Have you ever freaked out when you noticed you left your phone at home? And for a second you felt like the world was coming into an end. Many of us have been there and I can honestly say it’s one of the worst feelings I have ever felt. If this situation has occurred to you, you might want to consider that you might be a social media addict. According to Lifewire “What Is Social Networking Addiction?” by Leslie Walker, someone spending too much time using Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media — so much so that it interferes with other aspects of daily life(Walker pp1). I’ve been addicted to social media for several years starting with Myspace then created a Facebook account and Snapchat. Recently I’ve created an Instagram account, because most of my friends prefer Instagram over Facebook. We depend on social networking, to show us someone’s life when in reality you can witness it yourself. If you only stopped depending on social media, and mobile devices you can realize the things your missing out. It is time to look over your shoulder. Now days mobile devices, social media, and technology are advancing to help one stay better connected, but in some ways you’re becoming more distanced.
Recent behaviors suggest that people are becoming addicted to various social media engagements. Often times people are seen taking pictures, strolling on their devices and striving for the attention that comes with ‘likes” and comments on social media outlets. As a result, people become emotionally triggered by what they see and this can lead to loneliness, contribute too lack social skills, poor self esteem and cyberbullying.
Opponents suggest that social networking can also create positive outcomes. For instance, when I was in High School my best friend moved to Texas, but since then I can communicate with her through social media. You can also communicate with families who are in another country. Using social media to reconnect with friends who have moved away, or to reconnect with family in another country are beneficial. Despite the reconnection between friends and family, online networking may lead to Depression, isolation, low self-esteem, and even death.
Social networking is causing individuals to feel lonely. In a study conducted by “Loneliness linked to increase social media use: by Bill Levesque, a study tracking 579 students at Brigham Young University found that a student’s feeling of loneliness and depression increased the more time he or she spent scrolling through social media sites. The average age of the group was 22, and the students spent between 45 and 150 minutes on social media daily. Social media users focus on a person’s life rather than their own. Furthermore, social media users are getting used to looking at their cell phones and tablets rather than looking at someone straight in the eye. For example, when your scrolling through a friends social life profile and view all the adventurous moments their having and suddenly realize that your life is boring and you feel lonely. When you read a friends latest post you feel isolated because your indoors while they are having a good time. Be aware that people in social media only want attention because they might not be getting any at home and are looking for ways to be noticed or they’re simply addicts of selfies. Besides feeling lonely, another factor of users of social networking is that loneliness leads to depression. According to “Science In Our World: Certainty and Controversy” Depression affects more than 27 million Americans and is believed to be responsible for the more than 30,000 suicides each year. This illness makes up more disability claims than all other mental health disorders. By the year 2030 depression is predicted to become the leading cause of disability in first world countries (Science In Our World p 2). Social media is part of your daily life, but darkness comes with it such as loneliness and depression; do not let “FoMo” fear of missing out interfere on what is occurring in social media sites. add
Social networking is destroying young adolescents self-esteem. For example, when you share a picture or write on your facebook status what your currently doing or thinking about, and people lacked to “like” or respond. To be honest I been in this situation before and I felt angry, self-pity, a lack of confidence. Unfortunately, lack of likes lowers self-worth sending a message of feeling disapproved within their group of peers. According to “Social Media Affects Self-Esteem” USA today, “A lot of women on social media with low self-esteem issues show their skin and wear revealing outfits to feel “better” about their own body by taking into account how many likes on Instagram or Facebook they receive.” When a women feels their not getting attention they have a tendency to harm themselves by exposing too much skin to make themselves feel worthy. It has also been seen in men whereas, men want to be muscular to feel confident with oneself. Whether you see it or not, children and teens are triggered emotionally by what they see on social media and are learning to much too fast. Open your eyes it is time you see the darkness that social networking holds. The use of social media exposes people to feel worthless, ugly, by lowering one’s self-esteem.
In addition, when your friend posts pictures to show what they’re doing, or where they’re traveling represents their adventurous life, but are they really happy with trying to create an acceptance and popularity to get the most “likes” and “comments”? Why share pictures of your personal life with your friends and family this will only create envy in others. One of the biggest effets social networking holds is trolling. Who has the best time of their life, who is more cool, more popular. Celeberties troll all the time on Twitter but people like gossip and stay tuned for the latest post.
Not to mention social media is causing adolescents to have poor social skills. My eight year old nephew is constantly on Youtube, watching gaming YouTubers who misuse language such as “bruh” meaning brother or friend, or the “N word” which is a racist word that has become the norm of society, and many other words used incorrectly. According to “How social Media is Effecting Social and Communication Skills Among Adolescents” by Nicholas Dantuono states, Social media and online communication is believed to be having adverse effects on social skills and communication among adolescents. Not too long ago social media did not exist and social communication and interactions were the only way of communicating. Social skills are used in everyday life their attributes to succeed in life. When children are growing up their interacting with others face-to-face and are learning to read social cues meanwhile through social media you can’t read their body language.
