Go back in time and imagine the world before social media; better yet, a world without cell phones! Most people go INSANE without their cell phone. You can’t find it? You freak out. It’s dead? “What if someone needs me, or breaking news happens!” It’s broken? “When can I go out and buy a new one– I need a phone asap!” You’re bored? “Oh, let me go scroll through social media, that always cures it!” Without social media, most teenagers and adults would never know what to do. It cures their boredom, allowing them to talk to their friends, play games, and learn new things all with a couple clicks of a button! But, there’s always a downside to these things, like cyber bullying, disrupted sleep schedules, trouble focusing, and the most disturbing: predators. Just like that, you realize that social media isn’t all what it seems.
.
In a recent study from Research Pew Center, about 95% of teens ages 13-17 use Youtube, 68% use TikTok, 59% use Snapchat, and 62% use Instagram. These are some of the biggest social media platforms, in which all of them have been used by over 50% of all teens! And ever since social media grew, teachers have noticed reduced productivity, distraction in students, greater impulsiveness, weaker critical thinking skills, and less patience in teens. And as my mother and father both being teachers, I can see how this can not only be frustrating for them, but for students’ peers who are simply just trying to further their education. To follow, here is a point of view from my mom, not only on how cell phones affected her job, but also her life:
Gretchen Sprague, (mother): “Cell phones can be great. They keep us connected to distant loved ones and keep us informed of the latest and important news. However, constantly being on the phone or on social media weakens kids’ creativity and critical thinking. You don’t think for yourself and you follow whatever the trends are. You see things that make you feel bad and make you compare yourself to a false narrative. Actually, I think the worst thing is that people aren’t living in the moment. You’re missing life right in front of you because you’re tuned out. You miss your best friend stating a problem, a teacher giving directions, or just even a fun, laughable moment with family because you are stuck in your phone. You are missing real life and real relationships and that’s why you feel so anxious and empty sometimes. Put it down and pay attention to all the love that is in the world around you.”
With that being said, cell phones have really affected learning in schools. And as of recently, on April 9, 2025, Ohio’s Governor Mike DeWine voiced his support for Senate Bill 158, which states that use of cell phones in public schools is strictly prohibited. Not only is this tragic for me to hear, I know that it’s tragic for my peers, too. Cell phones may be a distraction at school, but they can be very helpful in many instances. Need a quick answer? Look it up real quick on your phone. Practice gets cancelled or you totally forgot to tell your parents about a meeting? Shoot a text. Need to take a photo or video of something for your school’s website/yearbook? Email it! These are some examples of cell phones being needed in school, especially for the journalism classes. They can’t grab a quick pic or video by taking their teachers phone’s all the time! Or, if they had a picture on their phone from an out of school event that is needed to be used, they couldn’t send it without their cell phones. And, having their cell phone always makes students less anxious knowing they will have someone that can help them on their phone. And, big question… If students aren’t allowed cell phones in school, shouldn’t teachers be prohibited as well?
This obviously isn’t the only thing about social media that’s negative. There’s probably too many out there to count, in fact. But as my mother said, people are missing out on their own lives everyday just to keep up with other people’s lives, sometimes even stranger’s. For example, the Kardashians have a show called, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians”, but honestly, apart from entertainment, why should we care so deeply about everything influencers do with their lives, especially when half of it is FAKE. They present themselves as wealthy, pretty, perfect people. But let’s be real– Kourtney K’s favorite homemade avocado pudding isn’t what gives her the glamorous, slim look, but it’s all the cosmetic enhancements she’s probably undergone. I admit, if you want to get plastic surgery to improve your looks don’t let me be the one to “rain on your parade.” I only mention that because people compare themselves so often to these stars and can’t help but think, “why can’t I look like her,” as they fail to realize no one is born without imperfections– seriously, nobody. And as they dive deeper into comparison, people lose grasp of reality. This leads to depression, anxiety, and even eating disorders. We weren’t put on this Earth to be like everyone else, but to be unique and make a difference. To live your life to the fullest and enjoy it without comparison thieving your joy. To live your life in the moment, instead of spending the moment always trying to get the perfect shot to post on your socials. Yes, “take a picture, it’ll last longer” always comes into play, but if you snap a quick picture and live in the moment, the picture means more to you than just the perfect image. It now brings you back in time to when you spent the most beautiful day at the beach and saw dolphins with your own two eyes; compared to viewing them through the recording screen of your phone.
In your opinion, which social media platform is the best?
Sorry, there was an error loading this poll.
But the phrase mentioned above, “take a picture, it’ll last longer” shows that social media does have its benefits. One main thing, you can keep in touch with family across the world by posting pictures of this year’s basketball action photos, or a picture of you and your friends dressing up together at Halloween. All your “cousins”, or whomever, have to do is swipe up and direct message you to ask “How are you doing,” “Congratulations,” or even things like, “May he rest in peace, he was a great cat that Cheerio.” You can also connect through games like Monopoly Go, Words With Friends, and Roblox, which are great ways to connect and bond with your family even when they’re hundreds to thousands of miles away. Social media also is used as the quickest way to share news, ideas, recipes, and life-hacks. To be honest, not many people still read their daily newspaper anymore, compared to online news sites or even the TV. People can just click on the headlines they’re interested in and there they have it, “Grandma Kathy’s Homemade Casserole Recipe” is right there.
Although social media can be a wonderful medium for meeting new people and connecting with old friends, the concept of meeting people can have a very dark, sinister side, too. Interacting with strangers online can be dangerous for a number of reasons: scammers, child predators, and cyberbullies. When you’re behind a screen, it’s much easier to be sneaky, bold, and straight up rude to people since they aren’t right in front of you. Scammers can trick you into thinking they’re someone from your bank, and you may just automatically believe them because you’re so worried about something being wrong. For predators, it’s easy to make a fake identity using pictures, videos, artificial intelligence, and voice changers. Predators can also make you believe they are trustworthy by feeding you lies, and gas-lighting you. Once they gain your trust, it’s game over from there. They can get personal information like your address or card information, and black mail you with stuff you trusted them with. Predators are a big thing you need to be extra, extra careful with online. And finally, cyberbullies. It’s much easier to comment or DM things like, “You’re fat,” “You’re too skinny,” “You are hideous,” or even death threats telling people to take their life. And since it’s all online, most people take these comments and run with it. Partly because of the fact all they see online is gorgeous, smart, “perfectly fitting the beauty standard” people that they compare themselves to, and partly because they’re already insecure or depressed. It’s important to not listen to cyberbullies, and deep down you must realize that just because they can type something behind a screen and hit send doesn’t mean it’s true, or that they would say it in person. Cyberbullies send messages just to bring people down. They think that “blowing someone else’s candle out will make their candle shine brighter.” Well guess what, it doesn’t work that way, and it’s critical to remember your self worth, practice self love, and not let what people behind a screen think about you.
When all is said and done, the negative effects of social media are just too bad to look over and brush off. However, with about 25-47% of people in the U.S. being ADDICTED to their cell phones, it looks like social media is here to stay for good. It’s important to keep reality in mind when given the false impressions of social media. And as they always say, “it can either make you or break you,” that is certainly true with social media.