Have you ever truly thought about the pros and cons of social media? Most people use different social media platforms everyday but don’t think about the positive and negative effects of it. Obviously social media has many different aspects that affect the world in positive ways. On the other hand, it also can affect society in various negative ways as well. We are going to dive into the different effects.

A very positive effect of social media is the ability to stay in touch with friends and family all across the world. People from opposite sides of the country can feel connected by simply direct messaging or “snapping” each other. Another positive effect is the ability to get any information immediately at any time. This is very convenient in many circumstances during everyday life. Lastly, social media has positive effects when it comes to giving people job opportunities. Many people develop successful careers through social media such as Tik Tok, YouTube, and Instagram. Some of these jobs provided can be life changing for many people throughout the world.

On the other hand, social media has a it’s negative effects as well. With the increase of social media platforms in the last few years, the usage of social media also increased unhealthy amounts. Young teens spend much of their time on social media when they should be doing more productive things in their lives. Some say it’s almost like an addiction. Social media is helpful in various ways but people being addicted to a point where kids literally cannot go 5 minutes without their phones is very unhealthy for upcoming generations. Another major con we are going to talk about is cyber bullying. This is probably the most important topic when it comes to social media. Cyber bullying has increased greatly since social media has become so greatly used. It is easier for kids to say mean things behind a screen rather than to someone’s face which is why cyber bullying has increased so much. It is a very sad topic but it is the truth that needs to be talked about. There needs to be ways to decrease the amount of cyber bullying especially since it is as harmful as it is.

We got to talk to some people around Wayne Hills and got their opinions on social media. We asked P.E. teacher Mr. Porta if he is for or against social media. He said, “ I am for it if it is used in a good way.” We then asked him if younger kids should have social media. He said, “Yes only if it is watched by a parent.” 

We also got some insight from sophomore Elizabeth Weiss. She said, “I think social media can be used in very good ways but there are also a lot of negatives to it. Sometimes people get carried away with it and don’t realize the harm it’s doing.”

Lastly we asked senior Logan Ntansah what he thought about social media. He said, “Kids under the age of 13 shouldn’t be allowed to have it because there are some bad things posted. It’s good for letting people express themselves in different ways.” Logan has mixed opinions about social media similar to much of society.

Clearly social media has its positives and negatives but in conclusion, if it is used in appropriate ways, it can be very helpful.