Social Media:

Does It Foster the Young Generation’s Social Development?

As the clock strikes noon on a weekday, the students of Madrid National

HIgh School emerge from the classroom doors. They flock in social circles but
physical interaction is ever so minimal for most of them have their eyes fixated on
the screen of their phones or media devices. Some of them start to make their way
home and, surprisingly, they are still able to maneuver their way through the
neighborhoods and the busy streets.

The latest technology all over the world means opening up new means of
communication that attracts the youngest generation. Whether positive or negative,
from smartphones to the internet and social media, the way the present generation
socializes and relates to others are changing.

Many believe that the keen use of social media gives young people a self-
esteem boost and makes them feel more connected with their loved ones and
friends. This may be true but only to some extent.

The use of social media commonly develops addiction or dependency to it

among youth today. Numerous parents are concerned about the hypnotizing glare
of their children’s phone and computer screens, which are eating away their social
skills. According to the Child Mind Institute, social media negatively affects the
behavior of young people by depriving them of important social cues they would
learn through in-person interaction. This will make them more anxious and
insecure.

Furthermore, social media can also lead to the setting of unrealistic

standards among teens as they try to fit in and keep up with the latest trends. This
lifestyle is unhealthy and may cause unnecessary stress and lower self-esteem.

See how this is affecting our generation today? Instead of their social skills
progressing, it is deteriorating. Because of social media’s dominance in this
generation, we might not even realize how much of a problem it has already
become.

Let us not allow this problem to take over our lives and impair one of the
most important aspects of one’s development - social skills. It is a crucial factor a
young person needs more in the future. That is why we need to limit the amount of
time we spend on it as well as control how much we consume from it before it
consumes us. Disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with the real world.