Social Media: All is Good with Moderation
The presence of social media and easy access to the internet have allowed us to make great strides as a society; however, it is unclear whether or not these advancements are worth the negative side effects of an online presence. As we make technological advancements, the issues and negative side effects that come along with technology grow. Social media platforms are increasing in popularity among adolescents which can cause many issues such as a skewed relationship with one’s own body image, an increase in materialistic traits, the change in brain chemistry, a shift in how we interact with others, and the overall pressure of growing up under a microscope. However, social media platforms can be helpful for adolescents as well. Media outlets provide teens with common humanity, the understanding that everyone is experiencing struggles and daily hardships, which can help to stabilize their mental wellbeing because they know they are not alone. Technology has also made it incredibly easy for people to expand their human capital because they have access to endless information at all times. In order to progress and avoid backtracking, it is crucial for individuals to recognize that they have likely developed a dependency on social media. If used as a crutch, our technological advancements could have detrimental effects on the brain's frontal lobe: altering our decision making process and our social mannerisms. The key to fully utilizing technology is to use it as a tool, with moderation and productive intent, adopting this perspective allows individuals to build on their knowledge, paving the way for incredible improvements within our society. In order to identify all that social media has to offer, we must change our mindset and open up to the possibility that when used correctly, social media is the key to progress and innovation. When utilizing technology and social media outlets as tools for expanding your knowledge, you must strategize to avoid the dangers present on the internet. Educating yourself about the risks regarding social media and other platforms prepares you with the ability to immediately identify red flags so that you can continue using technology to improve your life.
The addictive nature associated with technology is a large part of why it can be harmful. Research shows that “77% of people between the ages of 18 and 24, reach out for their phones whenever they have any free time.” Our automatic instinct to reach for our phone reflects how technology has drastically altered our society. Adolescents spend time scrolling through social media sites for hours rather than biking around the neighborhood or exploring everything that the world has to offer, like children did when technology was not present. Technology is able to grab our attention, and stay on our minds even when we are not using it, because when we use our phones, we receive instant gratification and dopamine is released into our brain. Dopamine is the same chemical that is released into the human brain when we ingest alcohol, smoke a cigarette, do drugs, and gamble. This similarity exhibits how addictive dopamine is; revealing the likelihood of growing reliant on technology as the instant gratification it provides releases the same addictive chemical. An alarming study shows that “the average attention span of a human being has gone down to nine seconds.” The research conducted in the study explains that the decrease in the ability to focus for long periods of time is likely due to the rise of social networking sites and technology. This is incredibly distressing because it means that as a society our drive to create new things has dropped. Children in school are struggling to pay attention to their classes and homework because they are watching tik toks that give them instant gratification and a shot of dopamine. It is important to increase your awareness when using social media so that you can determine whether or not your reliance on it is healthy. Social media can be used as an inspiring tool that motivates you to get started on an art project or go on a run; however, this can only happen if you do not use social media as a crutch or as your main source of happiness. Gaining an awareness of whether or not your relationship with technology is “healthy” is what is important to using it like a tool to improve your life.
Our society has grown dependent on technology for many things and although there are many parts of the internet that come with negative effects, social media has a lot to offer: the key to reaping the benefits lies in adopting a positive mindset. Tracy Alloway discusses how embarrassing social media can, and has, increased our empathy and fearlessness, because we are able to easily connect with others ("Facebook Fearless" [00:01:46]). Alloway conducted an experiment with 400 participants to demonstrate social media’s ability to boost user’s empathy. She asked participants a series of empathy related questions while simultaneously collecting data, measuring their social media use. Alloway found that individuals that spend time engaging with their personal connections through social media were incredibly empathetic. Alloway claims this is because “when we take a moment to actually engage with someone directly on social media, we have a chance to practice and experience empathy” ("Facebook Fearless" [00:04:01]).
