Valen's Cooking Blog

Social media: how does it affect our mental health and well-being?

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275361.php?page=2

       Social media is a giant part of Americans everyday world, statistics show that 1 out of 4 people use some sort of social media site. I myself am guilty of having many social media sites on my phone such as facebook, instagram, and snapchat which I check at least two times a day. In this article, which I provided a link to above explains the positive and negatives of social networking on society today. The first negative given is that social media can become addictive, which is why myself and others feel the need to check their news feed and notifications often. Researchers explained that those who update statues or post pictures are more than likely to get supportive comments or likes, and this positive reinforcement can cause a person to become addicted and it is hard for them to just stop posting. As a 24 year old female I can completely relate to this explanation, because like most I enjoy getting positive attention on the things that I post. Before reading this article I had never really thought about why I like to post pictures, check my news feed, or share my thoughts until now. I know realize that I am one of the many that is considered to be addicted to social media sites. Also surveys show that over 50% of people's behavior changes when using social media and most admit that it the behavior is negative. Some people have claimed that social media gives them a sense of worry and restlessness after logging on to their social media accounts. Studies have also shown that it can effect how people interact face to face. Personally I have felt negative and positive feelings after checking my social medias...depending on the day or what I may have seen while looking on my different social media apps. But overall the biggest negative to social media is cyber bullying which usually occurs with teenagers but has been known to happen to adults. I have had my facebook account for about 8 years and over that time I have went from a teenager to a young adult. Looking back over the years I remember cyber bullying happening to many of my friends and peers. I personally have never had to experience this awful act but watching it happen to others made me realize at a young age it is nothing to take lightly. 

The Positive Impact Of Social Networking Sites On Society

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/positive-impact-social-networking-sites-society-opinion/

         Now that we have went over all the negatives of social media, I think we should go over some of the positives. Social media is a great place to keep up with friends and distant family members. Most people, including myself have hundreds of friends on social media and being able to simply check it anytime of the day on your phone keeps it easy to know what is going on in their lives. The older I get life gets more busy and time flies by, so I like having my social media sites to check on my friends in a fast easy way. Not only is social media good for communicating with friends and family but it is also a great way to keep in touch with the entire world.  By simply logging on to your facebook account you can see any major world news such as natural disasters, terror attacks, missing persons, and many other important event. Even though it doesn't particularly pertain to me, but social networking can even help build romantic relationships or help find new friends that have common interests as yourself. All in all  I agree with the negative and positive articles made about social media. I think that it is only going to go expand from here and stay a main priority in most peoples lives , I just hope that they find ways to improve the negative to make it an overall positive experience for all users.