Social Media's Negative Impact On Gen Z Is Lethal
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Social Media Can Be A Great Resource, But Overall, Its Negative Impact On Gen Z Is Lethal

Too much of a good thing can be bad for you.

543
Social Media Can Be A Great Resource, But Overall, Its Negative Impact On Gen Z Is Lethal

Social media has become a lethal construct of today's generation, affecting human behavior in a more negative way than positive. Media platforms influence attitudes and behaviors; impacting all areas of people's lives.

Whether that impact be good or bad, there is always the conclusion that the impact is huge.

Although it is a great resource to share and connect with friends and family, it still does more harm than good.

Loss Of Individuality And Self-Importance

Social media encourages a loss of individualism from the want of being accepted and following the "cool, new trend." Society uses apps, like TikTok or Instagram, to impress their "friends" or "followers", and to only exaggerate the good side of their lives to the public.

The uncanny need for complete strangers to be impressed by one's faulty life is something that only the current generation could be able to understand.

Likes are seen as a newer and blinder form of acceptance, because it is one of the few media interaction platforms where feedback is given to a person's specific event in their life.

For this reason, many people give off a certain persona to feel more accepted because they believe there is no other way an individual would want to be acknowledged.

The impact on human behavior impacts one's thought on their self-importance. Many users become convinced that they are inferior to another person due to the number of followers they have or the amount of likes they receive.

This behavior is developed through the excessive usage of apps and the self-indulgence of taking the internet too seriously, causing teenagers to develop their own social skills, self-capability, a competitive mindset, and wanting to be the "best" from the crowd.

This toxic mindset will not lead to anywhere beneficial and damage the reputation of oneself.

This unhealthy behavior will climb out from the internet into real world problems, changing in-person relationships for some.

Impossible Beauty Standards

The beauty standards social media represents is also a major part of the younger generations' lives. A depiction of the ideal "beauty" is seen all over the media; Kardashians, Instagram models, fitness gurus, etc.

These people are seen to have the perfect beauty; beautiful face, fit body, smooth skin, etc.

A young girl or boy will find themselves drawing comparisons, to find out what's wrong with their face and/or body.

When drawing comparisons, what one loves about themselves is never the main focus on. This certain mindset leads them into wanting a change; plastic surgery, eating disorders, etc.

These influences guide the younger generations into believing that that is the only "acceptable" way to look, going through the most drastic processes to achieve "the look."

Cyberbullying

With the desire to be accepted throughout the entire spectrum of social media, cyberbullying is a major factor into feeling accepted by users. Many people believe jokes they make about others make them look more desirable, not considering the feelings of the person who they are attacking.

This is a perfect example of the bandwagon effect.

People do or believe something simply based on the number of other people who appear to do or believe the same thing.

With receiving just a little bit of recognition of their "hate comment" or "subtweet" feeds into the toxic behavior of making it acceptable to be rude to others. This small form of cyber-bullying builds a strong foundation into the more violent, dangerous world of the internet.

Social media allows a platform for anyone to say what they want — emphasis on hate crimes, or to spew out hatred.

Social media influences society into shaping our future in a certain way. We are inclined to social influence without any control, but being aware of the situation opens up new possibilities for physical and mental health mediation.

Our behavior correlates with how we think, where the behavior is influenced by social media; completely rearranging an uncorrupted mental state of mind. The key of the debacle is moderating the usage of social media by people because they often lose themselves in what's going on in the internet.

Report this Content
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

90643
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

62461
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments