Social media is all around us. It’s how we communicate, share, and learn. However is it an addiction and not one that will positively impact your life? That being said, social media is inexorable, so it is necessary to find a happy balance. Keep in mind though the balance for you might differ from your peers because all of our brains work differently and are affected differently. 

Social media is deathly. I know that seems quite extreme but it’s true. A study conducted by Instagram showed that depression was more common in teens who compared themselves with fake strangers than teenagers who only followed friends. 85% of those depressed reported suicidal thoughts 32% attempted and 2.5%- 7% committed suicide.  The statistics are scary, and if not monitored, social media can be detrimental.

Social media wasn’t always this negative and even today there are good aspects of it. Human beings are social creatures, and we thrive in communities. Social media allows us to meet new people, explore different places, and understand how our lives differ from others. It’s important not to be held captive in our little worlds and to experience different cultures. That being the creation of social media was done with pure intentions, but it has changed dramatically. 

The biggest problem within social media lies in the depiction and false presentations of reality. An overarching concern within social media resides in its outspread of distorted information and factitious representations of reality. People can post what they want and oftentimes the content is edited. They make changes to make their waist smaller, skin tanner, remove body scars, etc. All so they can present the best version of themselves, but it is not reality. People come in different colors and skin tones, and their scars make them who they are.

Nevertheless, social media allows people to show unobtained beauty features because their images are edited. Along with unobtained lifestyles because all you see is a highlight reel. This constant flow of media creates a lot of negative thoughts for kids. They don’t understand that the models are living extremely unhealthy lifestyles to achieve what they see. They don’t understand that there are apps to make you look younger and fitter; all they see are the images and start comparing themselves. This habit at such a young age leads to depression, eating disorders, and bad behaviors. Parents must monitor the content their child is taking in and teach them about the negative side effects of social media.