Social Media Dependence at Comp Sci High
“Knowing how harmful social media can be to the human body, will future generations continue to use it more frequently and depend on it, or will they reduce their dependency on it altogether?”
Do you recall ever having your camera turned off even while you were present and still being marked absent? When you had to 'look good' in front of the camera? Being called on just as you were ready to go, after telling your siblings to quiet down and hoping that the teacher spotted your "BRB, BRB Bathroom" message? In electives, particularly dance, and gym, you had to record and show yourself warming up. That might be somewhat embarrassing, particularly if your connection was weak. Our freshman year memories consist of Zoom calls or Google Meets, having to turn on our cameras and stare at screens from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or later if we had office hours, finding it difficult to concentrate in class, having poor communication skills with teachers and other students, zoom bombers, and scheduling conflicts. All of this was also made worse because of the fact that we were on our screens with social media at the same time.
During the pandemic, there were strict rules enforced while you were inside the building. For any reason, not even to eat or drink, you were not permitted to remove your masks. You would be the center of attention and need to take a quick Covid-19 test if you ever coughed once. That is not a concern for the current ninth graders. Their ninth-grade experience is not ours; it's what everyone else had. Simply coughing, talking, and laughing with friends causes no worries.
For those of us who are seniors now, social media was a major part of our 9th-grade experience. When working on a project, you would have to give your phone number or social media account to your teammates and trust that they will complete the work even if you were not physically present. Having access to your peers' social media accounts may give false impressions of their lives. When bored in Zoom calls you would just message your friends or scroll on social media. For many, this would be a major distraction. Social media was used to spread dark humor, COVID-19 rumors, and information on the number of cases in each country during the pandemic. Many remember being alarmed by the daily surge in numbers since the pandemic began, fearing that they may eventually become caught by the sharp spike in COVID-19 cases.
According to childmind.org, a company dedicated to transforming the lives of children, “Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all led to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image, and loneliness” (How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers). Social media has undoubtedly improved over time. More and more people are using it. It’s known that teens (Ages 12-17) use social media the most. For example, YouTube is used by 95% of teens, and TikTok is used by 67% of teens. (Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022) There has been a noticeable difference in the way people use social media in their lives between seniors and freshmen at Comp Sci High.
A current 12th grader who wished to remain anonymous underwent an interview with us. The use of social media was really important throughout their time in ninth grade. They commented that "TikTok made me feel more connected with the outside world during the pandemic." They believe social media may be both beneficial and detrimental when it comes to learning about current events. They added that social can be full of horrific things: "Some people may find it upsetting to watch a video of someone jumping off a building. On social media, I've also encountered homophobia, misogyny, and racism." Another 12th grader added that they believe the current 9th graders use social media more than current 12th graders: “They try to increase their ‘maturity’ and post false narratives of themselves on social media.”
“I used TikTok almost everyday at every hour and it affected how I did in school.“ said Jessica Cruz Dabrowska, a current 9th grader at CSH about her experience from the pandemic. Ever since in-person school started again, she reveals that her usage of TikTok has lessened, yet it is still a part of her daily routine when having not much to do. Jessica uses social media for entertainment and to communicate with others online. She believes it’s way easier to say things online, but it depends on who you are having a conversation with. With friends, she likes to share opinions on topics, mainly on society and the weird actions within GenZ. “Most of the time,” she said, “they agree with what I say, but if I mentioned it to a different audience, they would probably be insensitive about it because majority of the time, they’re part of the problem.” When compared to the 12th graders, she feels that 9th graders use social media way too often, for teens around her age were exposed to technology at a much younger age, making them addicted. This causes 9th graders to become easily influenced by the ideas spread within social media. Their actions are mainly contributed by what is seen on social media, like the vulnerability to self-sabotage.
Considering this, a number of similarities have been observed. One of these is the view held by both 9th and 12th students that 9th graders spend most of their time on social media. However, we noticed how we should take in consideration that not every 9th grade student is like this. Knowing how harmful social media can be to the human body, will future generations continue to use it more frequently and depend on it, or will they reduce their dependency on it altogether?
Keeping in mind the increased use of social media within younger teens, having mindfulness and awareness through what is seen online can lead to a more positive outcome in how newer generations interact with each other. When involved in drama with other teens, we need to keep in consideration how we are reacting to a conflict, maintaining maturity regardless of our view on the situation.