Social Media: An Addiction?

It’s safe to assume most high school students have and use social media. According to an article by “American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry” written in 2018, 75% of high school students have at least one active social media account, with 51% of them visiting those sites at least once a day. A more recent article by “The New York Times” states teens aged 13 to 18 are on their phones an average of 8 hours and 39 minutes. These numbers are concerning.

Although it is one of the easiest ways to communicate with others, when you’re at school, you have the opportunity to talk face to face with these people. Despite this, I often still see people locked in on their phones for hours during the school day, which is why social media is such a problem. It’s an addiction to a lot of high school students, and it shows. Being a student allows me to see these problems firsthand, and it’s something that needs to be fixed.

I am a supporter of social media, but not how often it is used. According to “leehealth.org”, social media triggers the brain to release dopamine, which is a feel good chemical. Social media truly is an addiction, but it is one that can’t easily be solved. Schools need to find a way to stop students from consistently using their phones and whatever devices they may have to slow down this addiction before going into the real world.

I understand the power of social media. I’m active on them, and spend a good time on them, but I don’t let it get in my way during school very often. Social media is very beneficial for many different ways. It is a form of communication, a way for news to spread, an opportunity to laugh at something funny, and the reasons go on. Social media no doubt makes life easier.

Although I think social media has many benefits, I feel the drawbacks overpower. The addiction that comes with social media should be enough for someone to want to cut back on their usage.

Featured image: “Automotive Social Media Marketing” by socialautomotive is licensed under CC BY 2.0.