The emergence of social media has been fun, harmful, impactful, and entertaining, and has completely changed the way people interact with each other. In today's society, we tend to focus on the good aspects of being online and ignore the aspects that could be hurting us, directly or indirectly.
I will admit that I have fallen victim to being an active user of many social media sites including Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. This list does not include the sites or platforms where I have an account but am no longer active. Being the cautious person that I am, I have always tried to take precautions and not put too much information about myself on the internet, but I believe I have failed. For the most part, I do not add people to my social media that I do not know. However, when I first got admitted into High Point and everyone started adding everyone on Snapchat and Instagram, I became less picky and let anyone and everyone follow me to try and meet new people from school. Additionally, I have always been told to be careful about what I post on social media, and I have been successful in doing so in the obvious ways such as no curse words or derogatory language, no posts that showcase the use of alcohol, and no skimpy clothing. However, I have failed in the ways people often do not think about as I have been less careful in giving out personal information. When I go on vacation, I am quick to post pictures, letting people know I am not home and basically inviting someone to come rob my house. Furthermore, if a cute boy added me on social media and asked for my Snapchat or phone number, I was quick to give it to them. I now know that I must be more careful in not disclosing personal information on the internet because it will only benefit me in the long run and keep me safer.
Overall, I believe that social media does more harm than good. Yes, there are good things you can do on social media such as funny baby videos, staying in touch with old friends, or if you're like me, discover a whole new side of your family. But social media and the internet, in general, has led to an increase in eating disorders and mood disorders, such as depression. In fact, a recent study revealed that there is a strong and consistent correlation between social media and eating concerns. Additionally, after an analysis was completed on YouTube, it was discovered that 1/3 of anorexia related videos on the website were "pro-anorexia". As children are becoming more and more involved with social media, things need to change in order to protect them from the dangers that social media can bring.
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