This was written by Alice, one of our students. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue.
Some days I walk away from scrolling through TikTok or Instagram, happy and amused, while some days I feel the opposite. How can I know what I’ll run into as I’m checking my social media accounts? I don’t. However, I haven’t given up on social media just yet. Recognizing the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media is an important step in determining how to effectively use social media.
First off, there is so much good on social media! Whether it’s political commentary, infographics, news sources, or just keeping up with your favorite politicians, authors etc, social media can be a great source of information. I have personally learned so much through informative accounts, but it’s important to always be sure that they cite reliable sources. Not only that, but social media has helped spread the word on various stories that would have otherwise gotten little attention. There are countless GoFundMe’s, petitions, and phone calls to legislators that I never would’ve encountered had it not been for social media. Though one person’s call or signature or email seems to do little, the power of social media amplifies everyone’s voice, which can be both a good and bad thing — but more on that later. Another good thing about social media is the connection that it provides. Generation Z, the first generation to grow up with widespread social media, has, in my experience, brought us together in many ways. There are countless inside jokes and TikTok trends that circle around, but it’s not all light hearted and fun. Gen Z has shown their power in various pranks, the most famous being on Donald Trump. In 2020, when Trump had one of his first rallies after the COVID pandemic shut everything down, many young people joined together and bought tickets, with no plans to come. This left him with a sold out stadium, and yet not nearly as many people as he bragged about. Social media gives people a bigger platform and a louder voice, which, as I said before, is not always a good thing.
The bad found within social media is clear, and is often the most talked about… especially with parents. The most talked about is social media’s affect on self esteem. Social media shows only the highlights of everyone’s lives, including pictures where it’s impossible to know how much they’ve been edited. Everyone is already comparing themselves, but the added pressure of social media makes the constant comparison more intense. Self-esteem issues and insecurities are a natural output of social media. However, the dangers go farther than that. Because everyone is given a bigger platform to amplify their voice, misleading and dangerous people can spread harmful messages. For example, Candace Owens, a conservative commentator, has repeatedly spread misinformation on her growing platform, leading to confusion and hate. Countless other influencers and “activists” use social media to spread false or misinterpreted data, and fact checking on social media is pretty relaxed, hence the scandal with Mark Zuckerburg and Facebook.
The Ugly of social media is also talked about quite a bit. The bullying, rude comments, and stress of managing it all can be exhausting. It gives kids an outlet to be as mean as they want (for the most part) to others, and even do so anonymously. I know at my middle school we had more than a few incidents with cyber bullying, which is not out of the norm these days. People say things to each other that they could never say to peoples’ faces. Considering all of this, many people ask, is social media doing more harm than good? I like to think of social media as a tool that can be both dangerous and helpful. When used correctly, social media can be a great way to get information, connect with people, and share your voice. Used incorrectly, however, social media can spread misinformation, hate, and give people a warped sense of each others’ lives.
