The effects of social media

Have you ever thought about what the world would be like without social media? I have always wondered how people would communicate with one another if they didn’t live together. I think that everybody would be so confused with how they would ever hang out or do things together. I feel this because I would be so confused how I would make plans with anyone or how I would figure little things out like getting rides to and from places.Today people of all ages are constantly on their phones, and some are even addicted to them. I believe social media has harmed our ability to communicate by the amount that social media is in our daily lives.

Many teenagers rely on their social media reputations or status as how they see themselves as a person. “The lack or difficulty in self-regulation and susceptibility to peer pressure makes adolescents vulnerable to such evils as Facebook, Sexting, and Cyberbullying." Teens not getting a lot of likes on a picture or not having a million followers on Instagram lowers their self-confidence. Social media has created this effect on teenagers. Before social media, there was not near as much pictures being taken as there is now. People would use their camera to take pictures and then have to wait weeks to get them developed, as of now days you can take a picture on your phone and see it instantly. I think that Apple and Android are making all of these new phones that make life easier and easier which has created the expectations to be much higher, such as getting lots of likes and followers on Instagram, which makes them so distracted from other things that matter more such as school or being with friends and family.

Technology has made kids not able to have normal face-to-face conversations as good as previous generations. The use of phones at a young age is incredibly high. www.Growingwireless.com states that "56% of American kid’s ages 8-12 have their own cell phone." This means that more than half of kids 8-12 years old are getting their own cell phone in elementary school. Elementary school kids are supposed to learn how to read, count, and play games. The use of cell phones at that age can lower the development of learning how to have conversations with peers and adults. www.Yahoo.com noticed, "A new study on students’ test performance and smartphones found kids who attend schools with smartphone bans did better on tests," Kids are not only not only not learning how to have real conversations and interactions but not learning near as much academics because of the distraction of cellphones.

Technology has created a distraction not only in school but also with friends and family. Everyone cannot devote all of their attention to their families and friends with the distraction of technology. Everybody wants to hang out with their friends and be with their family but when everyone is on their phones and not talking what is the point of being with them. Chris brandy, 18 year old, senior, at Cherry Hill high school says, "I find it sad that I get more work done at 12 at night because that’s when everyone is asleep." Teens can't get their homework or chores down with the distractions on their phones. A study from yahoo showed "About 68% of American teenagers own a smart phone which causes distractions in almost everything they do."

The world is changing every day, more and more unimaginable things are becoming a reality and technology becomes more and more advance which draws people's attention to it. Even though technology improves our way of communication, I don't think the advances in social media has benefited the world in a positive way. I hope that in the future the technology can still advance but not interfere with our daily lives as much as it does.