As the world becomes increasingly dependent on not only the internet itself but social media, people have been more eager to share their thoughts about how this is affecting society, and teenagers. With this, depression rates have skyrocketed within the last 50 years, and it seems as if anxiety and stress level in teens has risen as well. And it's easy to blame social media and the internet, and say that teenagers spend too much time staring at a screen. But could there be any positive effects?
Apps like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat have become a platform for cyber bullying, as it is so much easier to degrade a person when you are simply sitting behind a screen. This fatal flaw of the web world is constantly pointed out by parents and teenagers alike, and has certainly proved to be an ongoing problem. However, for every hate account out there, there are just as many positive and inspiring accounts, influencing teenagers as well. Social media has become a platform that should be solely recognized for its role as an inhibitor for bullying, but also for its ability to help people connect, and bring them together.
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Instagram and Tumblr have become a place where people can create a page unique to themselves, and what they like. Whether that be photos of themselves, fan pages, comedy accounts, or even an account dedicated to posting pictures of puppies, it allots the dissemination of ideas unique to everyone. Specifically Tumblr, allows one to express themselves without the fear of being criticized. There are various self-help pages and pages with inspiring quotes, that aren't often overlooked admist the negative page surrounding these platforms.
Social media has become a place where someone can collectively conceal and express themselves at the same time. Often, people share ideas to those that have similar interests and problems to themselves, rather than people they actually know. This is because it is easier to relate to someone who is going through the same thing, along with the fact that there is always the fact that you will never meet them face to face.
In all, the internet should be recognized for the fact that it is capable of bringing people together, rather than just tearing them apart.
