Social media has become a main part of human life nowadays. It has transformed the way we communicate, share information, and connect with people all around the world. However, there are some advantages and disadvantages of social media.
Junior Ashley Godlewski says, “I feel that the advantages would be you have opportunities to make new friends and have entertainment and the disadvantages would be it is a toxic environment with people causing drama and spreading things around that are not true. It causes you to be closer to the outside world like you are more around social media than your real life.”
Social media brings people together and helps in staying connected with their family and friends. People from different parts of the world can easily communicate with each other through social media. Social media also offers business opportunities to earn money. In Woodhaven high school students have much interest in social media and the average is 5 hours of them staying active on social media. During the weekends they spend more time on social media because they like to entertain themselves more specifically during the weekends after completing the assignment or job work etc during the weekdays.
However, social media has also had negative effects on human life. It has led to the creation of social media addiction, cyberbullying, and the spread of fake news and misinformation. Social media addiction among young people is becoming a significant problem. They spend hours using social media. Which can lead to mental problems such as depression and anxiety. Senior Areeb Anjum acknowledges the struggle with social media, explaining, “Social media can be highly addictive, causing people to spend excessive amounts of time scrolling through feeds I usually spend a lot of time on social media last year and I waste a lot of time but this year I promised myself to maintain my habit.”
Cyberbullying is another serious issue that social media has brought about. It refers to bullying that takes place online. Cyberbullying can also become the reason for someone’s sadness, mentally tortured, and psychological trauma and can lead to depression, anxiety, and suicide. According to studies and Woodhaven School students’ opinions, cyberbullying is more prevalent among teenagers and young adults.
Social media is also the hub of fake news and misinformation. Anyone can create and share fake news on social media. And it creates people to believe in social media’s true news. This has led to the spread of fake information, damaging the reputation of businesses, individuals, and even countries.
In the end, social media has both positive and negative impacts on human life. It is essential to be mindful of the negative impacts of social media and take the necessary steps to mitigate them. Senior Jasmine Udan, says “It is helpful in keeping in touch with friends, and the disadvantage when it is a distraction from their work or studies.”
We should use social media responsibly and verify the authenticity of the information we receive. Social media is a powerful tool that can be used for good or bad, therefore, it is up to us to ensure that we use it responsibly and in our interests.