Ever since its invention social media has seemed to be on the rise. It has captivated the minds of young people through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and is beginning to reach older people who previously despised it. However, this massive movement to social media has not come without opposition. Many believe that there are overwhelming negative consequences that come from using this media platform that should deter people from logging on. In many ways, the good out-weigh the bad when it comes to these effects on those who participate in social media. It has caused a lack of in person confrontations which have damaged teens’ abilities to have productive social interactions. Additionally, using social media has been proven to lead to unstable mental and physical health problems that would otherwise be avoided. Social media causes us to misuse use our time which leads to a lack in productivity which benefits no one. Like with anything else an action will have a consequence. Bad actions usually correspond with negative consequences and visa versa. The overuse of social media by teens leads to many adverse consequences that can affect the way they live the rest of their lives.

While many age groups use social media, the main group that uses it are children and teens, who’s minds are still developing. While the mind is developing, it is subject to change, and can be molded by certain activities. The use of social media daily and for extended periods of times is one of the factors that can mold someone’s mind in an unbeneficial way. The most significant impact the overuse of social media has on teens is that it impairs their ability to communicate in person. People are beginning to rely on social to make up the bulk of their social interactions rather than having them in person. Jasmine Fowlkes states “that one in four people spend more time socializing online than they do in person.” So much time is being spent using social media that people are beginning to lose the social skills to interact in public. 

One theory about overuse of social media is that it causes its users to act differently than they normally would in person. Thomas White describes the change in character as “the social media mask” and “the social media shield.” Putting on your social media mask can be defined as changing the way you act and the way you appear online. A normally boring and sad person can make their life seem very happy and extravagant using Instagram and Twitter. “That’s because these sites and apps allow us to choose an impressive filter for our lives, making boring exceptional and mediocre exciting” (White). They portray themselves as the perfect human with a large amount of friends and happiness which in most cases is a falsehood. The social media shield is a defense barrier we put up by using social media. “Our phones and computers give us a shield to hide behind when we want to say or do mean things and a mask to don in order to change who we are, which means not that we have to forego social media, but that we have to be vigilant about how and for what we use it” (White). It allows us to shut out the outside world by attracting all of our attention. Furthermore, when these applications are frequently used people begin to become “less sensitive, and more comfortable.” Austin Mccann states, “Another impact social media has had on teens is teens being more comfortable online doing things that they should be more sensitive to doing.” He goes on to explain how platforms like snapchat have made it convenient for teenagers to do and say things they would normally be too nervous to talk about in person. For example, a study by the Teen Advisory Board found that seventy-two percent of relationships are started on social media and eighty-two percent end using the same platform. Instead of having these hard face to face conversations, teenagers will just send a message to avoid the humiliation of getting rejected or the guilt of breaking up. This effectively desensitizes those who use social media because they do not see firsthand the effect of their words or actions. Another interesting statistic found from that same study shows that seventy-five percent of people believe social media negatively effects their relationships, yet they still use it. In his Ted Talk on social media Dr. Cal Newport describes your social media as “a mini portable slot machine." If you have ever used a slot machine you know that you want to keep playing it no matter how much you lose because you know there is still a chance of winning. Social media has the same effect. It grabs your attention and holds onto your fear of missing out in order to keep you effectively addicted to the product.

As previously stated social media can lead cause people to put on masks which can lead to people living a “double life” (Austin Mccann). They live their lives as who they are and then log on and become someone completely different. “Every day I see students who tweet and post things on Facebook that totally contradict what their parents, or others that know them personally, think of them” (Austin McCann). In some cases, it has led teens to be confused as to who they are and what defines them as a person. This confusion along with an absence of in person social contact can lead to a lack in interpersonal skills required to engage in a social activity. This lack of interpersonal communication skills which can affect your ability to conduct an interview or even be social at a first date. Practice makes perfect, and if the communication skills are not practiced then when it comes time to perform people will not know what to do. Furthermore, the earlier that smartphones and these applications are brought into the lives of our youth the less opportunities they will have to practice these skills. “’People increasingly prefer quick and frequent engagement with instant updates on news than a prolonged chat and are also finding new ways to catch up with friends from the comfort of their sofa’” (Fowlkes). Additionally, even when people get together it seems that their attention is always on something else. They have to constantly be checking their phones for the latest Facebook notification or Instagram post. Instead of finding a sense of belonging through real life interaction, people are going to the internet to find that feeling of belonging through likes and comments on pictures and posts. This has caused us to lose sight of what a normal social interaction is like. Saying hello in an elevator labels you as weird, and not having a smartphone makes you an outcast. The overuse of social media needs to be stopped. Moderation is something that people, especially Americans, need to begin to practice.

