English Writing Assignment 2 Parts

Brianna Orewiler

South College

Abstract

This paper dives into the research of the affects that social media has on society. An interview is conducted with a Licensed Professional Counselor, Amy Shelton, and the results of this interview are examined. Secondary sources are taken into consideration as they provide studies with evidence to back up their research. The gap in the conversation is discussed and solutions to this issue are given.

Is Social Media Doing More Harm Than You Think?

Introduction

Social media is a part of almost everyone’s daily lives. Social media is utilized by different people for different reasons. The biggest platforms as of today include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and YouTube. These platforms were created, most importantly, to keep people connected and in touch with friends and family. It is also a tool for businesses to reach different audiences. Social media can be wonderful if used properly. Unfortunately, these platforms are not being used correctly, and that is having negative effects on its users.

Many researchers have studied social media and its affects on people. For example, Nicholas Dantuono wrote about the positive and negatives found during his research. He claimed children are interacting less with peers in real life due to social media. He also talks about how social media is not going anywhere, so it is best for society to learn to live with it in a healthy way (Dantuono, 2015). In addition, in the Journal of Public Health, a study is provided with results showing electronic screen time affects children’s social development (Yang et al., 2019). Furthermore, Nazir Hawi and Maya Samaha wrote an article to “identify similarities and differences in relationships between technology addictions and personality characteristics, especially traits, self-esteem, and self-construal” (Hawi & Samaha, 2019). Moreover, Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe and Kathleen Clarke-Pearson wrote a journal about the positive and negative affects that social media has on children and to explain the importance of parents to monitor their children’s social media platforms. Likewise, in the Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research, a study is conducted in order to “identify specific social media behaviors related to major depressive disorder (MDD)” (Robinson et al., 2019).

The information that is being neglected in this research is a specific solution to the issue. Researchers have mentioned potential solutions, but not how it should be put into effect. Since social media is not going anywhere, there needs to be more focus on how children/adolescents are being negatively affected by it every day. The question here is, how do we change the impact social media is having on children, for the better? Children must be taught at a young age the “do’s and don’ts “of social media platforms and parents must empower their children with knowledge before ever using these sites.

Methods

I interviewed Amy Shelton, a Counselor at Trevecca Nazarene University and a psychology professor at South College- Nashville. I chose this person because she is a Licensed Professional Counselor and she is currently working towards her Ph.D. She works with students in college daily and can see the affects firsthand. The interview occurred on May 16, 2019 at 12:30 p.m. over video chat. It consisted of eight open-ended questions that I put together to try and uncover the gap in the conversation about social media.

Results

First, Shelton was asked about how social media has affected her life, to kick off conversation. She talked about how she separates personal life and business and never accepts friend requests from clients. When asked about what kind of impact she has seen on adolescents due to social media, she replied with “so much.” She went on to say, in her work, she sees mostly girls affected with eating disorders, like body dysmorphia, and that social media has “a huge impact on body image” (A. Shelton, personal communication, May 16, 2019). When it came to social media’s affect on someone’s wellbeing, Shelton discussed how social media can have a “positive impact, when staying connected.” It can help people keep up with family and friends. She went on to describe the negative impact is that because of social media “reality is a little bit off,” and that we see “a perfect life” online. When discussing how social media affects a person’s self-esteem, Shelton explains that it can hurt someone’s self-esteem when they “are comparing themselves to what they see”, even though what they see “isn’t real.” She went on to say social media is not “all bad.” She stated, “it can be empowering” and “it can keep people informed in education.” Then, Shelton was asked about how if she feels social media affects the development of social skills in children. Shelton responded with “it has a huge impact on social skill, because you can say anything on social media.” She also stated children have “impaired social skills because they talk over the phone, instead of face to face.” Amy Shelton then went on to say that connection is the “best quality” of social media. When asked “Overall, do you believe social media helps or hurts people in general? Explain.” Shelton explained social media has a “big role” in people’s life, and it really “depends on how it is used.” She stated that she is 50/50 on this question, that it can be good and bad. She said “we have to learn to change with social media” and the best solution is for “parents to teach children the ‘do’s and don’ts” of the platforms. She also stated parents should “empower them with knowledge.” Amy Shelton’s advice at the end of this interview is “Don’t ever post what you don’t want others to see.”

