Pointing out pitfalls of social media reliance
Print Edition
IN 2004, a Harvard-based group of individuals created a networking service and bought a website called facebook.com for US$200,000. Within 24 hours the number of members rose to roughly 1,200 people, and for the next four years grew to well over 100 million. Over time, the growth has declined dramatically as other social media services and outlets were created. Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and WeChat — although unique in their own regards — have strong followings.
The real concern with social media lies in reliance on such sites by today’s youth.
In February 2015, Relevant magazine posted an article named “Eight Dangers of Social Media We’re Not Willing to Admit.” The article outlined a few ways to protect our youth from the ways these sites may pose a threat to the mental stability of young adults. Three points that resonated with me, both as a father and educator, were the following:
Validation: In a world, city, and culture in which everyone is on the go, family time often falls victim to business trips, school, clubs and friends. The need to feel accepted and loved is at the heart of all adolescents. Media provides this instantly. Share a post and, within seconds, your comment is liked. Instant validation.
Convenient friendships: Making and sustaining friendships is a process filled with ups and downs. Online friendships, for the most part, allow users to have “friends” without having the burden of dealing with emotions face-to-face.
Isolation: Perhaps the most dangerous of all threats is feeling that the online world allows us to hide behind our device while somehow detaching from our everyday lives. From here users can become withdrawn from others and isolated from society. Online author JR stated it best when he said, “The more social media we have, the more we think we’re connecting, yet we are really disconnecting from each other.”
As a middle school educator, I view my students as young adults that I want and need to protect. I know that many of them have social media accounts — even though they are not 18 years of age. Thus, I continue to stress the importance of being responsible when online, especially when they are engaging in social media.
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