Blog Post #8
Especially in recent times, we have seen a dramatic increase in the usage of social media. Its use has become a common practice, with one of the primary audiences being students. With this, a large debate has occurred pertaining to whether or not social media benefits or destroys our society as a whole. I tend to believe that the drawbacks of social media tend to outweigh the benefits, especially for those in school.
One of the reasons I argue that social media does more bad than good in terms of school is the effects it can have on students from a psychological standpoint. With phone usage, it's essential to be responsible with not only what you use it for but for how often you're on the device. With social media, there is an opportunity for students to use the software more often, leading to over-usage. With this heavy use, many devastating effects may follow. It is noted that "young people who report spending the most time on smartphones — five to seven hours a day — are twice as likely to report being depressed as those who use their phones for one to two hours a day" (Kamenetz, 2019, para. 8). In order to succeed in the classroom, it is vital to be in the right headspace so you can focus on your studies. With depression, it is not easy to stay focused on schooling, and even going beyond that puts you in both a poor and dangerous mental state.
Along with poor psychological effects, social media, and cell phone use also opens up the door for cheating to emerge. With this access, students can try to find ways to bend the rules and cheat their way through assignments. A common observation with this use in software is that students can cheat by "Taking a picture of a quiz and sending it to friends who have the same class later in the day" (Klein, 2019, para. 1). This becomes very dangerous for students as they will develop the habit of finding the easy way out and not be willing to challenge themselves in the classroom. This also gives teachers a false idea as to where the student stands in terms of academic performance. They will overestimate their ability which eventually will set students up for failure.
Including the reasons stated above, there is just a tremendous amount of danger one can be exposed to through participation in social media. It creates a platform in which anyone is at risk for a great deal of negativity. The video from the documentary discusses how suicide rates in both males and females under 17 have increased drastically, along with increased exposure to harm such as harassment, stress, and trauma (Willett, 2019). This documentary did a terrific job of portraying just how dangerous and even deadly social media can be. In relation to a classroom setting, it can clearly be observed that these harmful experiences can deteriorate the student's performance and overall well-being.
The list doesn't end after that, though. Social media and cell phone usage have also been observed to be tremendous distractions for students. They build such a strong addiction to these devices that they can't focus on what is being asked of them. This has gotten to the point where teachers are even catching on to the distractions these devices are causing. One teacher states that "I have not seen any single diversion that so distracts students from reading, writing, thinking, and working" (Gardiner, 2016, para. 2) As stated earlier, many of these effects end in students' academic performance and capabilities being diminished. These devices simply are taking away from the educational experience, which hinders the future of these kids.
Now, while many negatives exist, there are ways to combat the damage of social media use. These are important to grasp as it seems that the use of technology isn't going anywhere in the foreseeable future. It is important to promote these safe habits and practices so students can stay safe online. One of the key practices is to have "social media access be turned off during the school day, social media accounts should be made private, and devices are not in the bedroom at night" (University of Utah Health, 2023, para. 8). If we can't get rid of social media, the best thing we can do is promote healthy habits. This is just one of the many practices the article presents on how to combat dangerous social media use.
Reference
Gardiner, S. (2022, February 28). The student cellphone addiction is no joke (opinion). Education Week. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://www.edweek.org/technology/opinion-the-student-cellphone-addiction-is-no-joke/2016/04
Klein, A. (2019, September 6). Schools say no to cell phones. But is it a smart move? Education Week. Link
Kamenetz, A. (2019, August 27). NPR's The Scientific Debate over Teens, Screens, and Mental Health. National Public Radio. Link
Tips for healthy social media use: For parents and teens. University of Utah Health | University of Utah Health. (2023, March 29). Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2023/01/tips-healthy-social-media-use-parents-and-teens
Willett, R. (Director). (2019). Plugged-In: The Toxicity of Social Media Revealed. [YouTube Video]. Brick in the Wall Media.
Hi Anthony, I really enjoyed your blog post for this week! Your first reason for your argument really spoke to me. We do not want our students to be at risk for depression, anxiety, or the many other mental illnesses that can arise as a consequence of social media overuse and abuse. Success inside and outside of the classroom is key, and these can harm our students greatly. I have personal experience regarding this piece of evidence. Throughout high school, I had a very strong addiction to being on social media and overusing my cell phone. My grades struggled and the only thing I ever wanted to focus on was the internet and everything being posted on social media. I missed out on so many great opportunities all because I was glued to my phone. When the pandemic hit, I realized how addicted I was and made it a point to not go over 1 hour of screen time each day. This was very difficult while being locked in my house, but somehow I got through it (magically). Going back to school senior year, I was so grateful to be in the moment with all of my friends that I didn’t care what was on my phone. While I have definitely defied my rule of 1 hour of screen time since then, I really try to be more present in the moment and pay more attention to my schoolwork.
ReplyDeleteHey Anthony,
ReplyDeleteYour blog was very well done this week. I had the same viewpoints as well that social media and technology use in the classroom do more harm than good. Social media is being used at an all-time high nowadays. I remember when I was in middle school and high school social media was just starting to become a big time, everyone was just getting Instagram and Snapchat. I feel like times have changed so much that everyone is constantly on their phones. Students are on their phones in the classroom and it distracts them from their schoolwork. I think that students should not have their phones in the classroom at all. Like you said in your blog this can lead to cheating. Students can take pictures of their work and send them to other students during class and students can also send test answers to the classes beforehand as well to help a friend out. Which might seem nice in a sense helping out a friend but is not a good idea to do if you get caught doing it. Suicide rates are increasing as well which is portrayed by social media. Students are getting bullied online all the time and it carries into school and how the students act in school as well. I agree with everything that you stated in your blog and that social media and technology should be turned off during school, accounts should be private, and devices are not allowed in the bedroom at night. These things may decrease the effects of social media use in schools and among students.