As technology is growing and evolving it has become an addicting part of today’s society. Teenagers are experiencing long periods of time on technology, thus negatively affecting their lives. Carl Henegan states, “Life was much easier when apples and blackberries were just fruits.”
FOMO, FOMO, FOMO!
Technology and social media has led to teens developing FOMO, the fear of missing out. The infographic, Social Insecurity states, “40 percent of people ages 13-67 say that social media has increased their fear of missing out.” This illustrates how much of an impact social media has on everyone, for it is creating a sense of loneliness and betrayal by just seeing what their friends are doing. One might say technology and social media has only allowed teenagers to communicate easier and become more interconnected with one another. While this may be true, apps like snap chat, instagram, and facebook have only caused social anxiety and FOMO because people are only worried about how they are portrayed by others.
Misleading News
As social media is growing it is becoming easier and easier to manipulate. Teens being as addicted as they are, are being filled with tons of fake news. The chart below depicts a perfect example of the rate at which fake news is growing, and the declining rate of mainstream news. Another example of fake news is wikipedia. The information on wikipedia can be changed by anybody, literally anybody; thus making it harder for people to believe if whats on there is true or not.
Social Media’s Harmful Affects
If teenagers become to addicted to social media it can cause physical and mental harm to ones self. The infographic below Digital Stress and Your Brain states, “The overload makes the brain feel threatened, so it shuts down higher brain regions that deal with empathy.” This is telling us that the more time we spend on social media, the less amount of empathy we feel towards other. Digital Stress and Your Brain also states, “30 percent of those under 45 said smartphones, cellphones, and computers make it harder to focus. This is just another example of how technology is destroying peoples mental capacity. Some say social media and technology makes it easier for teens to educate themselves. This is a very valid confrontation, but I do have to say the internet is full of useless information and facts that will never help someone in their life time. All technology and social media will do is cause harm to ones true self.
Anxiety and Isolation
Technology is also causing the amount of anxiety and isolation to increase. As teenagers become more attached to their devices and social media, one would think they are becoming more social, but it’s actually the opposite. According to the info graphic Social Media and Depression, “Isolation from the real world as a result of social media addiction causes anxiety and depression.” This exhibits just how serious social media addiction can be. Some say that social media is a way for teens to meet their hero’s. This is a valid statement, but as teens see people living such a great life while they are sitting at home, it creates a feeling of anxiety and loneliness.
In conclusion, social media has affected teens in many different ways. Social media has created a feeling of FOMO, caused anxiety, created mental problems, and has led to an increase in fake news. While there are benefits to social media, the negatives out way the positives telling us that we should limit the amount of social media and technology we use.
Byline
Ben Banton a Franklin-Simpson Highschool sophmore. Born on March 30, 2004 in Paducah, Kentucky.
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