In today's society, almost everything we do revolves around social media. No matter how much some deny it, social media is addictive.  Many teens are so involved in social media that they let it control their lives. Out in public, every person that walks by has their face buried in their phone, scrolling non-stop. 

We’ve allowed these apps to dominate our waking hours, ruin friendships, and, sometimes, even ruin lives. Its influence is even greater than this though; social media is a crucial factor in all types of cyberbullying, human trafficking, and often self-harm. This dangerous technology has taken over most of gen z’s young minds.  Though it is quite impossible to do so perfectly, parents need to attempt to limit their children’s and teens’ social media use

I heavily believe children shouldn’t be on social media, but there isn’t any way to prevent it. However, there are many ways to make social media somewhat safe for children and teens. For instance, when I first got social media, my mom had access to all my accounts. She trusted me as a person but didn’t trust others. Anytime I got involved with something absurd, she always came in and saved me from ruining my future. I am forever grateful she had my social media because, if not, I probably would’ve made some decisions that could ruin my life forever. 

Teenagers don’t believe adults when they say, “Watch what you post because a digital footprint exists and can come back and haunt you later in life.” We, as teens, brush it off as nothing and don’t care. But we definitely should care because, like adults say, a digital footprint does exist and can ruin your life. 

There are so many cases where teens get arrested or hurt because of the things they put out onto the internet. So, if you ever thought, “Oh, I’m just going to post this–it’s not like anyone cares.” Think again. Regardless of what you think, someone out there does care, and, if they screenshot or screen record that post, they can use it against you for the rest of your life. 

Now that I am older, I’ve realized how heavily invested I’m in social media, and it takes up almost all of my time. It’s sad to admit, but it’s true: I wake up every morning, and the first thing I do is send out Snapchat streaks. Other days, I lay in bed, for a good hour, scrolling through Instagram or TikTok. It has gotten to the point where I feel as if I cannot live without my phone.

With all this being said, this upcoming year, join me in making a change. Face life head-on, not from behind your phone.