Social Media Makes Us Live Double Lives
Nowadays, the society develops along with the technology. Social media has been developing over time and people use social media as a part of their life such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. We cannot deny the fact that social media can be used as a connecting media between person and person. Especially, in a busy world that people live and work far away from each other social media is even necessary for us. However, there are many young people who are addicted to the social media and create the virtual life on the internet. The problem lies in the difference between those who use social communication for communication purpose and those who use the internet to satisfy their ego and trying to prove themselves. Do young people really need to use internet for satisfying their ego? Do they have to create a virtual-self just to prove themselves to others on the internet? What are the consequences of this habit? Do Social media really affect depression and mental health of us? With many unanswered questions, this topic has become a very appealing argument. The using of social media has some undeniable benefits in our daily life but it also comes with some disadvantages and it accidentally makes us create the double lives.
There are positive effects of social media on our lives, especially on youth. The CNN columnist Kelly Wallace wrote, “In fact, according to a report last year by the nonprofit child advocacy group Common Sense Media, one in five teens said social media makes them feel more confident, compared with 4% who said it makes them feel less so.” Wallace pointed out the advantage of social media: making teenagers more confident. People are happy and feel encouraged by others on the internet when they post something on their personal page or account and get good compliments. Another benefit is that young people can sympathize each other by connecting on social media; Wallace stated in her article, “They can just find other kids who are super excited about the same thing.” The social network also helps us find the solution or give us good advice when we need most. “Social media has been a place where teens, who might be feeling isolated, can cry for help,” said Wallace. There are many cases where people help each other via social media. They can share the post to inform each other about someone or something that needs help. Despite these benefits, Rachel Simmons, a journalist for Time stated in his article “Social Media is a toxic mirror.”
Despite the benefits of the social media, it may affect teenagers and adolescents feelings and thinkings about their appearances. Simmons mentioned in his article, “Psychologists found robust cross-cultural evidence linking social media use to body image concerns, dieting, body surveillance, a drive for thinness and self-objectification in adolescents.” He did not state that Social media has an impact directly on body image, he just said there is a str...
