Social media has been affecting in-person interactions in society. Recently, I’ve noticed it more when interacting with peers or while shopping. I frequently find myself going to my local Taco Bell– I’d consider myself a big fan. However, I’m not a fan of the process of ordering. Now in Taco Bell, as well as other fast food chains like McDonald’s, you order at a kiosk. The times that I’ve tried to order at the register, workers have often appeared irritated by the fact they’d have to take my order.
Why would someone be angry or annoyed to talk to someone? Maybe they were just having a bad day, but I believe a big part of the issue is with social media. With social media, it may seem easier to interact with others since you wouldn’t be dealing with people face-to-face. It makes people feel braver to be themselves. When handling in-person interactions, I think social media has killed people’s confidence to be themselves. Due to the fact they’re being so used to hiding behind a screen.
Since this year started, some of the world’s biggest social media companies like YouTube are having landmark trials to hold them responsible for harms to children that use their platforms. A 20 year old woman, identified by her initials, KGM, or Kaley, testified that her “early use of social media addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts.”
In today’s generation, using social media is overly glorified from a young age. I also had pretty unrestricted use of social media from around fourth grade and up, my experience was predominately unpleasant and I had similar experiences to Kaley. Being a young girl, you’re typically more self-conscious and impressionable. Since the prefrontal cortex, the section of the brain that contributes to making plans, weighing incoming information and making informed decisions. These are the last structures in the brain to mature. Most of the development happens in adolescence to early 20s. It controls how we behave and interact with others. Adding onto that the effect that social media can have on one’s mindset can be incredibly damaging.
I remember throughout middle school, I constantly compared myself to girls I would see online, mainly comparing facial features and body type, it made me very self-conscious and insecure which led to me spiraling into deep, negative thoughts that overconsumed me. This affected me and how I interacted with others for years. I grew more timid and anxious when talking to others.
I know I’m not alone in this experience, many of my friends have also said that social media has had a negative impact on their mental health and has affected them in in-person interactions, causing heavy anxiety and a deep feeling of self-consciousness.
It’s truly dependent on parents to help solve this serious issue. Being more involved in their children’s experience with social media and having more parental supervision in regards to the amount of content and type of content the child retains can help catch these problems early before they fully form.
