Social media is one of the best things that has happened to this generation. It has made communication very easy and it has enabled the spread of vital news and information. It helps people keep up with what is happening in the world and around them.
But on the other hand, social media is one of the worst things that has happened to the world today. Why? Because of it's numerous disadvantages. It can aid in the spread of disinformation. There are accounts of people who were harmed because they applied a piece or knowledge they got from social media. Social media encourages people especially adolescents to waste their time and procrastinate on important things they should do.
Would Our World Be Better Without Social Media?
I sincerely think not. For me the advantages of social media outweigh it's disadvantages. We now have the world on our fingertips. We can access information that in times past would have taken a lot of effort to get. We can read books and watch videos that can change our lives. We can follow professionals in various fields on social media who can give us pieces of advice that can help us solve problems. ETC.
I hear people calling for the banning of some or all social media platforms. But my opinion of the issue is that it should be allowed. Those that are using Social Media wrongly only have themselves to blame. That those people are misusing it doesn't mean the people that use it the right way should be prevented from doing so. Its like calling for the banning of cars because some people intentionally overspeed and cause accidents.
Negative Effects Of Social Media On Adolescents
I think it has made them smartphone addicts, to start with. The average adolescent spends hours daily scrolling social media. They don't spend time helping their parents or guardians with chores. They spend little time at their studies or going to programmes that are enriching.
Soial media is responsible for poor academic performance in most adolescents. It's also responsible for poor time management.
Positive Effects Of Social Media On Adolescents
Well, social media has produced positive effects on adolescent. It has helped to make most adolescents knowledgeable. They see lots of information and the news about happenings around the world and this helps them grow in knowledge. It helps them watch educational videos on YouTube. For example something that would have taken months or years of learning physically can take an adolescent much less time to learn on their smartphone via the Internet. They can learn to cook various types of food on the internet. I know someone who learnt tailoring online and she does a good job of it.
How The Negative Effects Of Social Media On Adolescents Can Be Curtailed
I think this job falls on parents, teachers, guardians. From a young age parents should limit their children's access to smart devices. Normally a child shouldn't be allowed to have a smartphone till a certain age. But it's no longer so. I know a boy under ten in my neighborhood who carries a tablet around and operates. And his parents bought it for him. Without proper guidance a child can never do the right things on social media. They tend to do the negative ones. Parents have failed woefully in this regard.
There was a time Australia wanted to make parents who let their kids under a certain age have access to social media pay a heavy fine. I think laws like that can make parents take this issue seriously. Enlightenment can also help. Adolescents should be enlightened on the disadvantages of wasting their time on social media instead of building their futures. They should be made to know that time waits for no man and if they don't cut off social media addictions and work on their lives they would have loads of regrets in the future.
Social Media And The Mental Health Of Adolescents
I have heard stories on young people that took their lives because they were bullied online. So sad. Some other young people develoed some mental conditions because of how people reacted to them on social media or because of the type of content they consume.
There was a video I watched where the CEO and founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg was interviewed on the floor of the American Senate about some adolescents that were traumatized because of the experiences they had on Facebook/Instagram. The parents of the affected young people were there present. And Mr. Zuckerberg had no real reason to give for why that happened. He even refused to compensate the affected families.
Yes, many young people are developing psychological and mental problems because of their social media consumption. Some are caused by body shaming, some by cyberbulling. Some are caused by bad mentors. ETC.
Conclusion
In my opinion social media usage is seriously affecting the mental health of adolescents. Sure enough there are advantages to using Social Media but the disadvantages are very serious, serious attention should be paid to how to handle them. And most of this responsibilities fall on parents and teachers who should be there to guide these young ones.