Not only does social media affect the ability to carry out simple daily interactions, studies have shown that it has a negative impact on your mental capacity and overall health. Social media has been proven to increase levels of anxiety, fragment its users’ attention, and lessen the ability for someone to be productive. The biggest issue with social media is its effects on your attention span. Many studies have shown that social media causes people to fragment their attention. Fragmented attention stems from the need to always be checking your applications. When you are constantly checking for updates while you should be studying you are “fragmenting your attention.” Instead of focusing on the project you have and completing it in a timely fashion, social media causes you to draw out your workload by constantly seeking your attention. This effect on attention span is caused because of the addictive qualities of social media. Honor Whiteman states that “recent statistics show that 63% of American Facebook users log on to the site daily, while 40% of users log on multiple times a day.” Almost half of Facebook users log on multiple times a day which makes it seem as though there is a social dependence on this social networking platform. The addiction to Facebook in particular has become so prominent and easy way to test how addicted you are to Facebook has been made called the Berge Facebook Addiction Scale. When something is associated with being addictive a negative connotation will most likely follow. Addictions to things like smoking cigarettes and doing drugs usually result in any negative consequences that in many cases have long term effects like lung cancer and brain cell damage. What makes the addiction to Facebook any different? People are beginning to become widely addicted to it, and in many first world countries it is becoming an epidemic. Instead of lung cancer that comes with an addiction to cigarettes, Facebook leaves you to be less productive with your time and increase your levels of anxiety. This addiction comes from the rewarding feeling that can come from using social media. “The research team, led by Dar Meshi of the Freie Universität in Germany, found that individuals who gained positive feedback about themselves on Facebook showed stronger activity in the nucleus accumbens of the brain - a region associated with "reward" processing. This stronger activity correlated with greater Facebook use” (Whiteman). What makes this addiction bad is the negative effect it has on a person’s character. A study done by Anxiety UK showed that fifty-three percent of people said that social media changed their behavior, and of the fifty-three percent, fifty-one said it effected them negatively. 

This addiction to social media leads mostly to a lack of productivity and an increase in levels of anxiety. People who overuse Facebook are constantly stimulating their mind, never allowing it to relax. Even when you aren’t using social media your mind is still engaged and seems to urge you to log back on. However, when you are not logged on there is a sense of emptiness like something is missing which lowers your drive to be productive. Dr. Cal Newport mentions in his Ted Talk that the more you use social media the more likely you are to feel lonely. When someone is used to always being connected and informed about every moment of the people’s lives around them, they will automatically feel like there is a void that needs to be filled when they are not logged on. Dr. Cal also discusses his own life as being much more peaceful and productive without the distractions of social media. He is able to sit down and focus when he needs to, and, despite his lack of social media, still has a very pronounced social and professional life. His anxiety is limited to what is created from his work and home life without layering on top a third life within Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. 

While the general thought is that social medias negative effects outweigh its positives, there are still some positives that come from using this social platform. Studies have shown to improve the confidence of the teens and tweens that use this program. “In fact, according to a report last year by the nonprofit child advocacy group Common Sense Media, one in five teens said social media makes them feel more confident, compared with 4% who said it makes them feel less so.” (Wallace). However, this confidence is one of the main reasons people are addicted to social media. It causes people to feel attached to it, and that attached can lead to many issues down the road like anxiety and a lack of interpersonal communication skills. Another justification for using social media is that it allows kids who are mostly introverts to make friends and connections online. “Levey said another benefit is for kids who might feel slightly isolated to connect with other tweens and teens who share their same interests.” (Wallace). While it is good for kids to feel a sense of belonging, it is not worth the lack of communication skills they will have as adults. Everyone wants to belong, but turning to social media to find “friends” is not the answer. It will cause you to not be able to make those connections in person, and in turn be even lonelier than before when you are not using social media. A third reason people believe social media has a positive impact on society is that it allows people to easily express their views on political topics. “After a Christian motivational speaker, who believes ‘dateable girls know how to shut up,’ spoke at a high school in Richardson, Texas, students took to Twitter to express their outrage” (Wallace). This is true, social media allows people to express themselves openly, but most of this comments go unheard. Instead of taking real action against a cause you feel is unjust, teens are more likely to just rant on Twitter or Facebook and that will be the extent of what they do to stop sexist, racist, or any behavior they feel is wrong. Sure social media helps voice opinions, but it makes people feel like a 140 character post on Twitter is enough and they did their part to help the cause. Furthermore, social media makes voicing your opinion so easy that bullies have made it their home. Cyberbullying is a huge issue that is a result of kids wanting to feel that confidence that they cannot find in their real lives. The final positive that comes from social media is that it can be helpful in the medical field. Studies show that social media can be used as a measure for a person’s mental health. The fact that social media can be used to diagnose the mental health of someone should be a warning signal that this platform is not very productive. 

While social media seems to have its fair share of ups and downs, the fact is that the negative consequences that arise from using social media weigh down any possible positive that comes from it. Social media is an addictive device that results in many social and mental health issues. With it comes a rise in levels of anxiety, terrible communication skills, and a shortened attention span. All of these factors weigh into your ability to get a job, make friends, and even be comfortable with yourself as a person. Social media is detrimental to society, and it use needs to be limited. However, it does not need to be taken away completely. When used in moderation its harmful effects are lessened and sometimes eradicated. The negatives that come from social media only arise when it is overused and neglected. Limiting your time on social media, and making sure you get out more and interact with people daily will help with the negatives that come from this form of social networking. Social media is sold as a necessity, but it is nothing more than a form of entertainment that is harmful to those who use it too frequently. 

 