Social Networking’s Good and Bad Impacts on Kids, Essay Example

In this age of digital communication it is not uncommon to see just about everyone looking down at their phones wherever one may go. It seems that the digital revolution has spurned a great demand for digital communication and mobile technology, which have taken hold of people and has resulted in addiction to various forms of digital communication. This is especially true for how much people use social media such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. However, this can have negative consequences such as creating anti-social behavior, for example, people in a crowded elevator not greeting each other or conversing because they all have their faces down in their phones, more than likely on some form of social media, as social media is very popular. Graham (2014), reports that 73% of adults who get online regularly use some type of social networking site, and that social media has caused distances among people because it stifles personal interaction. In addition, according to the American Psychological Association, states that too much social media can cause narcissistic tendencies, anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders (APA, 2011). This can affect someone’s digital footprint in negative ways as well. Most people have heard that anything that people put out in cyberspace can be accessed forever, even when it is deleted. This includes emails, texts, pictures, videos, and other data. These total up to a person’s digital footprint and social media and other forms of digital communication addiction will result in someone’s digital footprint being that of an addict of technology, which is interesting to note.

References

APA. (2011, August 6). Social Networking’s Good and Bad Impacts on Kids. Retrieved from American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/08/social-kids.aspx

Graham, R. R. (2014, April 16). Psychologist: Social Media Causing A ‘Distancing Phenomena’ To Take Place. Retrieved from CBS Local Washington: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/04/16/psychologist-social-media-causing-a-distancing-phenomena-to-take-place/