Opinion: Social media is having notable effects on many people — for many reasons 

Social media is rapidly changing lives. 

The effects span multiple generations in both negative and positive ways.

Yes, social media can be a unique, creative outlet for people. It is also a fun way to stay connected to friends and family. 

However, there are some flaws as well.  Social media has tainted the way people view relationships. It can also create a false sense of reality. 

The rapid growth of social media is changing the lives of its users.

Social media has numerous platforms for people to express their creative side.  People use largely popular apps like TikTok and Instagram to express themselves in creative ways through their posts. 

It is a quick way to share your passion with millions of people worldwide. 

Could your post go viral?

If you are lucky, one of your posts will go viral and your creativity will spread rapidly. 

Once recognized for a post, you can continue to create posts about your passion and grow your audience. It is a fun way to be recognized for things you love to do. 

For some people, this also may lead to a successful career. 

There are several social media platforms that help connect people around the world. A few visually-oriented apps such as Snapchat and Instagram remain popular, and, for the older people, there is Facebook. 

These social media platforms are an easy way to stay connected to friends and family who you may or may not get to see often. People post pictures, stories, questions, and text friends through these apps. 

With vast distances between people or busy schedules making it difficult to meet up, these apps bring them together. 

For users of social media, connecting with loved ones is simple and gives them community. However, while the community through social media can appear true, it can also taint the way people behave in relationships. 

Apps such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook are also hindering the way people interact with one another in real life.

Often, people who spend lots of time on social media apps really struggle with in-person conversations because they are not comfortable making eye contact, are unfamiliar with the timing of responses, and have a difficult time understanding the nuances of language.

The unhealthy aspects of social media

Unhealthy habits are formed when only interacting digitally through apps, making in person relationships confusing and difficult. Online apps make building relationships seem easy, but those relationships are rarely authentic.

Social media is a quick and easy way for people to create an authentic-looking life, while the reality may be vastly different. This sense of unreality found on apps like Instagram and TikTok adds to the insecurities for people using them.

People tend to post images and stories that are, literally, picture-perfect. The posts are chosen very specifically with a purpose in mind. Photos are filtered and stories are glorified to give the sense of grandeur. 

The people who scroll through, glancing at these posts, are comparing their lives to the posts.

The feelings of inadequacy are growing quickly in people who spend time looking at the lives of others online. These feelings are unhealthy and increase the rate of depression in social media users.

As a social media user, I find myself weighing the positive and negative effects it has on me. I recognize the need to balance the time I spend on social media apps with the amount of time I spend with friends and family, and I love to use apps as a creative outlet. I really enjoy creating posts to express my passions.

I also recognize there could be negative effects if I use the apps without caution.

I am grateful to have social media apps and the knowledge to use them to best suit me.

Emily Cott is a student at Grossmont High School.

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