According to a study conducted by the University of Nevada, Reno, teenagers in America use social media everyday, multiple times a day. Students at Chase County participated in a survey about social media, and it showed that 94.6 percent of the 56 students surveyed use social media. Students who do use social media see many benefits, but also drawbacks.
“I think social media is good in the aspect that you can stay connected with friends easily and also be aware of what's going on in the world, but social media can have a very negative impact on people’s mental health because it is very addictive and also portrays a fake view of reality and makes people think negatively about themselves,” senior Cal Kohlmeier said.
Along with Kohlmeier, many students agreed that social media has many benefits, but it can become very negative. A study done by the Mayo Clinic showed that teenagers who spend more than three hours a day on social media are at increased risk for mental health issues. Similarly, the Mayo Clinic also found social media can often be linked to higher levels of depression and anxiety among teenagers.
“Social media can be great for staying in touch and marketing businesses/brands. However, it can be very harmful. Many people feel bad about themselves after seeing other's profiles,” senior Emily Miser said.
While some students see social media as distracting, others do not. As for Chase County students, 73.2 percent agreed that they find social media to be distracting
“Honestly, it’s a pretty good way to learn new things AND be entertained if you use it right. The problem isn’t that kids are ‘addicted to social media’, it’s simply that a lot of kids would rather be doing something they find interesting rather than sit through a lecture most of the time,” senior Paden Jahnke said.
Similar to Jahnke, many other students at Chase County acknowledge social media can be bad, but they also see the good parts of it. In the survey, 87.5 percent of students said they use social media to communicate with friends, or stay in touch with family. Along with that, 85.7 percent of students said they enjoy using social media for entertainment.
“It’s very useful to stay connected to news and things going on around the world. It’s also a good escape from reality,” eighth grader Jayla Heins said.
Overall, most case studies are undecided as to whether social media is a positive or negative aspect of today’s society. Several students at Chase County said social media is a great way to connect and communicate, but when it is used wrong it can be bad.
“I feel social media is a good and bad thing. I think it is good that you can talk to people, share your creativity, and other good things. But people can abuse it and start using social media to hurt people, spread misinformation, etc.,” freshman Sophia Burton said.
