Social Media Good Or Bad

In a recent study, statistics show that as of 2017, eighty-one percent of Americans have a social media profile (Percentage with social media). Seventy one percent of teens have at least one social media platform (HHS). Many researchers and teenagers believe that social media has many positive effects and that it can be used for many different things. Although this may be true, many still have their doubts when it comes to social media use. Because social media is used by many teenagers daily, it is beginning to have a negative effect on their well being. One major downfall of excessive social media is the decrease of communication skills.
Teenagers learn most of their communication skills online, not face to face (Ehmke). Texting, blogging, …show more content…
Teens have proved that they can use social media to help their voices be heard (Wallace). One example of a teen working to make a difference is Joshua Williams. He made a mission to end hunger locally, across the country and around the world. That is just one of many examples that teens have used social media for good. Social media allows teens to see the world around them and lets them be more innovated on how they get involved (Wallace). Elena Sonnino, a founder of the site “Live.Do.Grow” has a very positive outlook on social media. She claims, “They (teenagers) want to be able to see, for better or for worse, really quick action and social media allows them to create positive, meaningful change quickly.” Stories of teens using social media for the good of their community and world is always amazing, but the risks of social media usage can not be ignored. Some of the risks that teens can experience are loss of privacy, sharing too much information, and disconnection from reality (Ramasubbu). Sharing too much information is a huge risk, you could easily get hacked, robbed, or experience identity theft. Lexisnexis and Lawers.com surveyed 1000 Americans and discovered that fifty percent of them share too much personal data online (Ramasubbu). Personal data can range from a identification number to one or more specific details about one’s physical, …show more content…
Experts are concerned that social media can increase anxiety and decrease self esteem (Ehmke). Adolescents are just like politicians in a way, they constantly seek the approval from others. When you are constantly worried about what others think of you, you have a higher chance of always being anxious. A major part of a healthy self esteem is being able to say how you feel even when other people disagree with you (Ehmke). Being uncomfortable with other people opinions about you can affect you in the long run. When you get a job and it’s time to make a major decision for your company, it's important that you are able to form your own opinion and be prepared that some people may not agree with your ideas. Once you are able to accept that fact, your self esteem will grow. Yet many teenagers claim that posting pictures online and getting positive feedback boosts their self confidence (Wallace). As mentioned before, getting lots of likes on a post boosts your reward circuitry, ultimately increasing self confidence. When it comes to teenagers posting on social media, there is not many restrictions on creatively expressing themselves (Barnes, et al). Social media can expose teens to multiple positive forms of self expression (Burton). But when does self expression turn into self destruction? Being on social media can provoke you to be someone you aren't which could