By Tanyrea Ward
Photo by Tanyrea Ward
According to the Pew Research Center, about 95% of U.S. teens use social media on a daily basis. At least 1 in 5 say that social media affects their mental health negatively. Do these statistics bear out at our school?
“The younger generation is definitely affected by social media,” said senior Magnolia Walker. “They’ve had it their whole lives, and they are influenced by it. For example, they try to dress the same because they see it online, and it’s interesting–not necessarily in a good or bad way.”
Senior Grace Thomas was less neutral. “Social media tends to distract me from homework and such. I end up getting stuck in the loop of scrolling for hours, completely forgetting to do my homework.”
“In some ways, social media has helped me grow friendships and meet with people. But it also can make you feel disconnected from people, making you feel like you’re not enough,” said Walker.
“I think the negative impact of social media is the fact that people of all ages have access to it,” Thomas said. “It allows predators to have easier access to minors and their private information, also giving them an easy way to message them directly. A positive effect of social media is how it allows people to be expressive and share their ideas to a mass audience without having to spend too much time, money or effort to get those ideas shared.”
What about false information or detachment from actual reality? How is that affecting our students?
“Social media’s negative impacts are that it can produce false information, leading you to be influenced by false advertisements,” said junior Byrianna Jason, “and social media distracts you from what’s going on in reality.”
Distraction from schoolwork to the point of detachment from reality is obviously going to be detrimental to academic success. But not all feedback was neutral or negative.
“Social media helps you have more social interaction with people you’re unfamiliar with, and it helps teens to build their confidence up,” junior Chidera Ajoku said.
We’ve seen a range of reactions from teens. So, how do adults view the extent to which teens use social media? Adults have a very different norm, as they did not grow up using social media and had to adapt to it in their later years.
“I think kids need to talk to each other, go outside, and think for themselves more,” Willow teacher and parent Ms. Crockett said. “I think social media usage should be very tightly regulated like the addicting force that it is designed to be. I don’t even like screens, and I find myself going down a rabbit hole looking at junk online, wasting my time, making myself depressed. I can’t imagine if I actually liked staring at a screen how much time I’d waste and how icky my eyes and brain would feel.”
Not all adults see it as negatively.
“Social media can be a valuable tool if used wisely,” Willow parent Brayanne Ford said. “I would encourage students to limit screen time, practice online safety, and focus on using it for learning, networking, and positive connections rather than comparison or negativity.”
