Being part of the newest generation known as generation Z, I have witnessed the increasing popularity in social media as it has slowly become a substantial part of our everyday lives in positive and negative ways.
With the generation I belong to being labelled ‘digital natives’, I am no stranger to the vast social media platforms made readily available and the pros and cons that follow.
Social media is often regarded as being responsible for the downfall of the old-fashioned typical childhood, with increased technology sharing accountability also, and often tends to bear the brunt of the blame for the ever-expanding depression rates in adolescents with the rate of reported symptoms of major depression in a given year – up by 52% from 2005 to 2007. (I will update this when I have figures from 2021)
In this day and age, many young people may feel pressured to appear a certain way to their peers as trends and beauty standards rapidly become increasingly toxic,and feelings of insecurity and inadequacy stem.
A small amount of arguments for the positive side of social media can be made such as the expeditious and effortless communication that it caters for, the provision of news from around the globe and the increased opportunities to make friends, but i am included in the 25% of teens that recognise social media’s down falls to far outweigh its assets as it has opened doors to new ways of bullying, feelings of isolation and many experience a dependency or addiction to it.
Social media has also left people caring an awful lot about what other people think of them when in reality the majority of people are too engrossed in their own lives to care at all.
The influence of social media has shaped this generation as it has undoubtably become a significant part of our lives whether we like to admit it or not.
Although it occasionally displays some positive advantages it is evident that social media has proven detrimental to the wellbeing of a huge number of young people and adults alike, but it is also apparent that it is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Opinion By Caitlin Cochrane – An 18yr old aspiring Journalist
