Social Media: Positive or Negative?

For years now, we have all dealt with social media and what it brings to us daily. While it has the potential to show us what our relatives across the world are doing, and keep us in contact with people wherever they are, it can bring about many negatives. 

Studies have started to show how social media can lead to depression, anxiety, and even worse things. Many people have started to back off from social media, as they notice how much stress comes along with it. Still, it can get people famous and get voices heard for important things including, registering to vote, and expressing opinions on topics and given news updates. It can still be extremely stressful to keep up with what goes on each day. 

Positives can be anywhere from watching a video about a dog, or to being able to reach out to a relative you didn’t know you had. Many amazing things can stem from social media, and it shouldn’t have to cause so much stress for people today. 

For kids today, growing up in an age where nothing is private and everything we do is exposed and public to everyone around us, it’s hard to grow up normally. This will become the “normal” way of doing things, but for now, being in the age of change when it comes to social media and now a pandemic, it isn’t easy. 

Social media wasn’t supposed to bring as much harm and anxiety to the world as it does. It's doubtful that anyone thought it would turn into something this big. Just 20 years ago, it wasn’t this big, maybe there was Facebook, but there were barely even cell phones with screens. 

Most people agree with this, in that it’s gone too far. Adelaide Kline has recently said, “Growing up in this generation is already not easy. Now we are constantly reminded to post our daily life and keep up with what everyone else all around the world is doing.” Being pushed to post what is going on in your life as well as watching what everyone else is doing is a difficult way to live. 

While social media does bring some joy, as it shows relatives you haven’t seen in a while and friends across the world, it does have many positives. Recently, Brenna Dorsam has said, “It definitely brings a lot of problems for everyone, but at least it gives us a way of talking to people quickly and easily.” Which makes so much sense, as it gives us the ability to talk to people whenever we want. 

More negatives than positives is what we get out of social media. One day maybe we will be able to escape from what social media brings to us, and go back to a normal world where people don't need to know what we’re doing at all times of the day.