Introduction (1:30)

Alexia: Hey! My name is Alexia Concha and I am here with…

Rosy: Rosy Gutierrez

Kaylee: Kaylee Benson

Carolinna: Carolinna Zamudio. Today we are going to talk about the Negative
Impact social media creates and about how much of an effect Social media has
on our generation and younger generations, definitely more bad than good.
Specifically with Body image.

Rosy: This topic was brought to our attention for a variety of reasons, for
example, numerous studies have associated excessive social media use can
significantly increase the risk of sadness, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide. .
Negative emotions often include dissatisfaction about your own life, especially the way you
look.

Alexia: We all look different because we are all unique but what happens when
unique no longer becomes good when unique or different starts identifying as
weird or ugly because of social media we our put in a place where standards are
becoming a thing where we feeling we need to look a certain way and live a
certain to fit into society this couldn't be further from the truth of it shows how
much of an impact it is creating in our day to day life.

2:00
Topic 1: How much social media is in our lives (our phones)
Kaylee: We want to first address the time spent on social media and how vulnerable
people are to harmful thoughts because of it.

Carolinna: This topic mostly applies to the younger generation because of the amount of
technology they have had access to since they were little. It is said in an article from
BroadBand Search that 3.8 billion people use social media, which makes up half our
world. It is said that every second “11 people use social media for the first time.”
Rosy: According to studies, screen time usage can have negative consequences for
kids and teens , including low academic performance, harmful habits, unstable
relationships, and lack of parental support.

Alexia: It just shows how addicted we are to our phones. There's all these false
expectations and standards thrown at us on social media and not only do we
encourage it but we feed into it and even try to mimic those false standards. We fill our
heads with awful thoughts that we can later not get rid of.

Kaylee: Just think of how many hours we are on our phones every single day. The
amount of content we can see even in one hour is enough to truly cause everlasting
harmful effects. If you are on social media for say 4 hours, the amount of videos and
pictures double. You see all kinds of content. Both positive and negative. You can only
control so much of what you see.

2:00
Topic 2: How it changes your mentality on how you view yourself (Add
quotes)

Kaylee: Researchers have not been able to prove that there is a direct correlation
between social media with mental illnesses or body issues but it is safe to say that it
does contribute to it. The more social media is used, the higher the anxiety and
depression levels get. Australian Christian College states that “while social media can
help cultivate friendships and reduce loneliness, evidence suggests that excessive use
can negatively impact self esteem and self satisfaction.” Clinical Psychology Science
looked at smart phone usage and compared them to suicide and depression rates and
found that between 2010 and 2015 there was a 33% increase in the number of
adolescents experiencing depressive symptoms and the suicide rate went up by 31%.
Women were the main cause for the increase. I feel like we all can see why that is.
Women are pressured to fit into stereotypes and they see what they “should look like''
all the time. Whether that comes from social media or just walking around the streets.
You see all of these other women that have the perfect body and you always wonder
why can’t I look like that. It just destroys your self perception.

Carolinna: Yes I agree with what you say. We tend to look at others and compare
ourselves with unrealistic images in social media and think “ that's how I'm supposed to
look like” or “ I want to look like that.” Social media has a negative effect on self
perceptions. The thing about social media is that it's very unrealistic. We see all these
people look good and dress good but think about it you only post about yourself when
you look your best. Like what Kaylee said, it's not only social media that affects our self
perception. We have a problem with not being content with how we look or are. We see
others in our daily lives and wish to be like them when in reality everyone is different. I
think training the mind from a young age and teaching them to love themselves just the
way they are should play a big part in their lives.

Rosy: Society may solve body image concerns with dedication. There should be an
inclusive society that promotes a positive body image. Parents should be more vigilant
in spotting indicators of bad body image in their children and seeking help as soon as
possible. Parents should be more supportive of their children by encouraging a positive
body image and teaching them about the dangers of excessive social media use.
Parents should be more involved in their kids' lives when giving them a phone.

