My Social Media Impact Project

Project Description

In this assignment, I was tasked to use Pew Research and my own internal deliberation to reflect on the impacts of social media on society today. I will use my knowledge to form an opinion on social media impacts by researching and conducting an online addiction quiz.

My Social Media Use

Based on the "Am I ADDICTED to social media?" quiz, I've found that I myself am fairly reliant on social media. Truthfully, I DO use social media as soon as I wake up (TikTok, Twitter, etc) and also every hour or so. There are also times I have reflected that I have used apps like TikTok to scroll for long periods, which is also strongly indicative of a social media addiction. What helps me disconnect at times, and what I will try to do more of in the future, is to distract myself with other fun or mood-improving activities instead of using social media. Activities like drawing or reading will allow me to slowly wean off using social media as much as I have recently.

Social Media Research Fact

In the given research article (Gottfried, 2024), the most interesting fact that stood out to me was the statistic in America that those who are college-educated tend to use social media more than those who are only high school educated. As a college-educated student who already has my BA, I found it interesting that, because I have a degree, statistically, I use social media more than those my age who aren't college-educated. Some theories I have for this are mostly that those who are college educated use social media more for networking or keeping up to date with peers who were in the same alumni group.

Social Media's Impact on Society

I think social media and its changing/developing technology is now becoming more harmful than before. In the anonymity of the internet, as well as the continuing changing use of AI and dependency on electronics, children and young adults are now more susceptible to the negative effects of social media than the positive effects. While I can advocate that social media became a platform where I found friends and communities that welcomed me, I would have considered myself lucky. Compared to today, online predators, bullies, targeted ads, and posts run rampant without proper supervision, negatively affecting mental health, self-esteem, and identity in youth today (which has also affected me in my youth as well). I find that the continuing lack of social media safety being taught or the lack of moderated spaces for youth puts them more in danger on social media than in the past. I truly feel that social media does more harm than good in its role in society.

Lessons Learned:

After this assignment, I learned more about statistics on social media, which helped me strengthen my opinions on its impact on society. additionally, the research and quiz I took allowed me to become more curious and reflect on social media's role in my own personal life as well as how my environmental factor affects my social media use compared to others. I feel that I can walk away from this project more knowledgeable and engaged with society around me, which helps me become aware of my habits (and how to fix/manage negative ones and replace them with positive habits!).

Works Cited

Gottfried, J. (2024, January 31). How Americans Use Social Media | Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center; https://www.facebook.com/pewresearch. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/americans-social-media-use/

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