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Colleen Skiles

ENG 1201

Professor Nathan Hellmers

25 March 2021

How has social media made people more or less connected?

Growing up in the digital age isn’t always easy for some, but many people feel at peace

when it comes to looking to see the newest updates online. In the past decade, social media has

become one of the biggest influences for both children and adults. This has also revolutionized

how people socialize with each other. A study from 2018 performed by Statista, found that 80%

of American internet users are connected to online social media accounts (Yavich). If there was

an ability to count all the billions of different people on social media, it would take years to

evaluate. Everyone can take their part in stepping back and thinking how social media has

impacted themselves or someone else. Social media has impacted communication and is creating

a less social environment by causing mental health issues, stress, and loneliness. Many argue that

it threatens the everyday life of teenagers and young adults because they’re addicted towards

social media.

Let’s think back to the time when social media was in its early stages of developing,

which was the late 90’s and early 2000’s. The only way people could access social media is if

they had a computer handy. Technology was in its prime stage and it was growing during the

time when flip phones were popular. In Social Media, Gale Opposing Viewpoints describes the

early life of social media. The introduction of the World Wide Web in 1991 is what led to the

emergence of social network sites (Social Media). “Early experiments in social networking

include Classmates.com in 1995. Another early experiment was SixDegrees.com which allowed
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users to create their own profiles, view the profiles of other users, and invite friends” (Social

Media). Both of these websites were considered to be the first social media platforms; however,

it didn’t gain as much attraction in users as present social media platforms did. These successful

social media outlets that have gained attention over the past decade are known as MySpace,

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (Social Media).

What’s the difference between a social networking site and a social media site? They

both allow users to connect with each other, however there’s only a slight difference between

them. According to Roman Yavich’s article, Social Media and Loneliness - Forever connected?

social networks are defined as a virtual community that creates interactions with people who

have common interests, which can fall into the category of romantic, business, social etc.

(Yavich et). People tend to boost personal profiles and share content that may be related to

personal or business lifestyles with social networks (Yavich et). Social media sites are defined as

an online medium that can be used to make a profile and can be shared or broadcasted to friends

or the public (Yavich et). A lot of social networking sites make it accessible to look up old

friends, go to other people’s profiles, and provide hundreds of ways to create friendships (Yavich

et). It’s fair to say that social networking is a subcategory of social media.
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Fig 1. Social media and social networking sites help people reach out to each other in

many different ways. This figure shows the infinite cycle how communication can be spread

through the use of media (“How To Create Social Media Graphics That Spread Like Fire”).

Many people have come to the realization that social media is one of the biggest ways to

communicate on a day-to-day basis. It’s surprising thinking about the popularity and how fast

social media took off to be in the state that it’s currently in now. According to the article, Social

Media, as of research shown from 2019, the video-sharing website, YouTube is the most popular

social media website in America (Social Media). Overall, this attracted over 73 percent of

Americans into watching the never-ending cycle of videos (Social Media). Facebook is known to

be one of the largest social media sites and it has attracted 69 percent of adults in the United

States (Social Media). Facebook is the second most popular social media platform in America

according to the social media marketing firm, DreamGrow (Social Media).

The basis demographic age group of people that use social media has a wide range.

Coming from King’s University article, The Psychology of Social Media, “Based on a 2018 Pew

Research Center study, 88% of respondents between the ages of 18 to 29 reported using some

kind of social media. Seventy-eight percent of 30- to 49-year-olds said the same” (The

Psychology of Social Media). Many parents tend to have the habit of giving children

smartphones which makes it easy for young people to get on to a social media platform such as

Facebook. The psychology behind social media has only been around for under 20 years, and

everyone’s lives will continue to change with all of the different technological advancements as

time goes by (The Psychology of Social Media).

Before social media evolved, people relied on face-to-face interactions and phone calls to

get the latest updates, because people only had flip phones (Hanke). Children already have to
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start out in school from K-12, learning how to communicate. These children and young adults

are growing up in the digital age where technology is surrounding them. This could easily

become a distraction for children in most cases. According to Stacey Hanke’s article, “How

Social Media Affects Our Ability to Communicate”, she explains how communication has

changed with technology. She writes, “almost two-thirds of U.S. adults admit they use social

media to connect” (Hanke).

When taking social media into consideration there’s a number of things that could go

wrong. Safety is a big issue that is a concern for millions of Americans who are internet users

and users of social media. Many fake accounts circulate throughout the internet. How are people

supposed to maintain communication and feel connected on social media, if the account that

they’re speaking to isn’t real? According to the article, Social Media, “Security experts

emphasize that social media users should be extremely careful when communicating with

strangers online” (Social Media). People can fall easily into safety issues if precaution isn’t used.

Many Twitter accounts that are fake are automated through a software which is also known as

bots (Social Media). According to the article, Social Media, “bots can be used to deceive people

and promote misinformation. However, many bot accounts serve practical purposes. Beneficial

bots provide information about natural disasters or school closings” (Social Media). Some of the

media can store personal information of the users and they can hamper the privacy of the users.

Another issue on social media is cyberbullying which makes it easy to say ugly things

written to a person online, rather than in person (Social Media). These cyberbullies could spread

negative rumors and lies about a person or even post embarrassing videos or photos online

without the persons consent (Social Media). This can be self-damaging for many and ruin

people’s mental health, as well as self-esteem. This can also ruin friendships, for instance a
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friend could be hiding behind the screen and saying cruel things. According to the Social Media

article of the Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, “all fifty states in America have laws

that address cyberbullying and online harassment” (Social Media). Around the time of his

presidency, Donald Trump and his wife Melania launched an anti-cyberbullying campaign

(Social Media). Once something is out on the media for everyone to see, it stays there forever,

even if someone delete it.

Speaking of self-esteem, social media can trigger people to think negatively about

themselves (The Psychology of Social Media). People feel pressured on social media to alter

their identities so that audiences on various platforms realize that they feel accepted (The

Psychology of Social Media). It’s easy to put on a persona to maximize attractiveness. This is

also seen as catfishing and can make people wonder if a user is real or not (The Psychology of

Social Media). According to King University’s article, The Psychology of Social Media, “These

pressures extend far beyond the dating world and into many other facets of social media

interactions” (The Psychology of Social Media). With this digital age, people easily compare

themselves and it can damage their self-image.

For the generation ahead, they can experience a lot of issues that could affect their daily

lifestyle. Based on a study done by a psychologist, Lauren Sherman, from the Children’s Digital

Media, she recorded 50 pairs of 18- and 19-year old’s as they sat in the same room while they

interacted on social media (Sparks). According to Sarah Sparks’ report in her article, 'Real

World' Social Media Helps Students Bond, “Ms. Sherman found, the better students were able to

engage on social media, though in-person interaction remained the most engaging” (Sparks). The

rise of technology and social media is being implemented into the classrooms in America.
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Several studies suggested that socializing virtually makes it harder on students to make

connections with someone (Sparks).

Based on the number of likes or followers a user has on social media, it can make that

person feel like they’re worth a lot or they’re accepted, while in reality they might not be.

Loneliness can be a factor that comes into social media and overusing social media. The over

usage of social media can cause people to have difficulties to create real-life friendships (Yavich

et). The Pew Internet and American life has reported many experts and educators have concerns

that socializing online would lead students to feel distracted from deep engagement with people

(Sparks).

According to Yavich et.’s article, Social Media and Loneliness-Forever Connected, “a

study found that young people express a statistically significantly greater degree of loneliness

after conversations on the Internet, compared with the degree of loneliness they express after

face-to-face conversations” (Yavich et). People who make virtual friends, have a harder time

connecting with real life friends (Yavich et). Someone can have hundreds of friends on

Facebook; however, they may only have a small number of friends in real life.
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Fig. 2. Shows how social media can affect communication and human interaction

(Boligan).

According to King University’s article, The Psychology of Social Media, “using social

media offers opportunities for people to form groups for both general and specific interests,

which can help improve their overall productivity” (The Psychology of Social Media). Sharing a

birthday or a common interest can spark a conversation online.

During the unprecedent time with the COVID-19 pandemic currently, it has completely

shifted how everyone communicates on a regular basis. In the beginning period of the pandemic,

many businesses, schools, and other places were forced to shut down by their local state

governments. These local state governments eventually advised a stay-at-home order, and many

would not be able to go to family gatherings or see friends. This caused a lot of stress and mental

health issues to spark across America like never before. Many Americans used nothing but social

media and the internet during the time of quarantine to help manage stress and communication.

Social media is one of the things that fueled Covid-19 information to have people informed. One

of the biggest platforms people used to stay connected was Zoom, which is a video chat. One or

more participants can join in on the call and virtually see each other while everyone was at home.

With the pandemic everyone had to adjust to the usage of social media to communicate.

Social media has many different ways of connecting people no matter what the platform

may be. It can be used to raise awareness for different issues going on in the world. This is also

known as “hashtag activism” or online activism, which is showing support for a cause by using a

user’s voice online to make a social change (Social Media). This can also be used as a way of

healing for people who have experienced these social issues. Hashtag Activism has grown in

popularity over the last several years. According to the Social Media article of the Gale
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Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, back in 2017, the #MeToo movement was the starting

point of bringing this awareness in society and gained attention for many online activists (Social

Media). The #MeToo movement brought people together on many different social media

platforms to share experiences of sexual assault and harassment (Social Media).

