Social media: The Bad Things it Can Lead to
Millions of people all around world today rely on social media as their main way of
communication and interaction with other people. Although social media may lead to better
connection between people, it can also have very harmful effects that can impact the way we
live. It can cause an issue to one's safety, it can lead to addiction, it can cause isolation, it can
lead to the loss of productivity, and it can create drama.
Social media can be very dangerous and create a major concern to the safety of teens. One of the
main issues is cyber bullying as it effects many teens and may cause psychological issues such as
depression. Cyber bullying can cause many teens' self-esteem and confidence to decline due to
social media giving them the idea of how they should look or act. Social media can cause harm
to someone not only physically but also mentally. Recent medical research has shown that
teenagers who have been a victim from some form of cyber bullying through social media are
more likely to suffer from depression(Anxiety). Depression is one of the main health issues that
arises in teens today. It can be very dangerous as it can cause many other physiological
disorders and can even lead to suicide. It's possible for teens to experience a form of depression
from social media if they have been put down or have been made to feel like they don’t fit in
with everyone else. Research has proven that a lot of teens are sharing way too much
information about their personal lives that should not be open to the public. In today’s society,
most kids are uneducated about the harmful and dangerous effects that internet privacy may have
on them as a person. Many teenagers are not fully aware of all the bad things that can happen by
putting their lives on the web because they don’t know that all of their data and information is
being stored on to a hard drive and can never be deleted(Kwan). Because of this, teenagers who
share too much personal information on the Internet are more prone to getting into trouble with
the law or even later in life with future jobs. Although Facebook is a way for people to
communicate and interact with friends and family, it is also used for people to communicate with
some people that they have not even met in person. Social media can put many teens in danger
by having them be exposed to cyber bullying and by them sharing too much information about
themselves to some people that they have never met.
Another uprising issue
that people have today
with social media is
addiction. Addiction is a
very serious matter with
teenagers today and
needs to be taken
seriously. With the
excessive use of social
media in today’s society, it seems as if it is now serving as a need more than a want for teens.
This is how to know when someone has an addiction. Most teens today check their Facebook at
least every 30 minutes, sometimes more often than that. A study done by Case Western Reserve
School of Medicine showed that being on any social networks for more than three hours per day
or sending more than 120 text messages per day is related to unhealthy behaviors in teens such as
drinking, smoking and sexual activity(Kwan). Disorders including depression, substance abuse,
poor sleep patterns, suicide, and poor academic performance are also associated with addiction.
Addiction to social networking can not only affect people emotionally, but it may also affect
relationships. By being a regular user of a social media site such as Facebook, anti-social
behavior in real-life interactions as been shown by those addicted to these sites.
Social media is one of the main causes for one to isolate themselves from others. While it may
seem like social networking brings people together, it actually has a greater chance of causing
someone to isolate themselves from others. As people spend increasing amounts of time on
social networks, they experience less real-life interactions. Scientists have evaluated social
isolation in many studies, and have determined that it can lead to the creation of mental,
psychological, emotional and physical problems such as depression, anxiety, somatic complaints
and many others (More Social Connection Online Tied to Increasing Feelings of Isolation). A
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Medicine animal study showed that social isolation
can impair brain hormones, which is the leading reason why socially isolated people experience
high levels of stress, aggression, anxiety and other mental issues.
Loss of productivity in many workers has occurred do to social networking sites. Many
businesses today use social networking sites to communicate and advertise with clients. This
works well for business but can also be a distraction for employees. When employees spend
more time checking the social networking site so see what friends have posted or post
themselves, work productivity has been shown to drop. Studies have found that 1.5% of
productivity has been taken away by social media and companies have also even lost money due
to this(Vairagi). It is also claimed that companies have lost billions of dollars due to social
networking sites (Vairagi). This has led to companies taking the step of blocking access to social
networking site as a means of keeping addicted employees from accessing these sites.
Many young people have lost friends due to the drama and arguments that has been caused by
social media. Even though social media connects teens to friends’ feelings and experiences in
ways both excessive and positive, that same sharing can reveal events and activities to which
teens were not invited, and can lead to negative comparisons between their own lives and the
lives of those they are connected to on social media (Lenhart). This can cause one to feel left out
or make them feel like the life that they live isn't as good as their friends'.
Social media may lead to various issues such as major safety concerns, unhealthy addictions,
isolation from others, loss of productivity, and loss of friends. To prevent these issues from
occurring, users must watch how much time they spend on social media and take everything they
put on social media seriously so they are not putting themselves at risk. One should be cautious
about what they post on social media because it can put a big impact on their life and the lives of
others.