Social Media - the eye catching, addicting and drastically growing computer-based and phone technologies that we use everyday. Platforms that we put some of our most personal information on. Platforms that we post photos of our travels, parties and simply just selfies on. Platforms where we express our opinions and feelings on topics such as politics, relationships and just to talk about a breakup. Platforms where we engage with others through chat, write comments and simply "Like" a photo. All of these things sound interesting, unique and even fun to be able to share some of our most precious moments with others and stay connected anywhere you go. I used to think social media was a great thing to be a part of. Although social media does offer many positive features such as keeping close ties with others, making business connections and saving memories by uploading photos, in my personal experience social media for me has been more of a problem in my life rather than a "Cool" thing to have. I entirely regret ever getting social media because it has negatively affected my wellbeing and has somewhat ruined me as a human being.

I remember going into high school (in 2008-2009 for ninth grade) and everyone started to sign up for Facebook. I had no idea what it was until people started talking about it. One of my sisters got one then started to show me how you could upload pictures and talk to others on it. I honestly thought it was creepy and I was scared that if I got one people would know too much about me. I was also scared someone would look me up and track me at my house (yes, the scary thought did occur and still does). I was constantly encouraged to get one but I did not want any part of it. In 2010 though the day after my sweet 16 my sister finally got me to cave and create a Facebook to put all of my Sweet 16 photos up. I was nervous at first to get one but I figured everyone had one so it could not be bad. I began to use Facebook a lot and I was hooked. Getting a Facebook led to me get an Instagram towards the end of my Freshman year of college (2013). Then I got a SnapChat the following year. I was not up to date with all of the new social media apps coming out but when I got them I admit I was hooked. To this day I regret getting into social media.

Because of social media I have done nothing but compare myself and my life to others. I make myself believe that everyone's life on social media is better than mine and that my life will never be as great as theirs. I know on social media people put the best versions of themselves but to me it truly looks like their life is as great as they make it appear. I see people with their boyfriends, graduating from a masters degree, getting a full time job, and all of this makes me feel like I cannot accomplish anything. Because I compare myself to others on social media, my self-esteem has declined rapidly and it has made me hate myself numerous times.

Because of social media it has destroyed friendships for me. Because you do not "Like" a certain photo or because you did not respond to someone on Snapchat, people take it as you do not like them anymore. I am just as guilty of doing this, but through years of experience with social media apps I have learned to not take these things so seriously. Sometimes I do truly believe that certain actions on social media will tell you the real value of a friendship. For instance if someone you have been "Poking" has not poked you back for a week, this could mean he/she is not into you anymore. If someone had stopped responding to your "Snaps", this could mean that something is wrong in the relationship. This also ties into the fact that social media can have you make up so many ideas and assumptions in your head that are either true or untrue, and this drives me crazy.

Because of social media, it has lead to bullying. I sometimes had people in my life target posts and pictures towards me. What is also bad about social media is that people may think you are targeting them, which leads to emotional issues and goes back to my point of assumptions. I have had my fair share of targeting others anonymously for sure which I have lived and learned the lesson that targeting people on social media whether you make it apparent or not should not happen. Because of people targeting me on social media, it makes me feel terrible about myself and has made me feel like a bad person. As a result of this I have been prone to target people as well, which I am not proud of. Whether it is anonymously or obvious, targeting someone in the slightest way on social media even when you mean no harm can lead to someone feeling insecure and even hating themselves. So think twice about "Subtweeting" someone on twitter.

Because of social media I have become addicted to checking social media apps constantly. And for what? Just to simply scroll down a punch of pictures? To see tweets that can be offensive? The average person spends about five years and four months of social media in their lifetime (Paquet, M - https://blogs.constantcontact.com/how-much-time-do...). This includes Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and any other social media app you can think of. You can be doing so much more with all of that time like going to the gym, hanging with a friend or just simply taking a nap. Some people will spend up to 45 minutes just scrolling through Facebook while doing nothing else (I am guilty of that and I hate it). I am proud of myself for decreasing my time spent on social media, sometimes even going days without being on them. However, I wish I could get rid of them so I could focus on other things. The addiction is real.

Because of social media I feel the need to take it everywhere I go I am not missing out on someone's special event and can have the opportunity to post a special moment incase something comes up. I bet every single one you reading this article checks social media at least once when your going out and even at big events, like a Sweet 16 or prom. Some people gain anxiety if they are unable to check their social media when they want to. People will go great measures to access an app when they feel the urge to anytime and anywhere. It is common today to walk into a restaurant and see a group of friends on their phone instead of communicating openly. Our world today has become so drawn to needing social media everywhere we go that we are unable to put it away for awhile. I feel bad for myself because instead of being present in the moment, I am staring at my phone at a concert more than enjoying the actual show.

I can go on and on about the negative affects of social media, but it would take me awhile. Although there are some positives, I find social media to be harmful. Because of social media, it has done nothing but drag me down and has ruined some of who I am, which I hope to gain back someday.