Social media apps can be a fun way to connect with friends and family and sometimes people use it to find jobs and hobbies, but social media also attracts cyberbullies and trolls who chase to anger and annoy people.
In today’s world most students have never lived without social media. Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram are some of the most popular social media platforms for kids ages 11-16. At that age is where social media agency MixBloom says that “there is the most major increase in social media usage per day which ranges from 2-4 hours.
“I envision that social media will continue to get worse unless some social media platforms do something to fix these issues, so I honestly think that it will impact society very negatively,” eighth grader Rayin Pacer from Cele Middle School said.
In a world that is sometimes boring, social media offers entertainment and better communication to people of all ages, it can spread positivity and inspiration, and social media offers a great way to connect with people who you may not see all the time.
“I think some of the best things about social media for me is that you can still talk and chat with your friends and family even when you’re not with them. It’s also fun to just scroll when you have nothing else to do,” seventh grader Paisley Stone from Park Crest Middle School said.
Social media can alao attract hackers who use social media to steal people’s personal information. Smetimes social media can even promote bad practices or harmful activities. The more time spent on social media can lead to social anxiety, depression, and exposure to content that isn’t age appropriate.
“I haven’t ever witnessed cyberbullying personally but some of my friends have and It’s just a really bad thing and a lot of people go through it,” eighth grader Gina Alvarez from Cele Middle School said. “If I could change one thing about social media it would be how you can literally comment hate on anyone’s posts and get away with it so easily.”
In January 2024, the worldwide social media user count was around 4.7 billion people and this number continues to increase rapidly over the years. An excessive use of social media, especially in young people, can be a cause for concern. Unfortunately the rates of cyberbullying, child exploitation, and doxing or “hacking” have gone through the roof since the 2021 pandemic.
“Honestly I really don’t think social media is a completely safe place for EVERYONE especially if your really young or if you use it way to often, and even though I use it a lot, I don’t think it’s bad enough to where we should get rid of it,” junior Alicia Ray from Hendrickson High School said. “From my experience people are actually meaner online for whatever reason but as long as it’s not affecting me I don’t care!”
Social media offers many job opportunities like being an influencer and selling products to people online. And since social media is such a powerful marketing tool, people could even start to build their own businesses. Social media is also great for educational aspects for many people, a lot of the content on these platforms inspire creativity and motivation.
“My primary reason for using social media is for communication with friends and I like watching Tik Tok shorts mostly,” seventh grader Cade Breeze from Cele Middle School said. “I don’t know why social media causes so much trouble with people. I wish everyone would chill so we don’t lose Tik Tok again.”