In the 21st century, “social media” has become something that many people cannot live without. Social media are online applications (“apps”) like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, where users can view & send messages and pictures. When many people wake up, the first thing they do is check their accounts for any updates. Teenagers are the ones most addicted to social media. Teenagers who are addicted to social media usually spend all of their time on their smartphones. Even if they are eating or working, they still check social media for any new updates. Social media addiction can lead to some serious effects, like health problems, poor study habits, and alienation from reality.
The first effect of social media addiction is health problems. Social media addiction can harm both the mental and physical health of teenagers. Due to the addiction, many teenagers go to bed late and stay up all night on their phones, which means they are not getting enough hours of sleep and often develop insomnia. “Researchers determined the most pronounced routes between depressive symptoms and social media were found to be via poor sleep and online harassment” (Social Media Use and Depression in Teens 3). This lack of proper sleep affects the brain and leads to increased anxiety and depression, and leaves people constantly tired, sleepy-headed, and unable to concentrate. Slowly they become lazy, too, not getting enough exercise or eating healthy food; this can lead to physical illnesses.
The second effect of addiction to social media is poor study habits. Social media addiction can distract students from their studies. Even excellent students can be distracted by social media. Overuse of social media causes students to lose interest in their studies, and they neither do their homework, nor prepare for tests. Sometimes, while students are attending class, they do not focus on the lecture or their work because their mind wanders somewhere else, and their addiction makes them want to check their social media instead of concentrating on their lessons.
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The third effect of addiction to social media is alienation from reality. Social media addicts spent all of their time on social media, scrolling their phone to see any new updates or any interesting news. They communicate face-to-face less, instead texting their friends. They do not even talk to their family members. This leads them to less socializing with any people, and they do not go outside and are not interested in anything else. As stated before, problems with mental and emotional health can develop, even leading to severe cases of social detachment.
In conclusion, using social media is a good thing, but getting addicted to social media is dangerous. People do not realize the seriousness of being addicted to social media and how they are destroying their lives. Social media addiction has many negative impacts on health, studying, and social life. To avoid social media addiction, teenagers should spend more of their time on studying, playing outside, and going out with friends and families.
