Blog #8: Real Life vs. Social Media

  Is social media completely bad? Well depending on who you ask, you will probably never get a straight answer. For me personally, I do not see how it is completely bad, but just like anything else in the world, there are upsides and downsides to social media. When I look at some general downsides of social media, the first few things that come to mind are the fact that social media only shows what people want to show about their lives and themselves, giving others the idea that they live a “perfect life” with the nicest clothes, happy attitude and other positives. Yes, this doesn’t sound bad but when you think more about it, it sort of is. When someone sees a post like this, they may begin to wonder, “why don’t I look like that? Why isnt my life as perfect as theirs?” and so many other things. This can take a huge toll on mental health in not only children and teens, but adults as well. Social media is not real, and this is something that people do not realize. Another downside to social media is that it can be very addicting. I know from personal experience, certain social media apps can be super addictive, and an app that is addictive for me, is TikTok. I can spend hours watching videos on TikTok on my phone without even realizing how long it has been. It’s crazy! I know I am not alone with this sort of stuff, though. Being so obsessed with using these different social media apps can be super distracting and definitely can feed into my procrastination when it comes to having to get stuff done. Using these different apps can also cut into our relationships and free time. Being so distracted by our phones in general can take a toll on our real life skills, such as communication for example. We are constantly communicating with each other on our phones and other technology which is very convenient, yes, but it can take a toll on our real life social skills as well. When I look at the upside to social media, one thing comes to mind, especially looking at the state of the world today. With social media and technology in general, this past year I have been able to meet new people online and communicate with them, and I have been able to keep in touch with my family and friends even while in quarantine. This is one of the amazing aspects of technology and social media, we are able to communicate with whomever we want, whenever we want. Without social media and technology this past year, I have no idea where I’d be!

Now, looking at the use of social media and technology in schools, there are a lot of downsides here. As I have mentioned, social media can take a huge toll on a person's mental health. I think that this is something that is destroying our society. A person with a mental health issue such as depression can be caused by the things we see on social media. Mental health issues caused from social media do not just “disappear” when entering the doors of a school building, or just from simply turning our phones off. This is a real issue, and a lot of the time it is caused by these beauty standards we see online, or maybe even cyberbullying. The social media world can be a really toxic place. Bullying is obviously a huge issue around the entire world, and while we can keep some of it “under control” in school, one place we cannot control it or tame it is online. This is a huge issue that needs to be addressed and situated, but how? Another issue that I’ve mentioned about social media is that it can be a huge distraction. This is especially true when it comes to school. Students are so distracted by their phones in the classroom, which keeps them from getting the proper education and staying focused. 

Taking a look at the different sources we used in this week's module to gain a better understanding about the pros and cons of technology and social media, I really enjoyed the documentary on Youtube, Plugged-In: The Toxicity of Social Media Revealed (2019). One point that was made during this documentary was by Bailey Parnell, and she stated that the use of social media is a risky behavior. I agree with this, because when you participate in using social media, you put yourself at risk for harm. By participating in social media you’re putting yourself at risk for harassment, depression, stress, and so much more. If we call it a risky behavior normally, then we can start treating it that way. Another point made during this documentary would be that since social media became a huge part of our lives, a lot of people cannot live in the present moment, which is so true. We will be with friends and family, yet constantly checking our social media, our messages or just on our phones in general. Children and teens especially, are experiencing anxiety and depression because of social media. Social media does not make a lot of people feel good, and it is sinking people into dark places. As spoken about in previous blog posts, we know that schools often do not have enough social workers or psychologists to look after and support the students within that school. With social media being an everyday reality, affecting so many people’s health, this creates even more of an issue, in schools they cannot get help from their psychologists or social workers because there are not enough of them. 

From reading the article and listening to “Teens, Screens and Mental Health,” there is just more evidence to back up my argument of social media taking a toll on a person's mental health. The negative affects that social media has on people is most prevalent in females, with depression and suicide rates increasing over the last few years, which is when social media and smartphone usage skyrocketed. This is especially true for younger girls, because they have not had enough real life social experience, which leads to them looking for validation online through social media likes, followers, etc. While many argue that social media does not have an effect on mental health, it is very clear that it does. Another issue is sexting, which is covered by the article “Sexting” from the AASA. Sexting is another huge issue from social media and cell phone usage. For example, if someone sends some sort of nude photos, they are taking a huge risk. These photos could potentially spread throughout the school, a town, a region and so much more, which can even lead to bullying. Not only that, but sexting in teens is super dangerous, it can be considered child pornography, and if someone gets caught with it, there will be consequences. Even the sender can be in quite a lot of trouble as well. The article talks about a girl who sent a nude to her boyfriend, and he sent it around to the point where hundreds of people saw, bullied the girlfriend and she sadly ended up committing suicide. 

Using cellphones in school is another major issue. Not only is it a distraction, but the issue of sexting, cyberbullying, cheating on tests, etc. The article called “Schools Say No to Cellphones in Class. But is it a smart move” gives us some of those great points. While some states have allowed bans to be put in place for cell phone usage in schools, it goes beyond that. Schools have a hard time trying to enforce these rules, considering what sort of liability they have when it comes to confiscating a students cell phone. According to the article, some experts say that it may be better to teach students how to use their cell phones responsibly rather than completely banning them, and many educators agree. Personally, I agree with this too. It is a students personal property, and if they are responsible enough to have a cell phone, then they should also be responsible enough to know when it is okay to go on their phones and when it is not. Of course, there should be consequences for students who choose to not listen to the rules of the school when it comes to cell phones, but I do believe that students should be taught how to use them responsibly.  

Overall, yes, I do believe that social media and cell phone usage has had a negative impact on society, but I believe it has also had some positive effects as well. While cell phone usage has had some damages to mental health and social skills, it is something we could not have really avoided. But with the pandemic, being separated from our friends and family, social media has also made us more connected to one another when we could not be together. If someone were to ask me whether or not I believe students should be allowed to use cellphones in school or not, I would say no. I do not think that it is necessary for a student to be on Instagram all day while they should be learning. But I do think that students should be allowed to have their phones on their person in case of an emergency and also considering it is their personal property. I personally would not tolerate cell phones being used in my classroom, but I would be okay with the students having it face down on their desks. Social media and cell phone usage is apart of the new normal, so we have to find ways to adjust to this normality in schools.

Photo: https://pin.it/1g0pkee

Sources:

Grannon, R. (Director). (2019, February 20). Plugged-in; The True Toxicity of Social Media Revealed [Video file]. Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVprI6_P8GE

Kamenetz, A. (2019, August 27). The scientific debate over teens, screens and mental health. Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/2019/08/27/754362629/the-scientific-debate-over-teens-screens-and-mental-health?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20190901&utm_campaign=ed&utm_term=nprnews&utm_id=25646263

Klein, A. (2020, December 09). Schools say no to cellphones in class. but is it a smart move? Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://www.edweek.org/technology/schools-say-no-to-cellphones-in-class-but-is-it-a-smart-move/2019/09

Sexting resources. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=3390