Social media can give people a sense of comfort and help others connect with their loved ones, however it has some drawbacks.

“I think social media is a bit of both. I think it’s bad in a sense that it can hurt a lot of people but it’s also good to connect with your friends,” Senior Lola Walsh said.

Social media could be seen negatively from some people’s  perspectives. It could affect people’s  schedules, expose them to bullying or harassment, and give them unrealistic views of the world.

“For the students specifically, I feel that it is a distraction and it has them so trapped that there comes a moment where they can’t f unction without it. I imagine the first thing they do when they wake up Is pick up their phone to see who texted them, so I feel like it’s  being abused too  much,” Anatomy and Physiology teacher Evelyn Cordero stated.

Social media also has benefits, like communicating with others and finding support. It can help students who have trouble expressing themselves and give people a sense of comfort, and to some, it is a way out.

“It could be beneficial if you use it for the right reasons, like people who use it to motivate people. But I feel like I use it as a way to escape reality, like seeing a lot of nice things, and seeing people I want to be like, just what I inspire to be I guess,” Sophomore  Claraliz Made said.

The way a person uses social media can change the effect it has. A 2015 study conducted by the Mayo Clinic staff f ound that people who used it passively, like just viewing other’s posts, reported a decline  in life satisfaction. However,  those who interacted with others or posted their own content instead of spectating, did not experience those declines.

“I think it goes both ways, let’s say if the person who is recording themselves has  depression in that moment, there are family and friends who see them, and they can help them. But at the same time, I feel that when another person who has depression sees those type of posts  they can cave in because they see other people having similar problems yet that have support and they think ‘oh we have the same problems, but I haven’t changed’ Instead of asking for help themselves,” Mrs. Cordero said.

People can protect each other  from being affected by social media in diverse ways. Knowing what is and is not okay can prevent many misunderstandings. Another  issue with social media is becoming dependent on it, this can be fixed by trying to limit the time spent on the platforms.

“I feel like how I use social media depends on the situation, in a time where I’m  not doing much, like summer, a lot of times I don’t go out, so I spend a lot of time on social media on just on my phone in general. But during school days I feel like I learned how to distance myself  and take a break when I need to,” Made said.

There are differences between socializing online and physically , like body language and facial expressions. Another difference is that people sometimes fake interest or knowledge through social media, however, people tend to be somewhat more open and honest when they are face to face.

“Personally, I think it’s better to talk in person with someone, I think a lot of bad things happen even on social media, because someone might say something in a text and they’ll take it the wrong way, whereas if they said in person they wouldn’t. You can just take things out of context on social media,” Walsh said.

Having alternatives for entertainment could be beneficial if you wish to distance yourself from social media. Some people find themselves feeling better after distracting their minds with activities that require physical involvement.

“You could find a new hobby or find something you like to do. Maybe go outside more and take breaks from your phone. Hang out with people in person!”  Made said.