Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Vine and Facebook; These are only a few of the many social media platforms that students use today. Although they can be a way to express ourselves, there is a distinct line where they can become harmful.

One of the major benefits that social media provides is the sense of connectivity. People can interact with friends, find new jobs, share laughs and so much more. The constant real-time sharing allows us to keep up to date on important events. As we are starting to see today, social media is being more widely used in the classroom. Teachers post assignments, textbooks, powerpoints and more online for students to use. We are seeing this in Eagan High School: Google Classroom has gained popularity and many teachers use this tool. However, the increased use of social media is also dangerous.

The digital landscape has proven to provide increased pressure on students. Whether it be to try to fit in or to keep updated on what’s happening in the world around us, it can quickly become detrimental to our health.

The constant pressure to look and act perfectly is a pressure that we put on ourselves. Teenagers have become obsessed with the number of likes a picture gets on Instagram, keeping up with our Snapchat streak, or how many followers we have. This shows how much social media controls us.

Another risk that social media poses is cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying is defined as the act of harming and harassing someone via information and communication through social networking platforms deliberately. In recent years, cyber-bullying has grown to mirror the increase in the use of social media. People are more abusive to others when they can hide behind a screen.

Overall the increased use of social media is a debatable topic. For us it is important to know that as students, we need to be respectful and sensible digital citizens.