Every day, the world is constantly being advanced by technology, especially in a social aspect. Some believe that these advancements are enhancing the quality of life among teenagers. However, others argue that social media and the effects of its usage are becoming an addiction to adolescents. When the term “social media” is used, it primarily refers to “any cellular phone or internet based tool and application used in order to share information, as well as communicate, among people” (Social Media). Now-a-days it is rare to see a teenager leave their house without a mobile device. Furthermore, it has become the norm to see a crowd of people staring at their phones instead of interacting with each other and living in the moment. Although important to stay in touch with the world, has the use of social media become an obsession? In today’s society it appears that people have become too busy trying to stay connected online to realize the life they are missing out on. The fixation with social media is creating a world where social skills are declining and face-to-face communication is becoming the second option. Overall, the many negative effects that are produced by social media are severely impacting the way of life teenagers, in particular, are living.

No matter a person’s overall viewpoint, a mutual agreement is that technology makes life more efficient. It is unarguable that life would not be the same without it. However, the difference of opinions arises with the judgement on whether or not it is a benefit to society or a distracting infatuation. Adolescents, parents, and educators may obviously look at this topic from different perspectives, and as a result see this issue from different views. However, even as a teenager, I am able to observe my friends, my family, and myself becoming too addicted to the convenience social media provides. Those who position on the other side of this argument, debate that social media provides many benefits that are not harming society. In particular, one major claim is that there is a positive correlation between social media and the effects on adolescent learning.  William Ferriter and Jason Ramsden, the authors of the book Essentials for Principals : Communicating and Connecting With Social Media, are both active members in the field of education and aim to show the connection between the use of social media and adolescent learning. This book emphasizes the importance of communication in not only the world of adolescent learning, but the life that will follow after. Both Ferrtier and Ramsden state that the use of social media will “establish strong lines of communication that are essential for maintaining focus and building momentum beyond the classroom” (5). Those who agree with this viewpoint highlight the fact that technology can offer alternative methods to teenagers who do not always thrive under conventional teaching patterns. For example, a process called blending learning combines face-to-face classroom methods with on-line mediated activities (Patrut 75). This allows the student to grasp concepts in class with a professor but also on their own, at a self-made pace. Some argue that innovation to the blending method can be improved with the addition of social networking sites.  Specifically, sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs “provide the social aspect that we need when it comes to learning so that it does not become a lone-learning environment” (Patrut 79). The idea that social media may teach strong communication skills and connect students with the outside world can be attractive to many. 

However, differing from the claims made by Ferrtier and Ramsden, other studies have shown that social media does not particularly affect teenage education.  Richard Clarke, a professor of Educational Psychology and Technology, argues against those who say research has proven a positive correlation between social media and advancements in youth education. He states, “The use of media is a mere vehicle that delivers instructions but does not influence student achievement any more than the truck that delivers our groceries causes changes in nutrition” (Clarke 2). By this he is saying, even though the information may be taught in different ways, the only thing that can majorly enhance achievement is the content of what is being given. As a result, he rejects the idea that social media is necessary for improving adolescent education. Research may show slight learning advantages for social media compared to basic learning methods from time to time, however, these advantages may be a result of incomparable studies. Clarke explains that the studies can become biased as different teachers give instructions and information to their students in various manners (447). If all aspects of the research do not remain identical it is unclear whether to attribute any results of an influence in learning found to the use of social media (Clarke 448). Therefore, if a study is made that does not keep the variables constant, the accuracy of the results is lost. Since no student’s ability to learn and retain information is the exact same, it is hard to make a claim whether or not the use of social media impacts a child’s success in education. 

Besides for the educational advantages, another claim to the counter argument is that it allows relationships to become more intimate and remain intact throughout long distances. Stefana Broadbent is a cognitive scientist who has spent many decades observing the behavior of people and their use of technology, both at home and at work. Broadbent asserts to the audience that the opportunities handed to this society are because of the benefits of the Internet. Throughout her TED talk she gives different examples of circumstances where social media has enabled intimacy due to the convenience of technology. With the use of email, texting, and programs such as Skype, people are able to communicate at all times, as well as virtually spend time with one another. The TED talk includes a family that is able to “eat dinner” with their grandmother every night by placing the laptop on the kitchen table (Broadbent). Additionally, networking cites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat allow followers to see what is happening in a person’s life, no matter the time or place. This allows for relationships to be kept close even through distance. Moreover, social networking sites, for some, have been known to restore old friendships and create new connections between strangers. On the other hand, others have experienced the disruption and chaos that social media can induce on a relationship. The constant knowledge that social media provides can cause anxiety, jealousy, and even the end to many relationships. “Social media has definitely accentuated and accelerated breakups… it provides a really easy avenue to be impulsive to reconnect and make mistakes” (Stolz). Instances such as innocently reconnecting with an ex online can lead to trust issues. Also, communicating with your partner through social media all day can leave nothing left to be said when it comes time to actually see one another. Although they seem minor, small reoccurring situations just as these can eventually lead to unfortunate results. Even though social media can be known to build relationships and intimacy, it can just as easily tear them apart.

