over our ability to be present in our daily life. The constant use of social platforms also spikes levels of anxiety in those that persistently check for notifications. In an article that talks about the effects of social network use, they state, “In a study that monitored the levels of anxiety people had when they could not use their phones, it was found that heavy users had increased levels of anxiety after having only gone 10 minutes without their phones. The anxiety only heightened as time went on” (Source B). Anxiety helps drive our constant urge to check for a notification on our phone. Remembering to separate our social media time from our time to live our lives will help keep us from noticing these dangerous effects of social media overuse in our lives.

Am I suggesting that we completely cut social media of our lives and return to the days when smartphones and social media platforms did not exist? Absolutely not. But we must be cognizant of the ways we use our social media. There is a dark side to everything and we must notice the dangerous consequences of overusing social media in our personal lives. Use social media as a tool to lift others and promote goodness in our world!