Since things spread so easily throughout social media and social networking, this made

things easier to call for action for those who feel like something needs to be done. On the other

hand, it can either spark conversations or even debates. According to Social Media of the Gale

Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, “climate activist Greta Thunberg's use of social media

helped her organize the 2019 #GlobalClimateStrike in less than a year (Social Media)”. More

recently within the past year, #BlackLivesMatter or #BLM, for short has been an ongoing part of

hashtag activism. Many people on social media in 2020, posted a black square with the caption

“#BLM” on various platforms.

Fig. 3. Shows a visual representation how powerful hashtag activism can be through

social media when certain events occur in society causing many people wanting to bring

awareness (Allie).
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There are answers on how to manage time on social media and knowing your

surrounding people. Many people around the world don’t track how much time they spend using

it. People can take action by marking a calendar tracking how much time is spent on a daily basis

with the social media platforms that they’re using and use an app to silence all social media

notifications on their smartphones (Hanke). If people do this, everyone can obtain a successful

conversation with their peers. Due to social media, everyone is in the stage that, they feel shy to

talk or communicate in front of people on stage and to share their views. According to Yavich

et.’s article, Social Media and Loneliness-Forever Connected, “a study shows that stepping back

from social media can help decrease the levels of depression and loneliness that someone has”

(Yavich et).

Spending a large amount of time on social media can result to a never-ending list of

negative effects to someone’s mental health and everyday lifestyle. Going back to the safety

issues of social media, cyberbullying was one of the problems and another problem added on top

is stress (Social Media). When overwhelming users to a certain extent online, they can develop

high levels of depression and anxiety (Iwamoto, Hans). Based on a study mentioned in Iwamoto

and Hans article, The Emotional Impact of Social Media in Higher Education, done back in

2016, “people who are addicted to social media may spend most of their time on their social

media activities in order to help them forget about the problem that they are experiencing instead

of trying to think about how to face the said problem” (Iwamoto, Hans). It’s important to seek

help if someone isn’t feeling okay. Mental health is a major contributor on how everyone

interacts with one another. Someone with these mental health issues that’s addicted to social

media could distance themselves or loose connection with someone that they’re talking to.
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Along the lines of the negative effects that social media can have is potentially losing

focus with reality. According to Stacey Hanke’s article, “How Social Media Affects Our Ability

to Communicate”, she explains how communication has changed with technology. She writes,

“Some studies suggest the rise of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is directly

associated with overuse of social media, as our brain easily loses focus due to ongoing demands

for our attention” (Hanke). Many studies show an increasing dependency on social media

(Hanke).

Coming to concussion, the negatives outweigh the positives of how social media makes

everyone feel more or less connected. The story of how social media originated goes all the way

back from the 90’s and early 2000’s. Social media has impacted communication and is creating a

less social environment by causing mental health issues, stress, and loneliness. Many argue that

it threatens the everyday life of teenagers and young adults because they’re addicted towards

social media. It’s becoming the main issue as to why everyone feels disconnected with society.

However, there are some benefits that come with social media, which is that communication is

easier in the click of a button. Social media has made things harder to communicate in person

and technology is taking over. It’s becoming more of a dark hole that everyone is falling into and

has the greater effect on how to connect with someone.

ENG 1201

Professor Nathan Hellmers

25 March 2021

Works Cited

Allie, Eric. “Hashtag Activism.” Hashtag Activism, Cagle, 14 May 2014,

www.cagle.com/eric-allie/2014/05/hashtag-activism.

Boligan, Angel. “Let's Play!” 81 Satirical Illustrations Show Our Addiction to

Technology, Bored Panda, 2016, www.boredpanda.com/satirical-illustrations-addiction-

technology/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic.

Hanke, Stacey. “How Social Media Affects Our Ability to Communicate.” Thrive

Global, 13 Sept. 2018, thriveglobal.com/stories/how-social-media-affects-our-ability-to-

communicate/.

Hemani, Moosa. “How to Create Social Media Graphics That Spread Like Fire”,

Citeninja, 22 Nov. 2017, citeninja.com/blog/create-social-media-graphics-spread-like-fire/. 

Iwamoto, Darren, and Hans, Chun. “The Emotional Impact of Social Media in Higher

Education.” International Journal of Higher Education, vol. 9, no. 2, Jan. 2020, pp. 239–247.

EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1248481&site=eds-

live.

"Social Media." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2019. Gale In

Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/WOGZCY066436851/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=6067dae3. Accessed 16 Mar. 2021.

New studies look at impact on children." Education Week, vol. 32, no. 29, 24 Apr. 2013, p. 8.

Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A327944349/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=5b01c2b2. Accessed 16 Mar. 2021.

"Technology and Society." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2019.

Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999342/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=0fed6e2f. Accessed 16 Mar. 2021.

“The Psychology of Social Media.” King University Online, King University, 19 Sept.

2019, online.king.edu/news/psychology-of-social-media/.

Yavich, Roman, et al. “Social Media and Loneliness--Forever Connected?” Higher

Education Studies, vol. 9, no. 2, Jan. 2019, pp. 10–21. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1206454&site=eds-live.