As we become more advanced with technology, social media becomes a bigger part of our world. Social media helps us connect, whether that's with long lost relatives, your friends at school or work, or with what's happening around the world. It is so convenient to communicate through a variety of different social media sites such as; Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Although social media can be very beneficial it can also put a damage on families and individuals in many ways, like being distracted, bullied, developing different disorders, and sometimes even putting yourself in danger.
We might not want to admit it, but in America, we lack quality family time and communication with our parents and siblings. People are getting so involved with what other people post on social media that it distracts them from their own lives. When we lack in spending time with those who should be most important to us, then we get caught up in what everyone on social media is doing. In America, family values have become near to extinct and the outcome has resulted in kids getting involved with things they shouldn't or not having their priorities straight. Kids and teenagers are valuing fame more than anything, caring only about how many "likes" they get on a photo or how many "followers" they have.
Social media also affects how involved a parent is in their kids’ lives, or how they think they're involved. Parents may not always see what their child is doing on a social media site, and because of that it's easier to be a bully or even a victim of bullying without an adult being aware of what is happening. Bullying is something that has become so easy to do because of social media. Cyber bullying has become a huge issue around the world. It results in many cases of depression and can even be causes of suicide.
Cyber bullying is not the only cause of depression. Spending too much time scrolling through the news feed of Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter can create a negative cycle. People use social media as a way to try and escape their depressive symptoms. Research shows users of social media who spend the most time viewing content report a decrease in social bonding and an increase in loneliness. Sadly this is not the only disorder that is caused by social media.
Eating disorders are another negative outcome from social media. Advertisements for weight loss, pictures of models, and certain things that other people say can all set off an eating disorder in someone. Because of social media it has been made easier for society to post on what they believe beauty looks like. Girls and women all struggle with trying to look a certain way, it is something that's hard to avoid because it is all around us. Unnatural airbrushed pictures that lower women's self-esteem can cause psychological problems and create eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
Social media also has its upsides as well. Through social media we stay connected with the world and what the latest news headlines are. We also gain information locally and stay up to date on what's happening in the news as well as events taking place. Social media is also a great way to stay connected with family members that may live across the country, it is much more convenient to keep up with what's going on with their lives. Friends from the past or even present are so easy to get a hold of now with the help of online sites.
Although social media has been beneficial in many different ways, it is nowhere near as beneficial as it is destructive to our society, we need to take a step back and evaluate ourselves and the time we spend on social media. If we limit ourselves to how much we view different sites, then we would be much better off. We might even be able to tell the difference in our attitudes and create a more positive outlook in life and the situations we're given.
