Paper #3 With Works Cited

Isabela Burns 

Professor Begert 

English 101 

Position Paper 

Rough Draft 

Social Media: How it Affects YOU 

Take moment to think about the last time you checked one of your social media accounts. Whether were talking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc... they're all relevant. Social networking has become such a habit, it is basically a daily routine for most people. Wake up, check social media. Get out of the shower, check social media. And of course check up before you go to bed. Social media is viewed as harmless, and possibly even an uplifting experience. But have you ever noticed that you may feel a little down, or even drained after logging off? Maybe you didn’t get as many likes as another user, or you don’t have as many followers? But, on the flip-side, maybe after logging off you feel as if your ego has been boosted, as if your confidence is restored. Isn't it insane how something such as a like on a Facebook post, or possibly not getting your post liked can impact our mood, or whole day? Social Media actually has quite a few side effects, that we have not recognized. While we view it as a simple time passer, social media could be contributing to various issues in your life. 

Personally, I do own social media accounts and I do spend quite a bit of time on them. I have also witnessed some of the effects of social networking, some that you could easily relate to. After logging off of social media we may feel as if we are lesser than someone. Possibly because you did not receive as much attention as someone else, or because cannot relate to the live's of other's. For example being able to get up and leave your job to go on a vacation with your picture perfect family, or showing off your new car or happy relationship. While viewing these posts that make us upset or unhappy, they also have a deeper impact on us that we are not aware of. In fact, a group of researchers studied a group of 750 students, ranging from grades 7-12. These students were all given the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey. The data shows us that a quarter of the group reported spending 2+ hours on social networking sites. From the data, we also see that the same students were categorized as reporting symptoms of anxiety, as well as depression. They also reported more poor mental health issues, and even suicidal thoughts. In his article on the website The Sundial, Jamie Perez explains that researchers have found that there is a direct correlation between the amount of time an individual spends on social media and the "more depressed" they become. He explains that we begin comparing our lives to the others' on social media, and we begin feeling as if we are not as good as them because our lives do not mirror their "perfect" lives that they are portraying.   

Social media offers us with so much information all at once, sometimes it can be overwhelming. Which explains why after logging off a social media network some of us may feel drained, or even exhausted. "Another effect of constant connectivity is information overload," says Dr. Cantor. It may be a nice time passer to take a break by checking your emails or hopping on Facebook. You may even use a social media account to contact relatives or friends. Dr. Cantor explains that heading to a 'lower-information' environment is more likely to be productive. He explains how "breaking away" from social media can help us by letting our mind absorb new material. He offers alternatives such as board games or exercise. Instead of using a social network you could take your dog on a walk, or read a book. You could even interact with others not online. Possibly go out for a coffee date with one of your pals, or go visit a family member. Not only are these activities beneficial to you, but as well as the others included.  

According to Mara, age 24, on the website Ditchthelabel.org we unknowingly compare and contrast ourselves with everyone else on social media networks. She blogs, "That's a lot of people to be thinking about and comparing yourself to. Social media creates the fear of missing out when we always know what festival or holiday someone's been on." In this blog post, Mara explains how social media affects our everyday lives. She also mentions how social media posts' can set unreasonable expectations for our own lives. We see only the parts of others' lives that they want us to see. While we compare our everyday lives to what theirs seem to be like, we are setting unrealistic standards for ourselves, and possibly others as well. 

While we can pretend that we don’t use social media, or that it is "different" when we do it, social media actually makes quite a large impact on us. According to David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect "[On February 4th ] What ensued was one of the most extraordinary examples of digitally fueled activism the world has ever seen."(15). In his book, David Kirkpatrick explains how millions marched in protest, which began from a social media post, "about 10 million people marched against FARC in hundreds of cities in Colombia according to Colombian press estimates.(15)"  Without social media networking, events such as this, and many others would not have taken place. Social media impacts all of us on a much larger scale than we are aware of. While social media can bring us all together for good, it can also bring us together for evil. Everyday people organize various meetings and get-togethers using social media networks. While we are meeting up to reconnect with an old pal, or to set up a drug deal who knows. The online world is filled with different people, some good, some not so good.  

Social media networks enable all of us to communicate, almost too easily. Why would we want to meet up with someone to have a conversation, when we could message them on Facebook or email them? Being able to contact anyone at anytime is very convenient. So convenient, there is not even a need to leave the house. We are beginning to rely on social media for communication such as virtual business conferences or professional meetings. Soon, we will use social media for all of our communication needs. Using social media, while convenient, slowly takes away our humanity. We use social media as a reliever, though feeling drained after. We use social media to look at others' lives, only to envy them. We use social media as a communication device, yet we no longer communicate without it. Social media networks are slowly destroying our society, and we are the only ones who can put a stop to it. 

Work Cited   Kaye, R. "10 Good and Bad Ways Social Media Affects your Mental Health." W Dish.  W Dish 2015. Web. Nov. 20 2015.  Perez, Jamie. "To Like or Not to Like: How Social Media Affects Self Esteem." The Sundial.  The Sundial 2015. Web. Nov. 20 2015.  Unknown, Mara. "Is Social Media Making us Hate Ourselves?" Ditch the Label. Ditch the Label 2015. Web. Nov. 20 2015.  David Kirkpatrick "The Facebook Effect." Prologue. Print 2010. Nov 19, 2015.  

Atlanta, CBS. "Study: Frequent Social Media Use May Take Toll On Teens’ Mental Health"  Atlanta CBS.  Atlana CBS 2015. Web. Nov. 20 2015.