Technology is an amazing thing. As the years go on, technology keeps increasing. From the launching of the man on the moon to everyday technology like cell phones; technology with no doubt has made extraordinary things happen. You can find out any knowledge with the typing on a computer. You can call someone on the other side of the world. You can share photos with friends and family with just the click of a button. So much of technology is amazing, it is almost unbelievable. So much of what we have today is taken for granted, it is hard to think that computers did not exist until hardly 40 years ago, and even then, they were rarities but now almost everyone has their own computer. The same goes for cell phones. It is incredible what can be accomplished all thanks to technology and its advances.
However, there are downsides. It can’t all be amazing and perfect. There are unintended consequences that have risen with the increase in technology. The biggest being social media consequences. Don’t get me wrong, I am an avid social media user, but I am aware of its downsides. I feel like almost everything can have a downside, like I said, it can’t all be amazing and perfect.
People spend an average of over 2 hours a day on social media. This number increases to 3 hours a day for people aged 16-24. Projections for social media use estimates the average adult will spend 6 years and 8 months of their life on social media. That is A LOT of time and this is a problem.
As a 21-year old female, I will be the first to admit I spend a lot of time on social media. But I also will say I do not always like it or like how it makes me feel. For example, over the holidays I was with 3 of my friends. At one point, we all were on our phones Snap Chatting, or scrolling through some social media platform. This is one little look in to how people now interact and it shows how harmful social media can be. Another example is how people look perfect in all their social media posts. I sometimes feel that other people’s lives are better or more fun, and I know it is not just me with this feeling. The social media posts are picture perfect. Eating disorders, suicide rates, and depression and anxiety have all been increasing and it can partly be due to social media. Society is connected to social media; it is a hate love relationship. Everyone must be on it, but it does not always make them happy.
Endless studies have been done that prove how bad social media can be, especially for one’s mental health. People spend too much time scrolling and it negatively affects them. This doesn’t go to say it is all bad. It is good to be able to easily stay connected to friends and family, especially when you cannot see them all the time. Technology is amazing, but with anything there can be a downside and in this case, it is too much time on social media.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2017/06/30/a-run-down-of-social-medias-effects-on-our-mental-health/#446345a52e5a
https://review42.com/how-much-time-do-people-spend-on-social-media/
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