Social Media – it’s all we hear about these days, from every generation. It’s become a very vital part of human lives, especially for the younger generations. While it has lots of positive benefits such as staying connected and sharing experiences, it also has its disadvantages. One of the most significant challenges posed by social media is its impact on developmental skills with the younger generations. Oftentimes, if teens have problems they will immediately bring it to social media, making Tiktoks shading someone, or Instagram and Snapchat posts. When this happens, it’s often forgotten that sharing someone’s private information online can have detrimental effects. About a few weeks ago a similar situation occurred on the South Snapchat stories. Information was being put up online that should have been brought to adults or law enforcement, not teenagers on Snapchat. With situations like this happening daily all over the country, it’s clear social media is stunting skills that are vital to developing as a human, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, comprehension, and communication. Not only is it affecting skills but it’s been proven to be changing our brain chemistry. Social media platforms are designed to capture our attention and keep us engaged for as long as possible. This constant scrolling and switching between platforms has led to decreased attention spans and reduced focus. 

Even though there are negatives to using social media, the positives make it worth using. It is very important for people to be able to connect, show creativity and laugh together, but it’s even more important when you know how to use it safely. Set boundaries on what you post and who can see it, and think before you post about the impacts your post can have.