Students at Fallon are all over social media, including Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. The allure of social media can be powerful, leading to potential addiction due to the constant stream of entertainment. But what is the main reason students are on social media, and what are the potential risks of this addiction?
According to the University of Minnesota Extension, “In the United States, YouTube has become the most popular social media platform with 85 percent of 13 to 17-year-olds using it, 72% use Instagram, 70% use Snapchat, 51% use Facebook, and it’s estimated that 70% of US teens are monthly TikTok users.” More and more teens are slowly getting exposed to social media. 13-year-olds are starting to use Snapchat and Instagram, and when they’re exposed to cyberbullying, they’ll start to feel depressed at such a young age.
A lot of teenagers are starting to get on social media slowly. Still, the University of Minnesota Extension says, “Maintaining existing friendships is reported as one of the most common reasons for using social media. As today’s teens grow up, they view social media as an online place to “hang out” and connect with friends around mutual interests.” Another reason teenagers use social media could be because of the entertainment and posts people post. There may be people on social media who post stuff that are fun to watch like challenges, memes, dances, etc.
However, social media has some adverse effects. Not only can social media help people keep in touch with friends, but it could also be used to spread rumors about someone and that could negatively impact that person. University of Minnesota Extension also says, “Information teens think would only be of interest to their friends can get in the hands of others and produce unintended negative results. For example, a joke about a friend could get circulated around school, hurt the friend, and ruin the friendship.” This shows that things can take a wrong turn and can damage friendships or even lead to people betraying one another.
People who are bystanders and record someone getting bullied think that the situation is funny or entertaining because they are not the ones who are getting bullied. When they post that video, they think that it will be okay and only used for entertainment purposes, but they don’t think about the negative impacts that could have on the person who got bullied. The person who got bullied doesn’t think it’s funny or entertaining or even something to joke about. Something posted on the internet can not get taken down; it will stay on the internet forever, and people may forget about it, but it’s always there. As mentioned earlier in the article, trying to be the best at such a young age is not worth it, because you’re putting too much on yourself when it’s unnecessary.
Tanvi Puthucode, a seventh grader at Fallon, says, “As much as I love social media and it’s really entertaining, I do think it’s a bad influence on kids our age. It makes people our age really depressed because some people might look better on social media, and you might compare yourself to them.” Social media could add a heavy weight to your shoulders since you’re trying to be the best of the best. Sometimes it could even make you feel like a complete failure because this person that you know got an expensive gift and is now bragging about it on Instagram, but you didn’t get the expensive gift that you wanted. Audrey Christiansen, another 7th-grade student at Fallon, says, “Sometimes social media can be useful and a bit hurtful, like targeting. Sometimes, people will say mean things but not include your name. Still, you know who they’re talking about.”
Teenagers get wrapped up in something and don’t know what to do. Social media can be time-consuming, too. According to Stomp Out Bullying, a nonprofit organization that focuses on preventing any sort of bullying, “A landmark report released by Common Sense Media finds that teenagers (ages 13-18) use an average of nine hours of entertainment media per day and that tweens (ages 8-12) use an average of six hours a day, not including time spent using media for school or homework.” When teenagers spend so much time on social media, they don’t realize it, and after that, they won’t have any time for school work, causing them to get in trouble.
Maddox Kumanthik, a sixth grader at Fallon, says, “Depending on which app, it should be allowed… you may get too obsessed, and people may start making fun of you. Depending on which app, the environment is friendly.” Spending less and less time on social media could benefit you since you won’t be addicted too much. Limiting time on social media could potentially reduce stress since social media causes the fear of missing out (FOMO). Having FOMO could affect students a lot since they want to be a part of everything, but the consequence is that going to everything or doing everything could cause unnecessary stress on you. It could also make you a better person since you’re not spending so much time on the screen and getting trapped in it. Getting fresh air, hanging out with friends, or doing something fun is more fun than scrolling on social media, and your physical and mental health will thank you.
Social media can be a good, friendly place, but it can also be dangerous. It’s crucial to be mindful of our actions and words online. Before you click on something harmful or repost something that could hurt someone, take a moment to consider whether it’s the right thing to do. By being responsible users, we can help create a safer and more positive online environment.
