Have you ever sat for hours, waiting for someone or something, scrolling on your phone? Lucky for you, you aren’t alone.
With the rise of technology, AI, and social media, device usage has increased. Most things are online now, like news, entertainment, and even food ordering. However, how addictive and draining is using your screen and social media constantly? Should we limit our screen time?
“About 41% of teens with the highest social media use rate their overall mental health as poor or very poor, compared to the 23% with the lowest use,” states Tori DeAngelis, article writer for the American Psychological Association. Many sources have proved social media to be addicting, and sometimes harmful. Several stories have come out around the world of people losing motivation and being too caught up in ‘doom-scrolling.’
“Social media is absolutely addicting, with things like Instagram, it hooks my attention span with the short content,” eighth grader Hudson Harford said.
Eighth grader Elijah Poe shares that he uses social media for about 11 hours daily. This is above average from the 4.8 hours of a 14-year-old’s social media use.
“I think certain types of content are harmful,” Poe said.
While this isn’t inherently bad, it all revolves back to the type of content you consume. Influencers have taken platforms like TikTok and YouTube by storm, some flashing their extravagant lives, and others offering tips one might need daily. Even with the help, there is also the harm. Some beauty influencers can make their adolescent viewers feel the need to be like them, and it could lead to insecurities down the line. Viewers could want to be like them, or try to mimic their lifestyle to feel better about themselves. It’s important to remember that most influencers only post the nice parts of their days, and just like their common viewer, they are humans with emotions too.
So, can technology affect your mental health or well-being? It’s more opinionated, but yes. Technology seems to have more pros than cons and can be a huge detriment in some people’s lives.
