How social media is affecting student’s life?
Social media has become a significant part of everybody’s life since it has become a major link between individuals to connect with each other conveniently. However, it has been observed that the young generation is more influenced by social media. Many students have become addicted to social media which is affecting student’s life‘s well as physical health.
Earlier, students were used to going outside of their houses to meet friends however, social media has eliminated the need for going out since nowadays, students are connected via social media. Social media has allowed for greater interconnectedness among students than ever before, particularly during these trying times when they are geographically separated from their relatives, siblings, friends and peers.
Social media is affecting on student’s life and physical and mental health, despite the fact that it also offers numerous advantages, like the opportunity for creative expression, educational possibilities, and the possibility to connect with others.
It is simple to develop an addiction to social media, and studies have shown that students who use social media excessively may experience a variety of health problems, including trouble sleeping, eye tiredness, a bad perception of their bodies, melancholy, anxiety, cyberbullying, and more.
However, there are positive as well as negative effects of social media on students which are discussed below:
Positive Impacts
Offer a Social Circle
The burden of studies and chasing career goals leads the students to become distant from social circles such as friends, family, relatives, and peers. However, social media is the only medium for students to connect with others, make friends, share thoughts and feelings, etc. Social media acts as a medium for students to find like-minded people and make new connections. The importance of social media was recognised at the time of worldwide lockdowns and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At that period, social media was the only way for students to connect with others and establish a social circle virtually. It was observed that the mental health of students deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic period and, therefore, social media acted as a saviour.
Offering Opportunities For learning
Social media is filled with a wide range of content including entertainment and education. Some users use social media only for entertainment purposes; however, many students use social media as a tool for learning new skills. In addition, many students use social media for improving their mental health, attitude, behaviour, communication skills, etc. Social media offers a great opportunity for students to gain new insights into a wide range of topics and students can explore as per their interests.
Negative Impacts
Physical Inactivity, Eye tiredness, and disturbed sleep
Several researchers have concluded that, because the blue light emitted by our smartphones misleads our bodies into believing it is still daylight outside, disrupting our natural rhythms, using devices can be especially harmful if done right before bed. In addition, we blink less when using a gadget, which when combined with blue light, can cause eye strain and weariness. When students use social media for relaxing at bedtime, it disturbs their sleep cycle which leads to increased fatigue. Students need to take sound sleep in order to concentrate on their studies.
Increased Anxiety and Depression
According to a report formulated by Facebook, it was observed that one in every three teen girls attribute their body image problems to Instagram. That report also stated that social media promotes its users to subconsciously compare their lives to others, disturbs sleep, FOMO, and anxiety. Hence, if you are a student then you can easily relate to this condition. The excessive use of social media is becoming a threat to your concentration level.
Bottom line
Social media is not evil however it is an effective tool for growth and development if used effectively. It’s all up to the students how they use it. Social media can be a good source for gaining additional knowledge or skills. In contrast, it can deteriorate your mental as well as physical health if not used efficiently. There is a saying– “Excess of anything is bad”. Hence, social media can become a bane or a boon, it all depends on you