Social media and the advancement of technology, in general, embody what it truly means to be a double-edged sword. While incredible strides for humanity have been made through the use of technology, our generation today is battling an addiction that is arguably stronger than any other kind-the addiction to social media. We have fallen victim to the instant gratification felt with all of the world’s information at our disposal and the ability to make ourselves known online. Famous singer and songwriter Hozier once said, “Social media is an advertisement for the superficial extroverted self”. People have become obsessed with the idea of portraying a certain persona online and creating an image of yourself that may not be entirely accurate. I don’t say that judgingly because I am guilty of doing the same thing myself. There are times when I have battled depression and gone through dark times behind closed doors but would post pictures on Instagram that depict someone who is happy and doing well. As I stated before, there are certainly benefits to social media and technology as well. Social media has given us a platform to connect with one another, regardless of the distance between us, and again it provides access to information and resources. Per this assignment, I have taken the time to assess my overall relationship with social media and how it has affected me personally. After completing my analysis, I have come to the conclusion that social media has had an overall negative effect, and here’s why:
I’ve been on social media for as long as I can remember. In 4th grade, everyone started making Facebook pages for some reason so I also made one to prevent feeling left out. I was also on Instagram and Snapchat by the age of 13, which was fairly young looking back now. Growing up with social media having such a heavy presence gave me a somewhat warped sense of identity. Being exposed to influencers and celebrities that posted certainly contributed to my body dysmorphia and depression. Seeing people like Kim Kardashian advertise appetite suppressant lollipops and teas affected my body image and made me feel like I should be ashamed for not looking like them. When I was younger, I started to measure my worth in the form of likes and comments, but I wish someone could go back in time and tell me that none of that mattered.
Aside from the damaging mental health effects, social media is also one of the worst distractions. A short study break on TikTok can quickly turn into an hour of being unproductive. It has become increasingly difficult to resist the urge to pick up our phones at every beep, ding, and buzz. Our attention spans have decreased significantly and productivity levels have also decreased as we integrate into more “remote work” settings. Below is a video that highlights the harmful effects that social media has on our brains.
