The harmful impacts of social media and technology

Social media is used by people of all ages for reasons such as socializing, education, and dating. Through the easy access of smartphones and computers, Pew Research Center says that 92% of teenagers go online daily, 24% online constantly. Social media has a variety of benefits, but also comes with many dangers. A 2012 survey from The Office of Adolescent Health consisting of over 600 teenagers concluded that nearly all have shared private information like their full name, photos, school name, and birthdate online

Being on social media and keeping up with recent trends can be time consuming. “I spend all my time on social media,” Freshman Ella Wolfrom says. “It’s controlling, because I am always on it. It sets a standard to be a different person.”

Technology and social media has taken over the world, one place specifically is the classroom. According to Statistic Brain, 98% of classrooms have one or more computers or laptops. Being on a computer during class can distract the student from following the teacher, notes, or lecture. Students can miss out on education or current events because of the lack of knowledge that comes from social medias like Instagram, Snap Chat, and Twitter.

Students should be able to use social media and technology, but to a limit. Too much social media can consume our time and prevent us from the importance of learning. According to a March 2018 article by The Guardian, children have been using technology at such an early age that the muscles in their fingers have not fully developed, causing the inability to hold a pencil correctly.

Without technology and social media, though, news and popular trends would travel at a slower rate. Media gives the opportunity to communicate to people from different countries and to be more global. It gives us the access to look up facts or help in the matter of seconds. Some people would be fine leaving technology and social media behind, but others wouldn’t know how to live without it.

Social media and technology should be limited throughout the day. Focusing on people are more important than staring at a screen for several hours a day. By being on social media apps for so long, we are missing education, current event news, and the beauty of life.

Sophomores Anna Schneider and Alex Hagenbarth have lunch with a side of technology. Schneider used her computer to chat with friends while Hagenbarth scrolled through Instagram.

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