It is obvious that this world is centered around the desire for convenience; therefore, the accessibility of social media is attractive to many. Constant advancements to the iPhone such as Siri, make knowledge and information constantly at a person’s finger tips. Texting means people are given instant and quick contact with a person without the need to have a conversation on the phone. Emails are sent and received in less than a minute, and a calculator, camera, music are all combined into one device that can fit into your pocket. Additionally, access to the news and what is happening in the world can be found almost immediately, leaving the days of anticipation for the six o`clock news in the past. While some believe that these benefits are greatly improving the quality of life and the direction this generation is headed, many are beginning to realize that the addictions to these benefits are causing grave consequences. The convenience is useful at times, but relying upon social media and cell phones as a necessary tool for life is when the line is crossed. As humans we were given brains of our own to think, act, and communicate. A smart phone should not be able to replace that.

As social media is becoming such an integral part of teenage life, more and more concerns are arising. The constant need and ability to always have a phone or tablet in hand causes distractions in every aspect of life. Students are more tempted to procrastinate schoolwork by spending hours searching the web, checking newsfeeds, and facetiming friends. Common Sense Media, a non-profit group that tracks adolescents and their technology use, reported that teenagers from the ages of 13-18 spent on average nine hours a day on “entertainment media”- not including anything needed for school work (Diebel). Ironically, nine hours is the amount of sleep recommended for growing adolescents. It is not rare for this generation to stay up until all hours of the night doing homework or cramming for tests, which often results in unfavorable grades and high stress levels. Even if a teenager has completed all of their tasks for the day, it is likely that he/she will spend time on their phone or social media before they go to bed. Cain and Gradisar propose “electronic media use before sleep may increase mental, emotional, or physiological arousal” (qtd. in Lemola and Perkinson). Also, researchers are suggesting that another reason social media and the use of smart phones before bed is causing sleep deprivation is because the blue light that is emitted off most mobile devices is disrupting circadian rhythms during the night time (Lemola and Perkinson). The lack of sleep teenagers are getting due to the excessive use of social media is very concerning as sleep plays an important role in adolescent growth. Also, another concern is that time is the most underrated unrenewable resource. Wasting hours on end on mindless social media takes away from time spent doing something productive or spending time with loved ones. 

Along with sleep deprivation, the obsession with social media may also bring about issues of mental illness. Many people attempt to present the world with an idealized version of them self, when in reality that is not the life they are truly living. Since networking sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat constantly allow people to be aware of what others have or what others are doing, many teenagers may be left feeling excluded, envious, or depressed. Medical News Today performed a recent study with results showing that “Facebook use may feed anxiety and increase a person’s feelings of inadequacy” (Whiteman). The consistent competitions of popularity that surround social media, can cause teenagers to care too much about “likes” and less about what is actually important in life. Researchers at the UCLA brain mapping center performed a recent study that used an MRI scanner to observe the brains of 32 teenagers as they scrolled through Instagram. The results show that certain parts of the brain, especially the reward center, became “activated by likes” (East). Unfortunately, this “activation” can just as easily cause a negative effect in the mind if the results are not favored. With the increasing pressures of peer acceptance, social media has the power to instantly change one’s mood. Coinciding mental illness, the matter of cyberbullying can especially cause problems with self-esteem and confidence in the youth. Enough is Enough is an organization that aims to make internet and social media usage safer. According to a recent study done by EIE “95% of teenagers who use social media have witnessed forms of cyberbullying on social networking sites and 33% have been victims of cyber bullying” (Whiteman). Although cyber bullying is a result of much deeper physiological issues, social media is what allows for it to happen. Dr. Donna Wick speculates, “Kids text all sorts of things that you would never in a million years contemplate saying to anyone’s face” (Ehmke). Hiding behind the security of a screen can give teenagers the courage to say things they never would in person. Since saying something to a person’s face is no longer the only option, social media is giving teenagers a way to bully without feeling the guilt of speaking to someone directly. This downside to social media stems from the way many teenagers avoid of personal interaction if it is not necessary.

