Social media effect on Teenagers The best way to understand the definition of social media is to break it down. Social media is a relatively new form of communication; it’s a more advanced version of the older forms of communication like television, newspapers and radio. Examples of social networking and Micro blogging websites which are a main part of social media are Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Tumblr, Google+ etc. In recent times, people have become more accustomed to using these online websites as it is more convenient to use and easy to access.
Modern generations consider most of the old forms of media as a one-way street as you can receive the information but you cannot express your personal views over any matter. Social media on the other hand is known as a two-way street that does not only provide us with information but it also allows us to give back our views and concerns. Though recently, social media has been extensively misused by teenagers. Most teenagers consider social media as a vital part of their life.
But what they don’t realize is how social media, along with a few of its positive effects, is negatively affecting them mentally, physically and socially. Social media may be a source of education to adolescents but as good comes with bad, so comes the negative psychological effects of social media. As its benefits, social media helps shy teens come out of their shells by expressing themselves better and by being more outgoing. It also helps making teenagers virtually empathetic. Like for example if someone posts a status `saying, ‘I had the worst day of my life! , and you post a comment saying, “Call me if you need anything! ”, you have just expressed virtual empathy and studies prove that most teenagers are capable of making use of this empathy in real life too. Alongside, social media can be a major cause of instigating narcissism among teenagers. Narcissism is a case of extreme self-admiration and interest in oneself, especially physical appearances. Also, teenagers who use social media frequently are more prone to depression and anxiety.
While Facebook can be of great help when keeping in contact with long lost friends, it is the main cause of distraction for a teenager during study time and can lead to lower grades. Social media can be very useful but if it is misused, it can cause a lot of mental damage to a user. (Turgeon, 2011) Social media Web sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, have become nearly inescapable parts of modern life, particularly for teenagers. Reports suggest that this can have harsh health outcomes on health.
Especially as the teenage body is still a developing body. Eating and exercise is very necessary to remain fit and healthy. Most teenagers show the least amount of interest in their physical exercise as they are hooked on to their favorite forms of social media in if not all then most of their free time. (Gordon, 2011) . Social media has no positive physical effects on teenagers as it tends to make them lazy and inactive leading them to a unhealthy lifestyle. Social media may have positive and negative social effects on society.
Social media helps with staying in touch with your other school or College friends , it helps in staying informed about what’s going around in your locality for example facebook helps u find out when your friends birthday is coming up, where and when a event is going to come up, where have you’re friends checked in etc. The down sides of this is when people get used to staying over informed, they wonder why weren’t called for a party, why didn’t someone wish them for their birthday etc. Another negative side is that social media is like a drug to most teenagers.
It lessens our time for physical interaction with family and friends. Some people would just sit in front of the computer for a day, example some families when they go out for dinner they barely talk to each other they are all glued to their mobile devices they only talk about what is happening on the social media websites, what pictures should be uploaded and where they should be tagged in. Some people are sleep deprived because they spend much of their sleeping or resting time on these websites. Scams and worst even deaths have been identified with the improper use of social media.