As the years have progressed and especially after covid hit, majority of teenagers and younger kids have found an increased usage of 20% on social media according to National Institutes of Health after covid. Whether it be looking up funny videos, or tutorials, maybe even chatting with friends. But it comes to the point where we have to ask ourselves “Is social media detrimental to my focus?” Social media apps can come in handy and are a good tool to get in contact with people of the same interests as yourself, plus receiving help when needed, but there is a darker side to social media that several put past them to get likes. The danger of social media can be vast. Strangers luring kids, bullies targeting the comment sections, temptations to get unnecessary items from shops that don’t even work, and younger kids looking at unrealistic beauty standards of older women and men who could possibly be faking, or editing their photos. Many have argued that social media apps, especially TikTok, are great for them and keeps them entertained for hours, but that is exactly where the problem occurs. Students staying up late scrolling through endless amounts of videos, not getting work done, and ultimately getting trapped into a whirlpool of someone else’s life demonstrated on a screen. From personal experience and observations of those around me, social media takes students away from real human interactions, leading still growing kids to damage their growth, making for uneasy and anxious transitions into adulthood. All in all, social media apps can be a blessing and a curse depending on the person and what they are searching for, but I believe social media should become less of a priority. Instead students should focus more on academics which will lead them to a brighter future than watching a minute video that will be forgotten the very same day.
If you would like to read more on increased usage of social media, especially after covid hit, read: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10123536/#:~:text=Likewise%2C%20a%20recent%20large%2Dscale,pandemic%20(Dixon%2C%202022).
