With the turning of the twentieth century came great technological advances, which were unarguably the quickest advancements in the history of the world.  This led to more and more technology-based products, creating a newfound force that would eventually become the driver of society.  With this new "force," came products like the iPod, tablets, the Smartphone, and other wireless, interactive devices.  This then led to the birth of society's poison -- more commonly known as social media.  I have taken interest in the topic of social media because although I am a social media user and a believer that it can be used beneficially, I have a strong concern in the increasing of negativity it has placed on the youth of the 21st century.  My personal experience with this is something I deal with on a daily basis.  For background, I currently hold the title of Miss Lexington with which I will compete in the Miss South Carolina pageant in June.  Each contestant must have a platform she feels strongly about, mine being literacy and the youth.  I often travel to different schools throughout the state to advocate literacy and get the "in" on what kids these days are doing with their time.  I have found the frightening truth that a vast majority of these children (K-12) are spending most of their time on some kind of mobile device and are consumed with social media (sixth-twelfth grades).  After seeing this, I have taken it upon myself to advocate students to spend their time reading and becoming more literate, rather than searching for a mindless gratification in the number of "likes," "favorites," "reposts," and "retweets" they receive.  It does seem that these two topics do not entirely overlap, but when applied in the right way, there is most certainly a correlation between the two.  Seeing as though I am very much involved with the youth and am at an age where I can place myself in the same though patterns as our millennials, I find myself qualified to research and address the issue of social media demeaning our youth.

A piece published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2011explores various social media outlets and the effects they take on adolescents.  It compiles research from different pediatric specialists who have done experiments and tests with adolescents.  It contains a large amount of psychological content rather than statistical numbers and data.  The article takes one side of social media's effect on the youth, the psychological side, and breaks it down by explaining the conflicts being seen within the psychological spectrum of the issue.  Topics such as "sexting" and "Facebook depression" are covered in the piece, as well age limits, and digital footprints -- all factors that feed into a deeply rooted issue that go beyond the "physical" aspect of the topic.  This piece is certainly credible for its psychological research.  It contains the observations of pediatric specialists and compiles it into an easy-read that is understandable.  It is certainly biased because it focuses on the negative aspects of social media in regard to adolescents, but it is credible because again, it is information compiled by experienced specialists who make up the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Katie Holliday, author of the piece, "US youth frustrated with 'oversharing' on social media" lays groundwork for the youth's obsession with posting their lives on social media.  She makes claims about today's kids taking shelter in social media through her evidence of data from a survey.  She also explains the reliance teens have on social media to makes their lives more interesting, or "cooler."  A lot of this article contains the issues of "authenticity" that teens are facing when dealing with social media.  Holliday stated that on social media outlets, teens " ... felt like they could not portray their own "real selves" on these sites."  Much of her claim translates to the idea that there is a jading of personality because teens are trying to make themselves appear to be something they are not, generally something to make them appear on a "higher level" of social status.  Making shallow judgments from author Katie Holliday's bio page and twitter page (links provided in article), she seems like she has a good grasp on this topic.  She is a writer for CNBC, and although she does not come off an "expert" in the topic, she certainly has an opinion and an understanding of what is going on as far as social media's effect on the youth.

The final article by Amanda Lenhart from Pew Research Center is loaded with statistical information about teen use of social media.  Lehnart includes information about family income, methods of logging onto social media, and age grouping to plant her research.  All being very important factors, she lays out the information with hyperlinks, and charts filled with data.

Going back to the fact that the article is loaded with relevant, statistical information, it is clear that the author simply wants to put forth her research, rather than take a position on the topic.  The information is an awareness arouser because it is solid, and straight-forward without any extra psychological backing to it.  The article does not contain any bias on social media and the youth, but simply breaks down teen usage of different social media outlets.  It is definitely a credible source because it comes from the Pew Research Center which is a "nonpartisan American think tank" that provides information, statistics, and data on different issues that occur across the country.

The argument of social media having a negative effect on today's youth is a very prevalent one, in that it is an issue that is in its prime, taking place right before our eyes.  It is most certainly an arguable topic because on the negative side, one can argue that it is deteriorating the youth's capabilities of many important life aspects, but on the positive side, it can be argued that social media is a tool that can be used to create opportunity and be beneficial in networking amongst one another.  A vast majority of the sources I have sifted through have taken heave on the negative side, but some have included the benefits of social media usage.  Having different perspectives to look at and argue with is a helpful thing because it becomes simpler to create a personal perspective and also gain an understanding the 'why' and 'how' behind the opposing side's arguments.