Alexia: Social media does in fact have a negative effect on people because you see
something that you like and you want it what i mean is social media can in fact be bad
but it can also be a motivator one of the main reasons social media becomes toxic is
because we look at it in a negative way some people in fact take that want and turn it
into motivation and they start going to work out or they start being more productive
because you strive to be that person. Social media is only bad if you let it be bad

3:00
Topic 3: Our opinion/experiences on self-perception.
Rosy: I love social media, I love to see what my friends are up to but there are
times where I wish I could do those things or I see a girl with a perfect body and
wish to be like that because I know I would attract more people. It discourages
me when I see a perfect body on Tik Tok and people compliment them because
nowadays in order to have people like you, you have to have a big butt , curves,
etc. I realize it isn't always like that, social media can portray something different
than how we see.

Alexia: I think we can all agree that social media has affected us one way or
another, for me I think often times I go onto instagram and find myself comparing
myself and my life to someone else's regardless if I know them or not from the
way they look, the way they live and dress ect I know this is unhealthy and I think
to myself Alexia why? Why do you do that to yourself you're not that person and I
have to constantly remind myself that I like who I am and the way I live and
because I don't fit into all these different stereotypes doesn't mean I am not a
good or happy person. In my opinion social media is an amazing thing. It shows
me so much and it gives me a sense of comfort often but I have to know where to
draw the line because just like anything else too much of it can become bad.

Kaylee: Personally, it’s super easy for me to get insecure about what I look like.
As it is for a lot of other people. Whether that is about the way my body looks or
how my face is proportioned. I feel like for me if I see someone who is super
skinny and toned I even subconsciously start judging myself and wondering how
I can get my body to look like them. Of course it is important to take care of
yourself but healthy bodies look different in all cases. You could be very healthy
and not have the perfect toned stomach that we all see. I think it’s just very
important to remember that almost all of the content on social media is fake and
staged. Nobody looks perfect all the time. Everyone has insecurities and faults.
People put out their best. You don’t see the hard or lazy days. You also don’t
know the stories behind their pictures and videos. The picture could be
absolutely perfect but behind it they could be going through horrible depressive
episodes. You never know what happens behind the scenes. Social media is a
great way for me to get inspiration for how I want to live my life. I think that it has
helped me become the person I am today. I have so much more knowledge at
my fingertips and I am so grateful for the connections I have been able to make
and keep over the phone. I have a childhood friend that lives far away so I don't
get to see her very often but we are still able to connect still over instagram. I get
to watch her grow up through a screen.

Carolinna: In my opinion I feel like I get discouraged a lot by social media more
than seeing people in person. I tend to forget that not everything is the way it
seems. Since I was 10 I have had social media in my life and has played a big
part of my life. I think the biggest thing that affects me is body image. I see
people in my feed and how they have awesome bodies and it makes me feel
insecure. The reason why this affects me is because it makes me stay home and
do nothing. It just gets me down. I have slowly shifted away from social media
and I have noticed that it has helped with my mental health.

Conclusion:
Kaylee: Social media can be super awesome, you just have to know how to
clean out all the negative thoughts it can bring after you’re done. I think it’s really
important to teach yourself that you are, as cliche as it sounds, perfectly
imperfect. We all have our struggles no matter what we look like. How you look
on the outside shouldn’t diminish who we are on the inside.

Rosy: Although social media isn't the best at times it definitely plays a part of
how you view yourself and how it can affect you in many different ways. Don't let
it discourage you and love yourself for who you are.

Alexia: Social media is a way to stay in touch and a way to share your
achievements and instead of being envious of others you need to know that you
are enough and you shine in your own way so don't let someone else's life affect
your own because in the end it's not worth it.

Carolinna: Overall social media does have a bad side but it can also have some
positive outcomes. There is always a good and bad side to everything, not just
social media. The thing is just learning how to put your mental health first and
overcoming any discouragement. Learn how to value yourself and know that
everyone is different and that it's ok.