Social Media Effects

(Image by @jakysphotography on Instagram)

Does social media have a positive or negative impact on teenagers?

According to Washingtonpost.com, there had been reports that teenagers who have smartphones and spend more time on screens are “less satisfied” than those who don’t. But is it possible that some teenagers can be happier on social media? We know about the negative impacts of social media on people such as dangerous trends or how one's self confidence can deplete by looking at someone who has more.  

Teenagers can follow helpful accounts such as those who instead of posting pictures of themselves and showing off how much money they have, some post pictures with helpful tips and advice. Although it is less likely for a teenager to follow a meditating account instead of people such as Kim Kardashian, it is still possible. Other accounts that are less likely to have a negative impact are accounts such as 5-minute crafts or Buzzfeed.

(Image from en.wikipedia.org)

In my personal opinion, social media can have both positive and negative effects but it’s based on the way people use it. I use social media to follow influencers such as Twenty One Pilots, Billie Eilish and Natasha Preston as well as family and friends.

The posts I’m more interested in are those of art. I enjoy seeing what others can create and what creativity they have as well as seeing posts about the news and such. While I look up these sort of posts, others may be searching up memes, trends or what society classifies as being “attractive”.

Social media has also benefited me in a large way not only to fit in with the rest but to be able to reach out to others. The majority of my friends, I know online. Without the use of social media I would have never gotten the chance to talk to them. Especially since I’m a very quiet and independent person who doesn’t do much socializing, social media lets me talk with ease to other teenagers and eventually make friends who I’ve known for months and years.

Social media can be used in many different ways. In my personal case it’s positive and has made me happier by reaching others, but it all depends on the person who is using it and how it makes them feel. There is no right or wrong answer about social media. In my opinion, statistics are numbers, and the way they get their research all depends on the kind of teen. They may have a group of teenagers and that may be constant, but not all teens search the same things online and that is a huge factor on how social media can be classified.