One of the most prominent issues connected with the use of social media in our society is its correlation with memory loss; however, studies show that social media can improve our brain’s working memory. The term “`working memory' refers to the temporary storage of information in connection with the performance of other cognitive tasks such as reading, problem-solving or learning” and is essentially how the human brain organizes, prioritizes, and processes the information it is taking in (Baddeley, 5). When applied directly to social media use, our working memory allows us to prioritize and easily recall the posts that are important to us. Research shows that teens who spent more than a year on social media were able to recall information faster and more efficiently than those who spent less than a year on media outlets. The study explained that social media exercised their working memory so their cognitive skills and ability to recall information was stronger than those who lacked a strong working memory. This research is incredibly important when it comes to understanding social media because it proves that social media increases our cognitive abilities when we use it responsibly. (S. Graupner, 2)
It is clear that social media brings many negatives and positives but avoiding social media all together isn't a plausible option because most of our lives are dependent on the internet. The key to fully utilizing media platforms is to think of them as tools and rely on them to better yourself rather than allowing them to distract you, drain your productivity levels, and drive a wedge between you and your “real life.”
word count: 1157
The addictive nature associated with technology is a large part of why it can be harmful. Research shows that “77% of people between the ages of 18 and 24, reach out for their phones whenever they have any free time.” Our automatic instinct to reach for our phone reflects how technology has drastically altered our society. Adolescents spend time scrolling through social media sites for hours rather than biking around the neighborhood or exploring everything that the world has to offer, like children did when technology was not present. Technology is able to grab our attention, and stay on our minds even when we are not using it, because when we use our phones, we receive instant gratification and dopamine is released into our brain. Dopamine is the same chemical that is released into the human brain when we ingest alcohol, smoke a cigarette, do drugs, and gamble. This similarity exhibits how addictive dopamine is; revealing the likelihood of growing reliant on technology as the instant gratification it provides releases the same addictive chemical. An alarming study shows that “the average attention span of a human being has gone down to nine seconds.” The research conducted in the study explains that the decrease in the ability to focus for long periods of time is likely due to the rise of social networking sites and technology. This is incredibly distressing because it means that as a society our drive to create new things has dropped. Children in school are struggling to pay attention to their classes and homework because they are watching tik toks that give them instant gratification and a shot of dopamine. It is important to increase your awareness when using social media so that you can determine whether or not your reliance on it is healthy. Social media can be used as an inspiring tool that motivates you to get started on an art project or go on a run; however, this can only happen if you do not use social media as a crutch or as your main source of happiness. Gaining an awareness of whether or not your relationship with technology is “healthy” is what is important to using it like a tool to improve your life.
Our society has grown dependent on technology for many things and although there are many parts of the internet that come with negative effects, social media has a lot to offer: the key to reaping the benefits lies in adopting a positive mindset. Tracy Alloway discusses how embarrassing social media can, and has, increased our empathy and fearlessness, because we are able to easily connect with others ("Facebook Fearless" [00:01:46]). Alloway conducted an experiment with 400 participants to demonstrate social media’s ability to boost user’s empathy. She asked participants a series of empathy related questions while simultaneously collecting data, measuring their social media use. Alloway found that individuals that spend time engaging with their personal connections through social media were incredibly empathetic. Alloway claims this is because “when we take a moment to actually engage with someone directly on social media, we have a chance to practice and experience empathy” ("Facebook Fearless" [00:04:01]).
One of the most prominent issues connected with the use of social media in our society is its correlation with memory loss; however, studies show that social media can improve our brain’s working memory. The term “`working memory' refers to the temporary storage of information in connection with the performance of other cognitive tasks such as reading, problem-solving or learning” and is essentially how the human brain organizes, prioritizes, and processes the information it is taking in (Baddeley, 5). When applied directly to social media use, our working memory allows us to prioritize and easily recall the posts that are important to us. Research shows that teens who spent more than a year on social media were able to recall information faster and more efficiently than those who spent less than a year on media outlets. The study explained that social media exercised their working memory so their cognitive skills and ability to recall information was stronger than those who lacked a strong working memory. This research is incredibly important when it comes to understanding social media because it proves that social media increases our cognitive abilities when we use it responsibly. (S. Graupner, 2)
It is clear that social media brings many negatives and positives but avoiding social media all together isn't a plausible option because most of our lives are dependent on the internet. The key to fully utilizing media platforms is to think of them as tools and rely on them to better yourself rather than allowing them to distract you, drain your productivity levels, and drive a wedge between you and your “real life.”
word count: 1157