Social media is evolving quickly and at a young age kids are learning too much too fast. I was surprised to find out that my 10 year old niece has seen “Thirteen Reason Why” A Netflix show. A teenage girl commits suicide, after students at school determined to break the truth of a picture accidently taken of a teenager at a bad angle which goes viral. Many adolcents are sending, posting, and sharing negative and false content about someone else without thinking about the victims feelings; harming the victim and affecting their self-esteem. Young adolescents are being exposed to PG 13 shows films and parents are at fault. It only takes one person to share a picture or false comments to start a social, verbal, and physical bullying. According to “Associations between social media and cyberbullying” In the United States, a majority of students aged 12 to 18 reported that they were cyberbullied at least twice during the past year. Truth is that many social media users fail report what they see and ignore the issue.
Others may suggest that social media is also a positive outcome because online sites can be stress relieve. In the article “How social Media is Effecting Social and Communication Skills Among Adolescents” by Nicholas Dantuono suggests, Teenage years are often tough for many. It is a time of stress, learning, and confusion. Strong relationships among friends are how most adolescents cope with stress. On the other hand, users of social networking is harming users in some way. Yes, it can help relieve stress, but adolcents use social media to compare their own life with others who have money, popularity, followers thinking their life is boring. According to Nick Zagorski (2017), a writer for Psychiatric News, recent studies have shown that social media use is linked to feelings of social isolation, depression, insecurity, jealousy, and poor self-esteem. In one way or another users are at high risk of feeling different emotions. When users spend too much time scrolling through devices looking at profiles they have an illusion that others are more popular because they have more likes and followers.
There is a dark side to social networking such as cyber bullying. For example, a false rumor can create a big scandal on social media, a nude picture post, a false identity profile created by someone else. This are a few examples that leads to cyberbullying but there are many more. According to Mental Health and Cyberbullying, 30% of individuals who were cyberbullied turned toward self-harming behaviors and began having suicidal thoughts whereas 87% of youth today have witnessed cyberbullying in action (“Cyberbullying Facts and Statistics”, 2017) Cyber bullying has been seen to much on social media. It’s seen within the most famous celebrities that your sons and daughters, cousin, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren follow. However, trolling in social media has become the norm to celebrities on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and your relatives are watching. Not to long ago when bullying was attempted at school victims could find comfort and relief at home. But today, technology has the opportunity for cyber bullying to be a 24/7 torment (Ludmila Battista). The advancements of technology and social media everyone knows the latest stories occurring within your community, your state, and around the world.
Hannah Nichols states that suicide is ranked on the top 10 causes of death(Nichols) . According to PCC, Suicide is the cause of 13% of teenage deaths in the United States. There are many foundations who are supported by celebrities. For instance, Sir Robert Bryson Hall, also known as “Logic” sang 1800 at the MTV/VMA’s 2017 with the dedication of all those victims who have been bullied singing beside many survivors who attempt suicide. I just wanna die, I don’t wanna be alive, I just wanna die, and let me tell you why(Logic). These powerful words have been said on the “Hotline” by victims who are going through a hard time and you can start helping foundations rise by rising your voice.
Clearly, Facebook, Instagram, snapchat, Twitter, and any other social media applications could help bring people together, but have a long term effect in your health and can make you feel lonely. People become emotionally triggered by what they see on social media and this can lead to loneliness, contribute too lack social skills, poor self esteem and cyberbullying. You can help victims by rising your voice by reporting and responding to a situation when someone is being bullied. Stand up for someone and safe a live.
Work Cited
- Walker, Leslie. “What Is Social Networking Addiction?”https://www.lifewire.com/ what-is-social-networking-addiction-2655246
- Dantuono, Nicholas.“How Social Media Is Effecting Social and Communication Skills Among Adolescents.” Spring 2015 WRT 205, slwrig02.expressions.syr.edu/spring2015wrt205 /2015/03/28/how-social-media-is-effecting-social-and-communication-skills-among-adolescents/.
- Levesque, Bill. “UF Health CommunicationsUF Health Podcasts.” UF Health Podcasts RSS, news.health.ufl.edu/2018/28052/multimedia/health-in-a-heartbeat/loneliness-linked-to-increase-social-media-use/.
- Renee Garett – Lynwood R.Lord – Sean D.Young https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC5344141/
- SiOWfa16 “Science in Our World Certainty and Controversy”https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa 16/2016/12/02/social-media-and-depression-2/
- SiOWfa16 “Science in Our World Certainty and Controversy” http://sites.psu.edu/aspsy/2016/03/14/ social-media-affects-self-esteem/
- Ashford University “Causes of Social Media Addiction & Illness” https://www.ashford.edu/online-degrees/student-lifestyle/causes-of-social-media -addiction-illness
- Purdue University Global https://www.purdueglobal.edu/news-resources/what-is- cyberbullying-how-to-prevent/
- Cyber Bullying https://csucub.csuchico.edu/publication/ezine12/Wendy/Cyber/Cyber% 20Bullying.html
