Social Media Impact

Project Description

For this project, I read research on data usage took a quiz. The purpose is to understand the impacts of social media on my personal life and for society as a whole.

Social Media Addiction Quiz

I took the social media addiction quiz which confirmed what I already suspected. I use social media too much! My results said:

“You're fairly reliant on social media, but there are far worse culprits! Still, it's good to be reminded that UK adults spend an average of 8 hrs 41 mins on screens every day, and 4 hours of that on smartphone apps alone (mainly social media). That's about a third of each day checking apps. Do you need to rethink your social media habits and the amount of time you spend scrolling?”

I’ve recently put timers on my social media apps, and I try to stick to two hours a day. I often add time and the quiz made me realize that I check social media too often throughout the day.

Social Media’s Impact on Society

Social media has positive and negative impacts on its users. It can help people stay connected to family and friends around the world, provide resources for education and help build community. Their use also raises concerns for user privacy, creates an environment for cyberbullying, and promotes black and white thinking. As with all powerful tools, social media use should be used with caution. There should be intentionality around how much time we give to these platforms and what we consume on them.

Lessons Learned

I need to cut down on my social media usage. There was a question on the quiz asking if I use social media first thing in the morning, that really made me see how I use social media mindlessly. I think social media can be a great tool when used with intention, but really eats my time when I scroll thoughtlessly.

Sources

Auxier, B. (2020, October 15). 64% of Americans say social media have a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the U.S. today. Retrieved from Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/10/15/64-of-americans-say-social-media-have-a-mostly-negative-effect-on-the-way-things-are-going-in-the-u-s-today/