Discussion

The interview with Amy Shelton answered all the remaining gaps in the conversation about the way social media affects people and what should be done to improve the impact it has on children. Parents should empower their children with knowledge before ever allowing them on any social platforms. It has been proven over and over that social media, and the behavior that is associated with it, causes problems with self-esteem and even associates with major depressive disorder (Robinson et al., 2019). This reiterates the fact that social media can have a very negative impact. Shelton confirmed that social media directly affects children’s real life social skills because they are able to say anything they want over the Internet. In addition, it was also proven that “exposure to electronic screen media can increase the risk of poor social communication skills in children” (Yang et al., 2019). As Shelton stated, the impact of social media depends on how one uses it. Therefore, when children use it, parents should first instill it in their minds how it should be used and what should/should not take place on these platforms.

One huge take away from the primary research conducted on this subject is social media is what you make it. If you practice negative social media behavior, then it will result in a negative impact. But, if you practice positive behavior on these social platforms, it should result in a positive impact on one’s life. Shelton stated social media is “50/50” and it “can be both good and bad.” This proves the point that social media is what you make it. Nicholas Dantuono stated, “There is no surprise that social media is here to stay with its availability and usefulness in society today” (Dantuono, 2015). This ensures a previous statement made by Shelton that social media is here to stay, so therefore, society should learn to change and grow with it.

Another huge takeaway from this research is the negative impact social media has on adolescent’s psychological wellbeing. In each study examined in the secondary research, a negative psychological issue was brought on by social media—or was at least associated with it. Even Shelton touched on the fact that social media can cause eating disorders due to children, mostly female according to her experience, comparing themselves to other people on social media. It is discussed in Hawi and Samaha’s research that Internet addiction is associated with affecting one’s self-esteem. In Dantuono’s research, he mentioned cyberbullying, which is a perfect example of negative social media behavior that produces a negative impact and can lead to the children involved to suffer from things like depression. This is also something that could be prevented by parental control. This leads back to the solution of parents teaching their children how to use social media in a correct and positive way. Teaching children at a young age, the affects social media can have, could then stop them from developing the negative behavior in the first place.

Conclusion

There are weaknesses and limitations to be considered in this research. First, this lack’s insight from adolescents directly. To improve, a questionnaire could be considered for adolescents who currently use social media platforms to get their direct answers or opinions on the subject. Another way this could be improved is to interview parents or teachers to hear their input on their involvement in social media. A limitation to be noted in this research is the time limit, which is not enough time to become an expert on the topic. This issue is still open for new research and future studies to find more solutions to effectively keep social media a healthy platform for everyone.

References

Dantuono, N. (2015, March 28). How social media is effecting social and communication skills among adolescents. Retrieved from https://slwrig02.expressions.syr.edu/spring2015wrt205/2015/03/28/how-social-media-is-effecting-social-and-communication-skills-among-adolescents/

Hawi, N & Samaha, M. (2019). Identifying commonalities and differences in personality characteristics of Internet and social media addiction profiles: traits, self-esteem, and self-construal. Behaviour & Information Technology. 38. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2018.1515984

O'Keeffe G, S & Clarke-Pearson, K. (2011). Clinical Report: The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. Pediatrics: Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved from DOI: 10.1542/peds.2011-0054

Robinson, A. Bonnette, A. Howard, K. Ceballos, N. Dailey, S. Lu, Y. Grimes, T. (2019, January 8). Social comparisons, social media addiction, and social interaction: An examination of specific social media behaviors related to major depressive disorder in a millennial population. Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research. 24. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/jabr.12158

Shelton, A. (2019, May 16). Personal Interview.

Yang, Y. Jin, Z. Liu, S. Jin, X. Huang, H. Tong, S. (2019, January 19). Children’s social communication skills and electronic screen exposure, perinatal, and other risk factors. Public Health Journal. 1-9. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10389-019-01022-2