Instructor: Alyssa Buckley
English 1A
Negative Effects of Social Media on Its Users
Our lives seem to be more and more consumed by technology as great advances in this area have continue to be made, especially when it comes to social media. Many researchers have begun to notice that depending on how much time individuals spend on these social media sites, they can negatively affect their daily lifestyle in very significant ways. For example, social networking has become a huge distraction for students and it can affect their grades depending on how often they check their various accounts while doing class work. Researchers have also come to find out that social media can contribute to the development of psychological symptoms and mood disorders, such as anxiety, depression, narcissism, and addiction. It has also changed the way people manage their relationships and interact with each other. In today’s digital age constant use of social media can have various negative behavioral, psychological, and social effects on its users.
What many academics have initially expressed as a major concern is how the use of social media has been affecting student’s behavior in class. Several studies have shown that social media sites, such as Facebook, have become a distraction for students, negatively impacting their studies. The results of these research studies prove that grades for students at different academic levels have been declining since social media came in to existence. Because social media gives users access to everything they need to know about others so quickly, students now expect to learn class lessons at a quicker rate since they now have answers at their fingertips. Social media is a major distraction to students while trying to complete assignments, which ultimately affects their ability to manage their time effectively. The need to feel “always connected” has come to a point where it takes over lives and can negatively impact important
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