Social media is meant to keep individuals connected, however i believe it is having the complete adverse effect on society.
More and more individuals, the young generation in particular, are spending a significant amount of their time isolated in their homes doing nothing but communicating through a technological device. As a consequence, more individuals are lacking real life human interaction and social opportunities, and this is having detrimental outcomes on the health and wellbeing of the next generation.
Although social media offers some positives such as free business advertisement, keeping in touch with friends and fundraising opportunities, I believe the negatives significantly outweigh the positives and is why I believe that there is a need for time retriction laws to be implemented for social media use.
Firstly, social media has made it easier for people to bully or to be made a target to bullies. I also believe social media is linked to the significant increase of mental health difficulties seen in children and young adolesences; including depression, anxiety,anorexia and self harming. Social media often potrays images of what the 'perfect' man and woman body looks like, it also often shows unrealistic lifestyles and life goals which sets high and unrealistic expectations for other young people to meet.
I strongly believe that if there is a time restriction for social media sites such as twitter, facebook, instagram etc, meaning people can only log in and use these sites at set times through out the day, then individuals will be more inclined to go out, interact, socialise and communicate more naturally and not just live through a virtual, online and unrealistic world.
If time restrictions were introduced, i believe bullying would decrease, mental health in young people would improve, more childhood memories will be created, more social opportunities will be available, and these changes would do nothing but improve the quality of the lives and well being of individuals that make society.
Lets make life about living again. Give individuals the chance to open their eyes to the beautiful world and opportunities that surround them, and not just a life lived virtually.
