The Negatives of Social Media - By Jude Watson

Have you ever taken the time to think about what kind of effect social media has had on your life and what it would be like without it? Maybe it’s time for you to put down your phone and give the whole facade a break.

As our society has evolved over the years, technology has given us the capability to have everything we want at our fingertips, in particular, social media. It plays a large role in most of our lives, ranging over a variety of generations; it’s something that is used quite regularly by majority of the world, especially by teenagers and young adults. If you have a think about it, you tend to see so many people with their heads bowed down and buried in their phone screens, scrolling through their apps and accounts like there is no tomorrow.

I know that social media is a highly addictive source, sometimes it feels like it almost has control over us. It being an important part of peoples lives, many use it whenever they have the chance, and it's great having the power to connect with others within a second through our collection of apps, however there are multiple negatives and complications that can come with the accessibility that we have. 

In a way we are all addicts, social media is a hard thing to quit and research says it is believed to be more addictive than smoking cigarettes. Even I myself struggle to put my devices away for even just a moment. Like many others, if I am bored I will pick up my phone in an instant when I have nothing else to do and am unoccupied, I can sit there for hours on end just staring in to my screen, whether its watching Netflix or even just looking at pointless posts on Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram. 

There are several models, celebrities and trendsetters using apps that I have mentioned above who have such a large influence on users. Unfortunately nowadays there is a larger amount of people who suffer from mental health and self esteem issues, many studies showing that social media is one of the main causes and most people are quite aware of this. Although there is an array of statistics, facts and survey results that are out there about the concern, only a small number actually change their ways, which is quite worrying. These so called social media stars that people are supposed to be looking up to don't make things any better, by portraying a fictitious lifestyle to all those who view their profile, they end up creating even bigger issues.

Now that people have the ability to photoshop and edit their photos, they are able to create something that they’re not because it’s what they are told they need to look like, escaping from their own reality. Many spend an extensive amount of time perfecting what they are about to post for their followers to see, preparing themselves for the judgment, feedback and negativity that they may receive. Sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for the likes to come through and if not attained, it becomes more and more damaging to an individuals self image and gradually decreases their confidence.

Not many good things come with the use of Social Media, along with sleep deprivation, cyberbullying and the unrealistic expectations, there could be many unforeseen troubles appearing in the future if these issues are not dealt with soon. 

So I suggest you try to put your phone down, even if its just for a few hours, reduce your daily screen time. Get outside, soak up the sun, spend time with your friends and family, engage your mind with something other than the aspects of someone else’s life and enjoy yours. I promise your phone will still be there when you get back.