Social Media: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing Essay Sample

When the first social media platform was officially introduced in 1997, it stood as a representation of technological advancements and as a launchpad for the world of a digital community. Possibilities were endless and there was great excitement surrounding an internet feature with so many real world purposes; people were able to connect to friends, family, and strangers, all through computer screens thousands of miles apart. Even more enthralling was that social media was not just communicating as if through a phone call, but photos and videos could be shared, and an individual could reach all of their family members with one post. As social platforms have evolved, features such as video calling, disappearing posts, and “likes'' have continued to pave new ground for up and coming tech platforms. People’s view of the positive implications of this new world of social media has seemed to reach far beyond any fears or potential long term effects. However, one thing creators and consumers never anticipated was the number of children flocking to these social websites. Despite a small number of benefits, long term use of social media is ultimately detrimental to adolescents because it can be linked to a negative influence on mental health, phone addiction, and social isolation.

First and foremost, studies have shown that as social media use increases, rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and other mental health concerns tend to parallel that increase. For instance, beginning in 2007, just three years after Facebook was officially introduced, and three years before Instagram did the same, a survey was conducted by the Pew Research Center. The results indicated that only eight percent of American teenagers between the ages of 12-17, around two million, had experienced at least one major depressive episode in the last year  (Geiger and Davis). Meanwhile, according to a study from 2017, the number of teenagers who had experienced a similar depressive episode in the past year jumped to 13%. Digital media accounts for nearly the entirety of the cultural shift that has occurred over the last fifteen years; suffice to say, digital media, especially social media, has played a role in the uptick in depression crises. Meanwhile, feelings of anxiety and diagnosed anxiety disorders mimic the same increase as seen above. According to Claire McCarthy, writer for HealthyChildren.org, “...between 2007 and 2012, anxiety disorders in children and teens went up 20%”, even worse, the number of minors who deal with anxiety is up to one in three individuals (McCarthy). The reasoning as to why social media has this effect is certainly multifaceted. In the 21st century, people are being forced to receive and sort through more information than ever before. Not only is this from the content on social media itself, of which you can see hundreds of posts or short Tik Tok videos by the hour, but also advertisements and comments. Everyone sees every news headline, most of which are negative as the headlines that make people feel a negative emotion are more likely to get clicked on. Potentially the most damaging thing about social media is that for the first time in history, “Through likes and follows, teens are getting actual data on how much people like them and their appearance," (Giller). These are the days of information overload and it is wreaking havoc on young brains. Some may argue that correlation does not equal causation, which is, in general, a fair argument to make. Even so, it does not apply in this situation. Because social media has been the one major development to perfectly run alongside the timeline of a staggering increase in mental health struggles, there is more than just correlation here. Legitimate researchers including the Pew Research Center and Stanford have conducted studies and found definitive links between cause and effect of social media and decreased stability of mental health. Unfortunately, it does not end with mental health complications.

Another topic of conversation that has been on the rise in recent years is that of social media aiding phone addiction; the evidence shows there is cause for concern. The majority of young people have a phone addiction and either lack self-awareness or entirely refuse to acknowledge the problem. Alternatively, some teenagers may fully understand the problem that they face, but they do not care to change it. A New York Times article under their Current Events Conversation section reached out to high schoolers across the country and recorded 300 responses to various questions regarding phone addictions. When asked if they agree with the statement, “I spend too much time on my phone,” the first respondent in the article confessed, “My average screen time is probably about 12 hours a day. I worry a lot about how much time I spend on my phone. But the way I socialize is through my phone...My bed has my charger connected to it so I can easily stay up all night. I want to remove it but because I am so addicted to my phone, I do not,” (The Learning Network). This response is not an isolated scenario, as the article continues, respondent after respondent admits that they probably spend too much time on their phone but continue to do it anyway. This is because social media is extremely rewarding to the subconscious part of the brain. Each time positive feedback is received via likes, comments, and messages, the human brain sees it as a reward and dopamine is released. The dopamine acts as an incentive to make that behavior a habit, and potentially an addiction. A Harvard Health article, “Understanding Addiction” defines addiction this way: “Addiction involves craving for something intensely, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite adverse consequences,” (HelpGuide). Most teenagers are aware of the mentioned adverse consequences but continue to use social media for an astonishing amount of hours each day; a clear sign of addiction.

Finally, this social media induced problem is the inception point for an array of psychological, emotional, and physical complications: social isolation. It has been established that phone addiction is real and affects hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of teenagers around the world. Unfortunately a frequently experienced side effect of addiction is isolation, whether it be self-isolation or being unwillingly isolated from friends and family. According to ABC News, average screen time use by teenagers is upwards of 7 hours per day (Jacobo). The extended time spent on social media (or time spent on phones in general) coupled with school and work responsibility leaves very little time spent in the real world making or retaining human connections. Even the most severe introvert needs human connection to survive, it is ingrained in the human species to thrive off of interaction with people. One of the biggest dangers with this is that social media wears the facade of socialization. Social media will lead others to believe the lie that relationships primarily fostered online are meeting the same needs as relationships in the physical world. However, this is not the case. Online socialization lacks human functions like eye contact, hearing someone's voice, or innocent physical touch; these are things that have a profound impact on deepening connections between people, and on adolescent development. Moreover, missing out on real activities with friends results in online socialization leaving much to be desired, all while promoting the consequences that come with isolation. These consequences culminate in a horrible, exponential feedback loop. The loop’s mechanism is this: An excessive amount of time on social media leads to social isolation, which in turn can lead to the previously mentioned mental health problems. As mental health takes a turn for the worse, individuals may turn to social media for comfort and isolate even further, thus continuing the loop. It is paramount that any social media user, but especially teenage users, take note and stop this cycle before it has the chance to begin.

In the long run, the bottom line is that social media is unnecessary. It is objectively not worth the long term risks associated with consistent use knowing that there is no real gain, for the majority of people (barring individuals with social media careers). There is an abundance of information that suggests the harm in participating. Consequently, it should no longer come as a surprise when teenagers continue to suffer from mental health problems, phone addiction, and social isolation. Research continues to be published and we as a society are learning more about the impact of social media. As a result, there is great hope and exhortation that an increasing number of people will choose to forego the social media account in exchange for a more fulfilling and in-the-moment life experience.