Social media is the lime light of today’s generation, and it can suck you in. As a teenager, many people view social media as an addictive source, but it can be even more addictive than
they would expect.

Teenagers today are hardly found without a phone or some electronic device, and we often find chunks of time disappearing after what feels like only a glance. We can get distracted by entertaining videos or our friends latest update. According to The Huffington Post teens spend, “At least three hours a day on average using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Eighteen percent of social media users check Facebook every four hours, and twenty-eight percent of iPhone users check their Twitter feed before they get out of bed.”

Social media is so ingrained in our heads that it feels almost unnatural to not have at least one account in use. As well as looking at your friends’ stories, a lot of businesses and schools, including Bingham, use social media outlets to reach out to customers or students. Elise Vowles a Bingham Alumni says, “When I went to Bingham everyone listened to the announcements to plan their calendar. Now I see everyone making plans based on posts and the SBO’s status.” This may not be helping the addiction most teens feel they have developed over using social media, but it may not be making it worse. “ My little sister goes to Bingham, and she told me she relies on everyone else to figure out what they have posted on their school account… it seems like a hard spot to be in.” Only the most devoted teens will follow their favorite brand or their class account, the most common place to find the addiction is in celebrity accounts.

There are many celebrity accounts that post content that viewers find entertaining, and you can find new contact every week, or sooner. We can’t blame these celebrities; after all, they are just doing their job. However there are many ways that this can become a problem. Watching a video weekly isn’t necessarily an addiction, however friends can encourage you to watch these videos then it can be hard to resist the temptation to binge the entertainment. Ellie Wynn, a junior at Bingham said, “I got Instagram really early; I feel like one of my friends had it, so I immediately wanted it. I guess I kind of felt left out when I didn’t have it.” The pressure to use social media and to stay up to date can wear down teens without them even thinking about it.

Social media is an addictive platform that we use for communication and entertainment. What we need to think about now is if the long-term effect is worth the short-term satisfaction.