Never before have a handful of tech designers had so much control over the way billions of users live.
Social media has drastically changed the world and a generation as a whole. Considering Generation-Z is the first generation in which kids have received cell phones in middle school, one must wonder if that has affected the way their minds think.
According to Netflix’s new documentary, ‘The Social Dilemma, fake news is proven to spread six percent faster than real news. This can result in more contiversary in the media.
According to the Center for Disease Control, per every one million girls of the ages 10-14 have had a +151 percent incline of suicide rates from 2001 between 2010, to current-day. This escalated in 2009, possibly coinciding with the wide availability of social media on mobile devices.
“[I believe] social media does affect our mental health a lot,” Senior Alyssa Colpaert said. “Seeing pictures of people living their best lives, commonly for girls. It’s difficult seeing that and not getting upset or self-conscious and feeling like you aren’t enough.”
‘The Social Dilemma’ agreed with Colpaert in stating that social media has caused this generation to become more depressed and anxious.
The documentary suggested that turning off notifications that are not a phone call or text message can help social media’s dilemma, which has fed people’s minds and bodies every day. The documentary also suggests ignoring pop-up ads in order to ‘ignore’ social media algorithms. ‘Clickbait,’ false information that captures users’ attention, may also feed the common social media addiction.
On the other hand, some see social media as a great marketing tool.
“I think social media is an amazing area for making money and sharing more opinions,” Sophomore Ryan Scott said.
According to TheSocialDillema.com, social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook are considered technology that connects users, but also controls, manipulates, distracts and polarizes users.
According to the Netflix documentary ‘The Great Hack,’ all data on the internet is collected, including what one looks at, who they follow and all of their information. The users are then given personalized ads and news based on their activity.
Social media was originally intended to harmlessly connect users, but may have evolved into something harmful. All users may have to proceed with caution.
