Essay Example: How is Social Media Affecting Young Adults, Parents, or Teens

The advancements in internet technology have given birth to the current social media platforms. Social media has indeed made the world smaller because communication has been significantly enhanced. A simple visit across social media can provide instant information on all that is happening around the globe. Like most other things, social media bears the pros and cons. Social media affects people differently. For young adults and parents, they might use social media for marketing purposes or for socially connecting with others through the creation of communication networks. For most teens, they use social media for social satisfaction as well as the need for a sense of belonging. Most people generally rely on social media for information regarding current affairs in the world. However, social media tends to affect people of different age groups differently, and therefore there is no one-size-fits-all explanation on the effects of social media; it depends on an individual's usage. Today, teens cannot spend hours without Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram (Wang, Chen, & Liang, 2011). Social media happens to be a fact of life to them instead of viewing it as a technological breakthrough as the parents do. Social media has become part and parcel of most teens' lives, and it is affecting them for better. Teens have greatly benefited from the use of social media, including being able to connect with long-lost classmates, family, and friends; becoming more informed about current events; exchange of ideas and opinions; developing of awareness and empathy; and improvement of social skills through discussing the content of pages as well as other social matters. The positives emanating from the use of social media among teens prove how social media is affecting teens for better.

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Social media has helped bring awareness to teens regarding important causes, initiatives, and current events (Wang et al., 2011). Social media has transformed teens into more informed citizens. From a simple scroll through their feeds, teens can see all the happenings of the world. Also, teens can hear from all parties regarding world issues, therefore, teaching them how to think critically as well as create their opinions at a tender age. "Social media has eliminated communication barriers and created a decentralized communication channel while opening doors for all to have a voice and participate" (Madden, Lenhart, Cortesi, Gasser, Duggan, Smith, & Beaton, 2013). Furthermore, teens can exchange ideas, connect with, relate to, and mobilize for a cause, seek advice, and offer guidance. Social media enables common interest-based groups such as students to work in collaborative group projects outside of their class. Besides, high school or college students can meet on social media platforms and initiate brainstorming of innovative ideas for projects, thereby elevating their education (Madden et al., 2013).

According to Lenhart et al. (2011) "Social media has helped teens to develop empathy, alongside helping with self-identity and self-development. Social media platforms present diverse content, containing information that captures the problems and challenges of individuals from various cultural backgrounds. As a result, social media has created awareness and initiated empathy among teens. Moreover, teens are challenged to assist those in need. For instance, it is pervasive to see students visiting orphanages or calamity-infested areas to help the victims. Students have also used social media to raise contributions for their peers whenever they face difficulties or accidents. The virtue of sharing shows the empathy that has mainly been initiated by social media. Social media has exposed students to several stories that cultivate empathy (a fundamental human trait) among teens. Social media makes stories go viral, thereby initiating other people to do good to those in need. "Teens who feel stressed, depressed, or anxious sometimes turn to social media for comfort from friends and other people who share similar past experiences and how they overcame these issues" (Radovic, Gmelin, Stein, & Miller, 2017). Social media has also acted as a source of humor for depressed teens, thereby distracting them and shifting their mood. This proves the psychological benefits of social media among teenagers. The support offered in social media has helped many teens reach for freely available and necessary support and human connection hence proving the aspect of self-development and identity. Teens can relate to other people's stories, therefore equipping them with strategies to overcome any mental illnesses.

Social media has dramatically improved the socials kills of many teenagers. With the advancement from traditional communication, which involved face-to-face communication, social media has helped teens to improve their social skills using social platforms (Wang et al., 2011). Teenagers, mainly students, have mastered the skill of connecting with people from all around the globe. Students have created friendships with others from other institutions, therefore, extending their networks. Also, teens can monitor their relationships with friends and family even when the schooling is long-distance. This helps maintain healthy relationships by keeping relatives up-to-date on school affairs and needs. Social media has also created versatility in teens' interactions with revolutionary technology. Students are never left behind on the technological advancements in the market as they get updates on their social media platforms. As a result, teens are becoming more informed and comfortable with complex ideas about technology. Lastly, social media has enhanced creativity among teens in several ways. Teens get to learn quite quickly on social platforms; they can also read on the publications posted by other people and see their views as well; teens can also get insights from real people all over the world. Social media is collaborative, and this helps students grasp knowledge.

While most people think that teens use social media for pure social satisfaction and a means of social exploration, it is clear that teens have benefited a lot more from the use of social media; For instance, social media has helped bring awareness to teens regarding important causes, initiatives, and current events. As such, teen students are informed on the current affairs of the world and left to make informed decisions. They are also able to hold collaborative group projects outside of their class. Besides, social media has helped teens to develop awareness and empathy, alongside helping with self-identity and self-development. As such, teens have learned the trait of helping those in need while spreading the word to others for intervention where possible. Also, teens, at times, turn to social media for support and human connections. Lastly, social media has improved the social skills of teens. They can interact on a global scale more efficiently while keeping their ties with friends and family regardless of their location. It is, therefore, evident that social media is affecting teens for the better.

References

Lenhart, A., Madden, M., Smith, A., Purcell, K., Zickuhr, K., & Rainie, L. (2011). Teens, Kindness, and Cruelty on Social Network Sites: How American Teens Navigate the New World of" Digital Citizenship." Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED537516

Madden, M., Lenhart, A., Cortesi, S., Gasser, U., Duggan, M., Smith, A., & Beaton, M. (2013). Teens, social media, and privacy. Pew Research Center, 21, 2-86. Retrieved from http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2013/05/PIP_TeensSocialMediaandPrivacy_PDF.pdf

Radovic, A., Gmelin, T., Stein, B. D., & Miller, E. (2017). Depressed adolescents' positive and negative use of social media. Journal of adolescence, 55, 5-15. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140197116301713

Wang, Q., Chen, W., & Liang, Y. (2011). The effects of social media on college students. Retrieved from https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/mba_student/5/