Completing this project, I learned a lot more about how social media affects me and everyone in the world. I was able to learn things about my social media habits after taking the social media addiction quiz.
My results for the social media addiction survey said that I am fairly reliant on social media. To be completely honest, I expected this to be my result before I took the quiz. I do spend a good chunk of my day on social media when I am bored or don't have anything else to do, or if I get sidetracked. My results show that I should be taking social media breaks throughout the day to lower my intake and screen time.
One interesting statistic I found from Pew Research is “About 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and nearly 50% say they are online almost constantly” (Pew Research Center, 2022). I picked this statistic because it relates to me; I admit I spend an unhealthy amount of time on social media when I could be doing more productive things. This research also stuck out to me because it shows how easily accessible technology is, with a 95% rate of teens either having a phone or having easy access to one.
I think social media has both a very unhealthy effect on society and provides so many opportunities and connections. As a female in her 20s, I think social media began to grow throughout my elementary school to high school years. This means I have experienced the impact of social media firsthand and also from everybody around me. Social media can be very harmful to consume due to unrealistic expectations and online bullying. Though these negative things happen on social media, it is also a place where people can connect from all over the world and help raise awareness about important issues.
After completing this project, I've learned that social media can be useful and fun to use, but is also very addictive to me and society. I also learned more about how common it is for others to be consuming too much social media.
Pew Research Center. (2022). Teens, social media and technology 2022. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/