Impact of Social Media on Adolescent - Essay Example

 Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Introduction: The impacts of social media on our lives are one of the most extensively discussed topics among people these days. As technology is continuously evolving, so are our lives. Hence, there arises a need to ponder over how it is affecting relationships around us, for example, in families, schools and at work. In order to examine this topic in regards to adolescent, it is important that parents and educational institutions exercise adequate monitoring as well as guidance to these individuals so that the side effects of this technology are minimized. Use of Social Media: Adolescence is considered a tender age where individuals are constantly discovering their personality characteristics, interests, likes and dislikes. In other words, young adults are basically trying to identify themselves as individuals during the initial stages. Nonetheless, social media provides these individuals with a chance to experiment through a number of online sites like YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, MySpace etc. ‘According to a recent poll, 22% of teenagers log onto social media site more than 10 times a day, and more than half of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day. Seventy- five percent of teenagers now own cell phones and 25% use them for social media, 54% use them for texting, and 24% use them for instant messaging.’ (O'Keeffe) Social media has said to open new doors of information for people related to all walks of life, moreover, it has also provided with diversified opportunities to adolescent. However, along with the perks that it has to offer, come the disturbing issues which have been influencing the younger generations and are of immense torment for parents, guardians and educational institutions. Concerns: The most threatening issues related to adolescent with regards to social media is the problem of cyber-bullying. According to Ahlfors,” Cyber-bully is a person who uses electronic means to cause emotional harm to another person. The perpetrator demonstrates a pattern of behavior of repeatedly engaging in online acts to humiliate another; either the same target or targets each time, or against random, unknown targets” (Ahlfors, 2010, p. 516). It has been argued that individuals who stay away from bullying in real life tend to divert to cyber-bullying as it seems more attractive. Furthermore, the lack of supervision in online activities as well as the feeling of being in total control works as a fueling factor. The behaviors might revert to extremes when there is no system present which would hold them accountable for their deeds. On the other side, the people being bullied tend to be hesitant in reporting such misdemeanors because of the fear of being deprived of the media. In addition, according to a research conducted by CASA survey, it was revealed that young adults between the ages of 12-17, who are active social media users, are more likely to use tobacco, alcohol and marijuana than other young adults (French, 2011). However, the survey also claims that the results merely show correlation, hence, social media can’t be blamed for causing such addictions amongst adolescent. Nonetheless, it provides ample evidence for parents to maintain a moderate amount of social media exposure for the young adults. It is important to limit the number of online hours allowed, moreover, sufficient supervision is also necessary to keep an eye on the media activities. Furthermore, according to a study, it was deduced that social media is also responsible for mental and psychological distress among adolescents. It has been evidenced that individuals who had a simple adolescent life went on to being mentally disturbed adults when exposed to social media. The reasons for the psychological effects have known to be the negative feedback on these social websites which lay an important role in adversely affecting an individual’s self esteem. Hence, it is important that limited personal information is shared on these sites along with limited hours spent each day online, which can only be achieved through adult supervision. Benefits: Apart from the discussed side effects of this powerful medium, there are certain potential benefits which it has offered lately. There have been examples when social media has played a key role in benefiting societies and spreading awareness on a global level.’ Following Hurricane Katrina, Belle Liang and her students created a social networking site called GenerationPulse, which aimed to give New Orleans youth an outlet for expressing their thoughts and experiences and to impart hope to them from other youth around the country (Liang, Commins, & Duffy, 2010). Through this project, the teacher along with her students facilitated the development of important feelings such as sympathy and compassion amongst the young adults using social media. In some cases, social media has been said to boost self esteem, group interaction skills as well as identity development among young minds. On one hand, anonymity has said to give way to cyber bullying, however, it has also been said to help shy adolescents in developing communication skills as well as given them a sense of belonging. Moreover, young adults who are depressed as they are related to minority sexual orientations also find a safe haven by interacting with groups who have similar interests. Social media has also played a vital role in enhancing extracurricular skills such as flair for writing, works of art and musical interests amongst youngsters through online sharing of common interest groups. In addition, new ideas are generated in creative minds through blogging, videos and games. Conclusion: In considering both the pros and cons of social media and its effects over adolescent, it is vital that parents and teachers engage in healthy discussions at school as well as at home regarding the roles which social media plays in an individual’s life. The only way to minimize its disadvantages is to educate the adolescent through debates and speeches. Educating them on the issue would give them a sense of responsibility; also, they would be able to make sound decisions, based on facts and figures, for themselves. Work Cited Clinical Report The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families 1. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, MD,  2. Kathleen Clarke-Pearson, MD, 3. Council on Communications and Media Published online March 28, 2011PEDIATRICS Vol. 127 No. 4 April 1, 2011  pp. 800 -804  (doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-0054) Ahlfors, R. (2010, October). Many sources, one theme: analysis of cyberbullying prevention and intervention Websites. Journal of Social Sciences, 6(4). Retrieved July 3, 2012, from Academic OneFile French, E. (2011, October). Teen substance abuse risk tied to social media. Pediatric News, 45(10), 20.Retrieved July 2, 2012, from Academic OneFile Read More