June 27: Op-ed

 Social Media: The Genocide of the Youth

Although social media can be used to build global connections and maintain friendships, it often is not used in this way. Social media can have many negative effects, especially for young people. Despite its potential, social media has mostly negative effects on its users. These negative effects include wasting your time, causing constant comparisons, and being an unsafe place to surf. 

 

Social media wastes your time, a resource you can never get back. Social media algorithms are made to be addictive. Many of these algorithms know more about you than you know about yourself. Like any other addiction, the earlier you start social media, the more addicted you will be. The average teen spends 4.8 hours on social media! This addiction to social media prevents teens from completing their responsibilities like homework. It can also prevent teens from doing basic daily tasks such as exercise, sleeping, and eating. Social media also prevents teens from spending quality time with friends and family. This is a significant reason why much of Generation Z is lonely, anxious, and depressed. Just like a drug, social media’s addictive algorithms distract students from pursuing their passions and goals. They sit idly as life passes them by while they stay in their vegetative-scrolling state.  

 

Social media also causes constant comparison. However, this comparison is not a fair one. Social media users only post the highlights of their lives. When comparing your normal life to another's highlight, you are bound to feel inadequate. This constant comparison can lead to anxiety and depression, especially if you had earlier mental health issues. Some girls are encouraged to starve themselves to meet the arbitrary standards of social media influencers, developing eating disorders in the process. Comparison can also be seen with college admission videos. Watching nationally recognized students get accepted into the Ivy League Universities fosters insecurities about your own resume and accomplishments. Overall, comparison through social media can make teens question their ability and whether they are enough.  

 

Social media can be a dangerous place for youth. There is a lot of harmful content on social media that can influence teens. A lot of dangerous messaging is targeted at children on social media.  Exposing children to this content can brainwash them as opposed to letting them develop their political views. Social media also opens bullying through the internet, or cyberbullying. Photos and videos can be shared very easily on the internet. This can be used to make fun of people behind their back. This type of bullying is very hard to detect. Many suspicious people should not be allowed near children, even on the internet. There are currently no regulations prohibiting predators from contacting children on social media. A predator could easily pose as a student of similar age and try to meet with your child. 

 

Although there are a lot of negatives to social media, it also has many positives. You can make global connections and reach out to anyone in the world. Social media platforms like YouTube are very good sources of information. The key to using social media effectively is using it with intention. Instead of mindlessly clicking on TikTok and scrolling for hours, intentionally search for a video on a topic that interests you or text a friend. This limits all unnecessary uses of social media, leading to a more healthy and balanced life.