In the past decade, social media has taken over our society and become a constant part of our everyday lives. There are endless ways to communicate on social media; talking to strangers has never been easier.
Yet within this intricate modern creation lurk many dangers. For years now, social media has been taking a toll on people’s mental health, especially people of young age groups who are influenced by it.
I often find myself going on my phone for what feels like a few minutes until I look at the clock to see that hours have passed. Social media is fake, and we live in a fake world when we use it, students should take a break from social media.
“Social media use can also negatively affect teens, distracting them, disrupting their sleep, and exposing them to bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic views of other people’s lives, and peer pressure,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
Many people struggle with low self-esteem, which is especially seen in teenage girls due to comparing themselves to others. Social media has unrealistic expectations and standards set by society, according to The Child Mind Institute.
Social media only shows the highlights in people’s lives and leaves out the real unfiltered parts. People want to make themselves look perfect to the public eye, and social media makes this easy to accomplish. The Washington Post reported more than 250 million people, on average, use Snapchat filters. This can create jealousy, idealization, and wanting what you don’t have instead of just being content.
A study from The University of Maine found that 4.8 billion people use social media. Studies from the Child Mind Institute show that people who spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media have a 13 to 66 percent higher rate of reported depression than people who spend less time on social media.
Many of us no longer spend time off screens; our eyes are glued to our phones. We miss everything around us because we are attached to this fake reality. Again, students should take a break from social media.