You can use it to spread hatred, particularly among teenagers. It’s no secret that most teenagers live their lives through social media, but does it work? Austen McCann writes in his article that social media allows teens to live their lives online. Instead of saying goodbye to school friends and waiting until the next morning …”, they can take it all on the internet. Social media is not the only way to connect with teenagers.
Average teenagers spend at least 2 hours 20 minutes per day on social media. Austin McCann says in one of his articles, “Impact of Social Media on Teens,” that teens are complaining about their homework being the source of constant stress. EveryDay Health magazine claims that statistics prove that teens who spend more outdoor time are happier and healthier. The time that teenagers spend outdoors has been decreasing since 2000. This is causing an increase in obesity and depression. In addition to affecting health, social media prevents parents and children from having an in-depth conversation without the use of their phones. They don’t care to talk to their friends or family, even though having a social networking profile allows them to do so. Teenagers are too busy tweeting to enjoy the small things in their lives. Social media may not be as great as it’s made out to be. Should. Teenagers are forced to follow this word. Social media creates false impressions of what a perfect life should look like. Girls and boys are affected by this. These pictures that are misleading about how relationships, homes, cars, bodies, etc. These misleading pictures of how bodies, relationships, houses and cars should look are what lead to low self-esteem and depression. Social media is not just about connecting. It’s also about who “retweeted”, who “selfie”, and “how many favorited that picture got”. The fact that teenagers’ insecurities are based on the number of likes is almost disgusting. Social media presents a false picture of reality that teens find misleading.
Social media is not only misleading but also unimportant. Most of the social media posts, aside from the part that deals with news, are of little importance to us. Information like “Becky bought a new car’s interior” has no value in the long-term. Nicholas Wapshott writes in Buying Into Big Brother that we may be pity the idiot who posts a picture on social media of him smoking a joint or using expletives. But, when he goes to look for a job, he will find that an HR department has deemed him unemployed. Call your family and friends instead of wasting time on social media.
It is very hard to avoid social media. It’s especially difficult if one has been using social media daily for a short time and then switched over. You will have to work hard, but it’s worth the effort. In the end, you won’t waste time on false information or perceptions. Encourage your friends and teens to spend less social media time and more actual social time.
