This project focuses on the impact of social media on society and my own personal life. It tries to determine the answer to the question of whether social media is a positive or negative influence, as well as how its existence effects my day-to-day life.

After taking the Social Media Addiction quiz, I was informed that I was pretty attached to my social medias and the internet. The results told me that while I am not 100% addicted, I need to consider the amount of time I spend on social media, and whether or not that time online is truly making me happy. Having personally reflected on this information, I find myself somewhat agreeing with the results. It is important that I now make some adjustments to improve my daily experiences offline.

One of the most interesting Pew Research statistics that I found was the second one in the article Social Media Use in 2021, which is called "Age Gaps in Snapchat, Instagram use are particularly wide, less so far for Facebook." The reason that this was so interesting to me was because it showed how different age groups can be attracted to a similar social media website. This statistic relates to me because it makes me question my safety while visiting these websites, and how certain applications may be more prone to negativity due to differing age-related experiences.

I believe that social media is having a negative impact on society. While I understand that social media can help us learn, there are very few people who recognize it as a resource, and are interested in expanding their knowledge. This makes the negative outcomes of social media more noticeable. Not only could it impact our closemindedness, but people may become so involved in social media that they forget about their real lives, which can be detrimental to their health. It also can cause isolation, as well as decrease a person's positive self-image and self-esteem.

This project was insightful because it taught me some of the pros and cons of social media, and how the internet may have a negative impact on society overall. It also encouraged me to make more informed decisions about my online time, and to better monitor how I behave while on social media websites.

Auxier, B., & Anderson, M. (2022, January 31). Social media use in 2021. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/04/07/social-media-use-in-2021/

The social dilemma: Social media and your mental health. Here's How Social Media Affects Your Mental Health | McLean Hospital. (2022, January 21). Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health#:~:text=When%20people%20look%20online%20and,loss%2C%20and%20poor%20academic%20performance.

Social media and low self-esteem. ACC Blog. (2019, November 4). Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://www.acc.edu.au/blog/social-media-low-self-esteem/#:~:text=While%20social%20media%20is%20sometimes,such%20as%20anxiety%20and%20depression.

Singh, S. (2019, July 2). Why social media is making us narrow-minded. Medium. Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://medium.com/swlh/why-social-media-is-making-us-narrow-minded-ebc8471f0ec1