Social Media is Harmful to Society Essay Example

Technology has basically driven itself into every part of our lives with the help of devices like cell phones and computers. Because of them, people are relying on technology more and more. It's easy to understand why people use it due to its advantages, but sometimes it can become too much. Technology is harmful for our society because it allows misinformation to spread and causes psychological problems.

Misinformation has always been a problem in our society, but the rise of social media has allowed it to spread further in a shorter amount of time. A study that was published in the journal Science found that fake news "... diffused significantly farther, faster, deeper, and more broadly than the truth..." This can harm people when misinformation is presented as truth. For example, some people died from Covid-19 by not taking the vaccine after seeing anti-vax posts on Facebook. Misinformation has also affected U.S. elections, as some political groups can create fake news to push certain agendas. Overall, it's just not worth it to be on social media because you're just going to see misinformation most of the time.

Another thing that can negatively affect you are psychological problems, such as depression and hyperactivity caused by being on social medias. A study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh found that people who spent more hours on social media had ''...significantly increased odds of depression...'' This is probably because spending more time on a screen leaves people with no time for social interactions, so they become isolated and unhappy. Another study also found that participants become more hyperactive and inattentive when their phone alerts were on. Hyperactivity can lead to other health problems like binge eating/obesity, substance abuse, and unsafe sexual behavior.

In short, social media is detrimental to our society. It helps misinformation spread further and causes psychological problem, which leads to further, more serious problems. So do yourself a favor and take a break from social media or uninstall it altogether. You'll thank yourself later.