"Social Media Seriously Harms Your Mental Health"

Why Is Social Media So Popular? 

    Social media has been around for about 20 years and has grown significantly since the first websites. 
It is now one of the most popular forms of entertainment, especially among teenagers. There are many different sites that have been in and out of popularity over the years, each having different types of content. But what is it that makes social media so entertaining? What draws people to these sites every day? According to Aleks Eror of Highsnobiety, "previous generations could derive feelings of achievement and self-worth through career progression or spending power in a way that Generations Y and Z cannot, so many of us fill that void with social media. Every appearance of a colorful notification bubble triggers a satisfying dopamine hit in the brain" In her article, she links the difficulty in finding a good job to a lack of self-worth in younger generations. She goes onto explain that getting likes and comments make us feel like we matter. "A high follower count doesn’t simply create a visual illusion of tangible achievement, but the attention of so many people gives the impression that you really matter" (Eror).

(Palus, Shannon. The "Social Media Seriously Harms Your Mental Health" IPhone Case. 19 Aug. 2019.)

The Effects of Social Media

    Social media is known for its negative side effects. Although this doesn't seem to deter people from using it, it's still worth mentioning. The TED talk that inspired this blog post was called "Why you should quit social media", done by Cal Newport. "I've been OK, but I'd go even farther and say not only I am OK without social media but I think I'm actually better off. I think I'm happier, I think I find more sustainability in my life, and I think I've been more successful professionally because I don't use social media" (Newport). Then Newport lists the problems with social media and how it can negatively affect our lives. "We have a growing amount of research which tells us that if you spend large portions of your day, breaking up your attention, to take a quick glance, to just check, that this can permanently reduce your capacity for concentration" (Newport). He also explains that not being able to concentrate can have a bad impact on your ability to thrive in the economy. The final point Newport makes about the negative effects of social media is that it can lead to you feeling isolated and ashamed of yourself. "We know from the research literature that the more you use social media, the more likely you are to feel lonely or isolated" (Newport).

                                    

                                         (Freedom, Valor for. Social Media Is a Dangerous Addiction. 15 Nov. 2017.)

The Problems Social Media Creates

    Social media is a very time consuming and addictive form of entertainment. But it has flaws, additional to the ones listed above. Social media apps such as Instagram and Tiktok can support many problems such as self-esteem, world issues like racism, sexism, and providing problematic people with a platform. The environment it fosters and the ability to become famous without any talent/reason leads to uneducated problematic people gaining huge followings of young impressionable kids. Tiktokers with millions of followers can post insensitive videos promoting unhealthy body standards, insensitive jokes, and some "influencers" even get exposed as child groomers. Social media although addicting is a toxic place that can ruin kids' mental health with unachievable beauty standards and uneducated influencers not aware of their impact on their fans. 

Do you think it's worth it knowing the problematic side effects? 

Let me know!

Works Cited: 

Eror, Words By Aleks, and Aleks ErorContributor. “Social Media Addiction: Here's Why                                  Millennials Are So Obsessed.” Highsnobiety, 27 Sept. 2017, 

www.highsnobiety.com/p/social- media-addiction/.

Freedom, Valor for. Social Media Is a Dangerous Addiction. 15 Nov. 2017.

Newport, Cal. “Transcript of ‘Why You Should Quit Social Media.’” TED, 2016, www.ted.com/talks/cal_newport_why_you_should_quit_social_media/transcript.

Palus, Shannon. The "Social Media Seriously Harms Your Mental Health" iPhone Case. 19 Aug. 2019.