Researchers at the University of Maryland decided to conduct an experiment to see if 400 college students could give up any sort of media, including computer, phones, and televisions for 24 hours (Nauert). Following the experiment, subjects were asked to blog about their experience. The results were shocking. Nauert claims that along with experiencing feelings of withdrawal, anxiety, and being miserable, participants, when asked to blog, wrote as many words as about a 400-page novel. One student, who failed the experiment, stated “To be entirely honest I am glad I failed the assignment, because if I hadn’t opened my computer when I did, I wouldn’t have known about the violent earthquake in Chile from an informal blog post on Tumblr” (Nauert). Social Media is the perfect way to keep up with the latest news, such as an earthquake in Chile, or connect with loved ones. Everyone keeps saying that college students are addicted to social media, but we are not addicted to social media, but rather wanting to constantly be informed. College students just like to know exactly what is happening with their family and friends and social media is the perfect way to do …show more content…
Robin Rodgers, an editor at The Digital Universe, published an article that shared many of the same ideas as Nauert. In her article “BYU Students: Addicted to Social Media?”, she also compares an addiction to social media to an addiction to cigarettes or alcohol. Rodgers even takes it a step further and claims that an addiction to social media is harder to resist than cigarettes or alcohol (Rodgers). One will never go on the Internet and find an article outlining the benefits of social networking. Every source that was found emphasized the negatives and this one is no exception. The Internet, and other media outlets such as television and radio, pick and choose what to put out into the public. As of late, they have chosen more negative than they have positive. The media is just creating more problems and no solutions regarding social