Next time you’re enjoying a meal at a restaurant, take a look around the room and notice how many people are staring blank-faced at their iPhones. Trust me, you will be amazed at how many of us choose to scroll through our Twitter feed instead of having face to face conversations with the people around us. Imagine a day without checking your phone once. A day void of using your iPhone as a shield during awkward situations. It’s hard to picture what this would look like since most of us, myself included, are so attached to our phones that they might as well be considered another limb. On the other hand, there are countless benefits that have arisen from social media, such as being able to keep up with old friends, share memories, and post funny stories for your followers to see. It can also help you keep up with schoolwork, as many teachers now have twitters and other social media platforms that they use to post helpful links and homework assignments. Social media can be useful and tons of fun when used wisely and sparingly, but everyone, especially teenagers, need to make sure it does not prevent proper communication.
It seems that these days wherever you look you will see people mindlessly staring down at their phones. Smartphones and social media sites are extremely addictive. Constantly checking Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, VSCO, and more can easily become an obsession. There is this new found infatuation with being able to see what all your friends are doing at all times. Instead of focusing on ourselves and our own endeavors, we chose to focus on everyone else’s lives in an obsessive, not so-selfless way.
It can be hard to tell whether social media is causing the world to become increasingly antisocial, or increasingly social. Everyone is constantly connected to people through their multiple devices, communicating with their friends and family. The issues only arise when society’s ability to interact face-to-face is decreased. In uncomfortable situations, I find myself pulling out my phone instead of talking to those around me. I know I’m not alone in this habit. While many of us are perfectly comfortable with sending a tweet or posting on Instagram, we are unable to start up easy conversations without pulling out our phones whenever things get awkward. Evidently, social media can both inhibit and prohibit communication.
The one thing your parents will agree is a definite pro in terms of social media use is the ability to simply check your teachers’ Twitter or Facebook in order to see what the assigned homework assignments are. I find that these days my teachers actually post more on their pages than I do. It is extremely beneficial for students to be able to check what they need to do relating to their classes with just a couple taps on their phones. This is just one circumstance where social media has proved to be a positive tool for teenagers.
Shedding a more negative light on the topic, social media has become a way to speak your mind extremely ambiguously. The infamous “subtweet” has risen to popularity in the past few years as a way to insult someone in a back-handed, passive aggressive way. Believe it or not, actually going up to the person you are mad at and telling them what you are upset about can be a much better way to resolve your issues with each other. If everyone did this, we would realize when an issue is petty and instead, devote our time to focusing on substantive issues. Also, to tell the truth, your Twitter followers do not really want to be pulled into all your drama. It seems as though actions through social media are becoming more influential than those in the real world. Liking an Instagram picture or favoriting a tweet is now an irksome and climatic event that could potentially change your life. Not to mention the fact that unfollowing someone has become a first class insult. I have actually been avoiding getting a haircut because I unfollowed my hairdresser on Instagram (too many mirror selfies).
While social media has multiple benefits and can make day to day life a lot simpler at times, it is also an enabler of cyberbullying. Clearly the most negative side effect of social media use, cyberbullying has caused many complications as social media has become more and more popular. There are just as many victims as there are culprits, which is a frightening notion. Typing an insult is much easier than saying it to someone’s face.
The list of pros and cons relating to social media use could go on forever. However, don’t fret, because in moderation social media can bring joy and creativity to your life. It is important to take a break from your phones and the internet every once in awhile and be aware of the dangers it can entail, especially cyberbullying. Most of us spend way too much time plugged in to the virtual world, and forget the importance of real world relationships. While getting a lot of likes on your Instagram picture may seem gratifying, experiencing social satisfaction in the non-virtual world is one hundred times more fulfilling–I can guarantee that.
