I am awakened by the ear-piercing sound of my 6:30 alarm—right next to my head. Obviously, because I sleep right next to my phone, like a lot of other teenagers today. How attached are we to our phones? On average, people spend 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phones and most people pick up their phones 58 times per day. Personally, I spend 6 hours and 10 minutes on my phone, and I pick up my phone 209 times per day. My phone habits, along with many others, are overwhelming, but is it really all for the bad? Although there are many negative aspects of social media, as a society, we are striving for inclusion.
When creating your innocent account, did you think you could ever become addicted? Fifty percent of teens feel addicted to their phones. A study at Harvard University states that “when people are going through social media platforms, it lights up the same part of the brain, that also ignites when taking things such as drugs” (Adam). Scrolling through social media releases dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, which is why it is so addictive and promotes behavior. There are four major dopamine “pathways,” with three being “reward pathways.” All three of these pathways become active “when anticipating or experiencing rewarding events, and every time a response to stimulus results in a reward, these associations become stronger” (Hartley). Although this effect is nowhere near as intense as a hit of cocaine, positive social stimuli results in a similar release of dopamine. The rewarding social stimuli such as laughing faces, positive recognition by our peers, and messages from loved ones activate those reward pathways. Phones have given us the opportunity to be exposed to both positive and negative stimuli (Hartley). Due to the addiction, there is an irrational fear of being without your phone or being unable to use your phone: Nomophobia. It’s the phobia that we all have, but hate to admit it. About 73 percent of people have experienced a state of panic when their phone is nowhere to be found. Maybe it is because people spend 2-4 hours per day on their phones in the United States, which can add up to 2,600 touches daily. It has even gotten to the point where we feel vibrations that are not even there. We are not obsessed with the phones themselves, but with the hyperactive community that lives inside of them. It can lead to picking up your phone every few minutes and not interacting with peers. It may not pose to be a problem, but it is an addiction that people in the United States feed into daily.
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As well as addiction, social media creates unrealistic beauty standards that young people think they have to live up to. For as long as anyone can remember, magazines and advertising have been creating an ideal beauty, which only a minority look like, while all the others try to achieve the look. This can lead to disorders. There is evidence that social media is linked to body image issues. This includes dieting, body surveillance, a strong desire to be thin, and self-objectification (“How”). From models Marilyn Monroe to Kendall Jenner, impossible standards are set through makeup, photoshop, and so much more. Nowadays, companies are beginning to include plus-size, transgender, non-binary, and colored models, but there is much more to be done. Only “.69 percent of those who walked the runway last season were plus-size models,” while “only .77 percent were openly transgender women and non-binary models,” and only “38.8 percent of models were non-white” (Seth). Although there have been moves toward inclusivity, much more remains to be done.
Although there are many issues with social media, it is an outlet for some. Social media is where people can share their stories and finally be themselves. For example, there are influencers who go out of their comfort zone and speak on important issues people keep quiet about such as assault, disorders, and sexuality. Those influencers, who can share their thoughts without revealing their identity, speak up for those who can't, or for those who need to hear it. There are openly gay influencers who, I know, made it easier for my brother to accept himself, because he, like any other homosexual person, struggles to be open about themselves. What really matters is who a person follows. A person can follow people that they look up to—people who make them feel good about themselves. Or they can follow people that they are jealous of, resulting in themselves being the cause of their own spiraling sadness. You control your happiness.
Therefore, studies are beginning to “show links between phone usage and increased levels of anxiety and depression, poor sleep quality, and increased risk of car injury or death” (Hartley). This correlation is caused by the time spent on social media creating electronic relationships, which are less satisfying than real-world relationships. This leaves teenagers feeling socially isolated. As well, friends post the “most perfect” pictures on social media leading to comparisons and self-esteem issues (Miller). Mental health is extremely affected by social media. A study in the United Kingdom found that 41 percent of teenagers who use social media on a school day suffer from mental health difficulties compared to the 21 percent who spend no time on social media (“Pros”). Another study in 2017 found that over half a million eighth to twelfth graders exhibiting high levels of depressive symptoms increased by 33 percent between 2010 and 2015. In that same period, the suicide rate in girls in that group increased by 65 percent. In addition, in the time since phone usage has become prevalent, there has been a spike in reports of students seeking help at college and university counseling centers, principally for depression and anxiety. Visits jumped 30 percent between 2010 and 2015 (Miller). So, why is it so hard to disconnect?
Social media does allow people to meet new friends very easily. 81 percent of teenagers connect with people through social media, and many of those teens said social media made them feel supported during tough times. 57 percent of those teenagers have met a new friend online (“Pros”). While meeting new people and feeling more accepted is a good thing, it can pose a problem in relationships. Back in the day, many people remained married until death. Even now, we can look at our grandparents: many of them remain married. In our parents and our generation, the divorce rate is nearly 50 percent. There are so many couples who have caught their spouse cheating on them via means of social media. The conversations may start innocently, but continue onto flirting and meeting up—eventually leading to cheating on your partner. Studies have shown that Facebook plays a major role in modern infidelity. On Facebook, people post what they want others to see: a perfect life. You may be slightly unhappy in your relationship, and believe everyone else’s relationships are perfect. Social media is a distraction from your own relationship, which makes it harder for you to be present. It then becomes easier to start up a conversation with someone new online (Adam).
Social media, regardless of the positives and negatives, controls our lives more than it should. As a society, we have strayed away from living in the moment. We live through our screens instead of in real life. Even in my childhood, I can remember utilizing the dining room table, playing outside with my friends, and popping up at my uncle’s house just for fun—but now it is all a memory. But why? Why have we gone from spending quality time with loved ones and friends to spending time cooped up in our rooms on our phones? Although social media can harbor positive and negative impacts, we should live in the present. We can never get back the time we waste on social media. Spend quality time with your loved ones—you never know when it’s going to be the last time you talk to them.
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