Another consequence with the preoccupation of social media is the lack of face-to-face communication that exists now a day. Teenagers in today’s society have become accustomed to communication while looking at a screen, not another person.  Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, a clinical psychologist and author of The Big Disconnect, makes the point that as a species, human beings are supposed to be very attuned with social cues and know how to read them (Ehmke). She profoundly states, “There’s no question kids are missing out on very critical social skills. In a way, texting and online communicating puts everybody in a nonverbal disabled context, where body language, facial expression, and even the smallest kinds of vocal reactions are rendered invisible” (Ehmke). The adolescent years are very important because it is the time period in life when social learning is mainly developed. Also during this time period, friendships are taught how to be made, as well as kept. Due to the consistent advancements in the digital age, teenagers are losing the ability to communicate in person. Through texting and networking sites, words can be misinterpreted and twisted throughout conversation, leaving those involved sometimes in a guessing game. An article written by Susan Tardanico emphasizes the issue of having the ability to hide behind digital communication in today’s world. She summarizes a story of a mother and her daughter, who was away at college, exchanging texts back and forth on a Friday night. The texts consisted of all positive statements and happy responses; what the mother figured was a normal conversation. Later that night, the daughter committed suicide. The mother was stunned to hear that her daughter had been held up in her room crying about life for days straight (Tardanico). From the communication through texting she had no way to know what her daughter was truly feeling. Also, this article explains that studies have shown only 35% of human communication is based off of written word. This means that 65% of communication is lost in this day and age due to the fact that body language and facial expressions cannot be seen through a digital device (Tardanico). The words that a person may type can have a completely different meaning when they are said aloud. Choosing to make communication over social media a first priority over face-to-face interaction is causing a barrier in human communication. 

Not only can social media be distracting, it can also be dangerous. Cyberstalking is a serious and prevalent concern that could happen to anyone, even though many assume they will never become a sufferer. Unfortunately, as technology progresses batterers are provided with significantly more ways to avoid being caught while stalking their victims. Dr. Emma Short, psychologist and co-author of a study on cyberstalking, said, “There have been threats to kill. They give the impression that they know where their victims live and can get at them physically. It is often unclear what the stalker aims to get out of it, other than causing misery and distress” (McVeigh). Although cyberstalking is an act that no person deserves, as teenagers we must realize that the information we freely give out on-line can be extremely harmful. Not every person is who they say they are which can lead to severe consequences if caution is not taking with personal information on social media. Personal privacy on social media simply does not exist anymore. Even if an account is private, hackers have ways to unlock codes in a very fast manner. Another danger with social media is that teenagers, as we are still maturing, do not always realize what is put out there for the world to see, will never go away. Posting provocative photos, sending inappropriate tweets, and getting your mistakes captured on social media is something that family, friends, and even future employers will be able to uncover forever. Remaining safe and smart on social media is a major concern, for many do not understand the consequences their actions may lead to. As a result, social media proves to act even more as a detriment forcing unnecessary danger and concerns into the lives of teenagers. 

The convenience that is provided by technology and social media certainly enhances society with benefits. Specific tasks that would take more effort and time are now very easily achievable. However, the use of social media in this world is beginning to approach a point where the line is blurred between what is beneficial and what is unhealthy to society. It seems that we as teenagers are becoming so consumed with the luxuries that this digital world is bringing, that we are beginning to lose sight on personal connections with one another. Instead of making friends with the person at the bus stop next to us, we dig our noses a little deeper into an iPhone 7Plus. Instead of calling our grandmothers to see hear her voice, we shoot her a text because its faster. And, instead of complimenting someone in person, we double-tap their Instagram picture. We judge a person off of how many followers they have rather than who they are as a human being. We feel much more ambitious to say what we feel when we are protected by a glass screen, and often times do not care whose feelings we hurt. And at times, we cannot even put the cell phone down for two seconds as we drive to the store. It appears that the addiction to always stay connected and “tuned-in” to what is happening in the world, is actually what is causing us to miss out on life. The irony lies in how as time progresses, social media has the power to in fact, make this generation less “social”.
