Whenever I get on the orange line in the morning, I notice how nearly everyone riding the train, both teenagers and adults, is on their phones. Whether they are scrolling through Instagram, texting on Snapchat, or watching Netflix, everyone is in the “world” of their screens.
According to a report from the Pew Research Center in 2018, 97% of teens use at least one social media platform. Additionally, a report in 2019 revealed that teens spend an average of nine hours on social media daily. These reports clearly show that social media usage is a substantial part of teens’ life.
However, many adults think social media usage has a negative effect on a teen’s life because of the amount of time they spend on apps. In a survey conducted in 2023 for teenagers throughout the U.S., the results revealed that teens spend roughly 4.8 hours on social media every day. As a teen, I try to limit the amount of time I spend on my phone, specifically social media, because I find that I can do other, more productive activities in my free time. In many households, I feel like parents feel the need to limit the use of social media among their teens. However, I do not feel like this should be normalized, as social media does hold positive benefits for teens as well.
For one, many teens communicate with their friends through social media platforms — especially during summer when you or friends may be on vacation or unavailable to hang. Contacting your friends through social media can be an easy way to talk. However, I don’t believe that communication through social media apps should replace the need to meet up with your friends in person. Hanging out and interacting with other people in person is a healthy way to strengthen friendships and maintain social skills with others. Although I do believe that meeting with others in person is better than communicating online, there can be times when getting together with friends in person is not possible.
Another reason why adults should be overall more accepting of social media is that some platforms are a good and informative way to hear about news — whether it is worldwide news or local news. On apps like TikTok and Instagram, many content creators post clips intending to inform the viewers of important news throughout the world. For instance, I frequently open Instagram to see updates on the NBA, such as games and trades, which is helpful for me as an avid basketball fan.
Although many take in important information and news through social media, others are skeptical of the accuracy of the news being spread there. Even I have caught myself scrolling on Instagram and finding myself watching a video of a “news” piece, which I find out later, after looking it up, that it was false. This is scary, as many can be fooled into believing incorrect information that they might see and receive through TikTok or Instagram. However, I think that teens are fully capable of noticing false information online and using the internet to find the truth. This is something that I strongly believe in, though adults usually don’t trust teens to discern the correct information themselves. Often, teens are smarter than adults believe they are and can use their knowledge to be safe online.
While there are precautions needed for social media, I still strongly believe that social media can be positive and beneficial for teens. I acknowledge that many struggle with the amount of time they spend on social media, but that is manageable. From learning news to communicating with your friends and family, there are far too many benefits of social media for it to be shunned in households.
