Social media or social media platforms can well be described as ways in which people connect
globally through websites and applications such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Twitter
amongst many others. Through these platforms, they can send text messages, audios, pictures,
and video clips. According to a higher percentage of the youth social media brings about
friendship, oneness, and diversification about the whole world, but brings about concern on the
drama issues and social pressure that comes with social media. Being at the digital age, most of
the youth relate to social media as it makes them feel more connected to the world, their friends,
and everything that's happening around them. A rough total of eight out of ten teenagers say that
social media brings closeness to what’s happening to the lives’ of their friends and an estimate
fraction of two-thirds, feel that through social media, they can receive the support they need or
want (Anderson & Jing, 2019). Although many are in support of and value social media, it
comes with its consequences such as addiction, cyberbullying, time consumption, breach of
privacy, less human contact, less motivation in school fields, and wrong self-evaluation.
Addiction.
Most of the youth today have tablets, smartphones, computers, or access to devices in which they
can visit or interact with others online or through the internet. It's quite easy to identify why an
individual, especially teenagers get caught p with social media platforms. Here they can view the
current trends, stay connected with their fellow friends, and at an exciting level get in touch with
others from the whole world. Unfortunately, this comes with a downside as extended periods
lead to health conditions like eye-sight issues, dull minds and users find it hard to quit once
caught up in the trend (Longstreet & Brooks, 2017). Sadly as the use of technology is on the rise
more and more people are suffering from this with an estimate of millions of people suffering
from this globally.
Cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is also known as online bullying. It's the act whereby other
users use the information they have about others to victimize or try to blackmail them by use of
electronic means online. It can also be described as willful and repeated harm inflicted through
the medium of electronic text (Harper, 2019). Like bullying, there's a difference in power and
there's damage especially to the one being manipulated. Mainly occurs when an individual feels
like they aren't getting enough love or attention from their friends and in turn, bully those within
their grasp. This is worse than normal bullying as it can also inflict mental pain and damage,
causing others to result in factors such as suicide.
Time consumption.
Consequences of social media to the youth 3
As there are many and countless opportunities found online from educational, social to fun-based
activities available, it's easy for one to lose track of time while engaging online. This, therefore,
affects an individual's schedule from scheduled sleeping time to how or when they do other
activities. Luckily applications like meTime help individuals reduce social media, email,
browsing, and total time online.
Breach of privacy.
When information entrusted to organizations is abused or breached, it results in a variety of
violations and raises trust concerns from consumers. An organization has to do all that's in its
power to ensure the security of accounts and in case there's a breach they offer an apology to
ensure user membership and engagement on the platform (Ayabri & Treku, 2020). In other
cases, some users obtain ways in which they can hack into another person's or an organization's
account and manipulate or access information that's not theirs, to begin with. On sites like
Facebook and Instagram, there have been many cases of accounts being hacked. This has further
caused the responsible organizations to set up further measures like Two-step authentication or
verification procedures which has lowered the number of breach of accounts though
unfortunately, there have been a few reported cases of privacy breaches.
Human contact.
Due to the availability of mobile devices and electronic devices that one can communicate with,
fewer people engage with others on a contact level. This is due to the availability of applications
where people can communicate through video calls even over long distances. Unfortunately for
people like who are introverted, this causes them to be unable to relate to others on a humane
level and they prefer online relations.
Academic performance.
Social media is currently becoming more and more indispensable at our age and university
students, who are the majority using social media platforms are the major benefactors and most
affected by. On its own, it is not a determining factor of academic performance as you can use
the various sites for learning and academic purposes. Unfortunately, social media for non-
academic purposes like video gaming in particular and multitasking in social media platforms
predicted a significant negative performance in predicaments and in general (Lau, 2017). The
youth should try to balance ways in which they utilize social media usage from learning to
leisure activities.
Consequences of social media to the youth 4
Self-evaluation.
Due to different lifestyles and cultural activities and behaviors, social media provides an
opportunity to spread and expose these lifestyles. It’s an amazing way for people to understand
and relate with others from a better perspective. Unfortunately, people with lower self-esteem,
for example on Facebook constantly find themselves comparing what they have or who they are
to others, resulting in cases of low self-esteem (Cramer, Song & Drent, 2016). Individuals may
then center to that they are not worthy of what they were to start off isn't worthy of the energy
since they feel others do it better.
In general, social media is an amazing way for people to interact with others and from the
perspective of making the world a global village, one has to be aware of the perks that come with
it and use it intellectually.
Consequences of social media to the youth 5
References.
Anderson, M., Jiang, (2019) tony-silva.com.
Ayaburi, E.W, Treku, D.N, (2020). International Journal of Information Management 50, 171-
181.
Brooks, .L, (2017) https:doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.
Cramer, E.M, Song, H, Drent, A.M, (2016). Computers in Human Behavior 64, 739-736.
Harper, M.G, (2019) International journal of cyber criminology 13(2).
Lau, W., (2017) Computer in human behavior 68,286-291.
Whittaker, S,. Kalnikite, V,. Hollis, V., Guydish, A,. (2016) Proceedings of the 2016 CHI
Conference on human factors in computing systems, 1729-1738.