The advancement of technology is all around us. Nearly every day, there are new devices and discoveries happening. So often, this is wonderful. However, there is almost always unintentional consequences. The two most common negative consequences of social media which I have witnessed throughout my life is addiction and cyberbullying. These days, cyberbullying and social media addiction seems to be as common as the technology its self.
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital platforms, such as text message, facebook, instagram, and snapchat. It is so common today that 73 percent of students say that it has happened to them in their lifetime, and 44 percent of them say it has happened within the past month. Furthermore, many negative side effects stem from. cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can lead to mental health problems and even suicide. [source: https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/cyber-bullying-statistics]
If you take a step back and look around you, you will notice just how much we are on our cellphones. They have become apart of our life. So apart of our life that "cellphone addiction" is actually much more common than you may think. A 2016 common sense media report found that 50% of teens feel addicted to their phone, while 59% of parents stated that they believe their child is addicted to their phone. [source: https://www.psycom.net/cell-phone-internet-addiction] Cell phone addiction can also have negative side effects. For teens who spend 5 or more hours per day on electronic devices are 71% more likely to demonstrate suicide risk factors. [source: https://www.slicktext.com/blog/2019/10/smartphone-addiction-statistics/]While I believe technology is a great thing and is crucial to our society today, I believe how it is used can make all the difference. It is important to self-manage how much you are on your phone and using social media, due to the risk factors that can stem from them. We only have control over ourselves, however it is important for us to be aware of how we use our technology.
