Social media continues to take the world by storm. Everywhere you look, people are accessing and creating new social networking platforms like never seen before.

At the turn of the 21st Century, social media became increasingly popular with the introduction of some of the world’s most influential sites like Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter. They provide a platform for people worldwide to express themselves as a creative outlet.

Social media’s impact on the world has been huge, but it raises the question: How does social media affect us?

Almost, if not all of us here at GCHS, use some form of social media. To imagine a life without Snapchat or Twitter seems literally…impossible.

As individuals, social media grants us the opportunity to quickly and easily communicate with people all around the globe. From emails to direct messaging to photo sharing, there are so many ways that allow us to communicate what’s happening in our lives to the people most important to us.

Along with communication, social media gives us access to real-time information and news. With such an active political and social climate in our current world, almost all sites act as a messenger to convey important events happening around the world.

Above all though, social media is fun! We can talk to our friends on a daily, maybe even hourly basis, virtually shop for anything, and interact in a way that people of the past couldn’t do.

However, with all of the excitement that radiates from social media, there are also consequences that follow too. To completely ignore social media is not plausible, but it’s important to take into account the effect that social media really has on us.

While instant communication is an amazing tool, it can also be a hindrance in certain situations. In an age where everything is done online, we lose a lot of personable communication skills. Talking to someone face to face is a lot different and thus makes such interactions more difficult when we constantly communicate over a screen. Furthermore, these interactions can at times come across as insincere because there is no emotion behind the screen either.

But more important and crucial than anything is the use of social media to harm others. For some, social media is a platform to bully others. It is so easy to call others names, poke fun of, or commit seriously dangerous acts against other people, sometimes to the extent of identity theft. And with new technology, such behavior only becomes easier which is why it’s necessary to be aware when social networking. Don’t involve yourself in bullying and if you see something, report it.

Social media has also unfortunately created a skewed self-image that many people compare themselves too. Pictures of this ideal self-image are crammed down our throats, and we are made to believe that if we don’t look like that, we are ugly or not good enough. We need to remind ourselves that none of this is true.

Social media is exciting, and there’s no reason to stop using it all together, but  we should  take a second to slow down. Enjoy the world around you and the people in your company.