How does Social Media Affect Teens Today?
We all know how much beauty and social standards are changing everyday. But the question is, why? In truth, there's an impact that gets overlooked on a daily basis, and its affecting people more than we realize.
She has been using social media since she was about 12 years old, and though that is a short amount of time, it has still affected her in many ways. The overall effect that was seen through peers has been negative. Yes, positive things can come from social media, but for the majority of everyday users, the effects can quickly turn to the bad side.
Most people believe that the only people really negatively affected by social media are girls. But that is so far from the truth.
Reese Castagno, also a junior, has been using social media on a daily basis since he was 8 years old. He has a slightly different perspective, by being a model through social media. He shared his insight on the affects of social media, stating "Instagram and Facebook are becoming toxic." Reese shared a lot of good advice about how to avoid the negative effects of social media.
Though boys don't have exactly the same emotions and standards attached to social media, they are still affected more than we realize.
I talked to our assistant principal, Mr. Brad Chapple, about the affects that he has seen social media have on students over his years of being an administrator.
"I have mainly seen a major increase in anxiety and depression. I'm not saying that everyone who uses social media has anxiety and depression, but it has been an increasingly serious issue through the years." Mr. Chapple explained. "When using social media, we are comparing ourselves to people at their best." He made it a point to say that we are only going to be sharing the things we want people to see, which wasn't he case towards the beginning of social media.