Social Media and Technology: Harming or Helping the Youth?

by Olivia Collins

Most of my life has been dominated by social media and technology, and whether or not I like to admit, I’m dependent on it.

Upon being asked if an older person has ever made a negative comment about my generation’s dependency on social media and technology to them, the majority of millennials would say yes. I’m pretty sure everyone has heard the “an old man said my generation is more dependent on technology than his, so I pulled the plug on his life support to prove him wrong” joke.

The fact of the matter is our lives are somewhat dependent on it  – but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Personally speaking, social media and technology has opened so many doors for me. The majority of job hunting now takes place on social media, and I would have never been able to get mine without it. Social media is great for anyone who wants to get ideas out. There are countless outlets for writers and artists who want to display and share their work.

Not to mention keeping up with current events in real time. With technology making the sharing of information instantaneous, my generation is extremely aware of what is going on in the world. We were able to view the events of the violent revolutions in the Middle East seconds after they happened. This makes our generation worldlier than all the others. This leads to a greater understanding of other cultures, which typically leads to tolerance.

                Despite all these great things social media and technology has done for our generation, there is definitely a downside to our dependence on it. Rather than living and enjoying moments, everyone seems to be focused on capturing them. I can’t even count how many concerts I’ve been to where people just videotape the whole thing.

Teenagers are more concerned about how many likes their prom pictures get on Instagram opposed to actually enjoying their prom. And they are starting to measure their self-worth by how popular they are on social media, which is ridiculous.

Another issue is genuine interaction is so hard to come by. Rather than start talking during a moment of awkward silence, people just pick up their phone and start playing on it. People are rarely pushed out of their comfort zones because they can just fall back into their smartphones.

                It’s really hard to say whether or not social media has shaped my generation for the better or the worse. Either way, my generation wouldn’t be what it is without it. 

What generation do you identify with - and do you agree or disagree?