How Social Media is Making Us Less Social

People can become less sociable because of the impact that social media has had on their lives. Social media is a large platform that can really diminish people, it can damage someone to the point of being so miserable because of the impact it has had on them overall leading them to become less outgoing and less likely to socialize. Social media can cause people to cut off their relationships with loved ones, the media can be a very toxic community. It can become harder for individuals to learn and understand basic emotions since they are so connected to the digital web, they do not get to have real face to face communication. When people post on social media, it tends to not always be true, which causes others to have unrealistic expectations of others and even oneself. My argumentative essay will prove how social media is making us less social.

First of all, when people begin to socialize less and less, they start to feel like it is hard to express themselves, so they avoid having to communicate at all. Some may think that it is easier to be lonely than to face their fears of interacting with other people, but according to Alex Greig “Online social media contributes to loneliness and reduces overall life satisfaction.” This means that online media plays a crucial role in the loneliness of people and it lessens the pleasure of life overall. Social media can disrupt lives and take over someone's life without them even noticing. While it might be true that social media can change someone's life completely. The opposing view believes social media can inspire and hear what others have to say. As told by Elena Sonnino “Teens can use social media to make their voices heard and it allows them to be more innovative” written by the author Kelly Wallace. Social media allows teens to speak up and be heard, it also gives teens the chance to produce the latest ideas or concepts.

Second of all not only does social media affect the way you feel, but it can spiral out of control to the point of really affecting someone's mental health and stability. The social well-being and happiness of teenagers can change because of the media. The research found through a published study from Carnegie Mellon University, written by Greig reveals that “Increased internet use led to increased depression and loneliness.” Depression and loneliness escalate because of the increased amount of time spent on the internet. Mental health is still a severe problem caused due to a lack of in-person interaction. Another factor worth considering is that social media can be a stepping stone in a promising direction to help others and one's self. According to Wallace “Social media has been a place for teens feeling isolated can cry for help.” Vulnerable teenagers who have nowhere else to turn to go to social media to get help and be rescued.

Third of all, what you see on social media is not always realistic or even true. People create these expectations for themselves that are unachievable. They try to live up to lofty standards, but in the end, they just create more problems. Stated by author Alex Greig “Idealized pictures over social media result in a negative perception of our own lives.” When people obsess over photos that seem perfect but are unrealistic, they inevitably end up possessing a negative view of the way they live and perceive their lives. Even though what people post on social media is seen as impractical to some, others see it as an approach to build up confidence. Said by Eileen Masio and composed by Kelly Wallace “Social media can help build self-confidence.” Social media can benefit young teens by helping them increase their self-confidence.

In conclusion, social media impacts people by making them less social and more connected to their devices. The media can affect one's mental state badly. Some may feel isolated and lonely because communicating for them is hard, so they do not interaction as much like others. Teenagers feel like they are trapped and alone due to being depressed or feeling sad and worthless. It is important to have face to face communication because you need it to stay sane and healthy. Social media can be a poisonous environment it can really change people's lives for the worst.

References

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4. De Choudhury, M., Gamon, M., Counts, S., & Horvitz, E. (2013). Predicting depression via social media. In Proceedings of the international AAAI conference on web and social media (Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 128-137). (https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/ICWSM/article/view/14432)
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