In modern times, the influence of social media manifests itself in almost every facet of human life. In this paper, I will identify what specific effects social media has on the day-to-day lives of students studying at colleges and universities. Social media can cause students to need more awareness of their surroundings, keep students from interacting with one another, and promote distraction and procrastination when it comes to completing coursework.
Individuals who use social media sometimes lose awareness of their surroundings. Distractions that social media encourages include scrolling through an app, messaging pals, and viewing YouTube videos (Cyzewski 457). Particularly, using these apps while strolling around campus can be risky because you never know when a car may pull up behind you as you cross the street, and if you become lost in one of these applications, things could turn deadly.
Furthermore, because it diverts your focus from the road, accessing social media while driving is very risky. Several tragic occurrences have happened from users utilizing apps, watching movies, or texting while operating a motor vehicle. You also often lose sight of what’s going on in the outside world when you are absorbed on the screen of your phone. You may miss friends trying to get your attention, encounter obstacles, or run into other people if you’re not looking up. It may lead to social isolation.
The urge to continuously check applications and websites is caused by the fear of missing out (FOMO) on social media (Tandon 931). Individuals become disengaged from meaningful connections in the real world and develop an incessant need to be connected as a result. The internet is a never-ending source of amusement, with a single YouTube video or amusing meme having the power to send users down a long rabbit hole into entertainment that has nothing to do with their schoolwork. Learners become engrossed in this never-ending material and become time-blind.
Academics lose priority in favor of social relationships; texting, group chats, and other forms of communication become more alluring than writing papers or preparing for tests. Pupils prioritize their social connections over their academic work (Dontre 381). However, it is not productive, multiplexing is promoted; students mistakenly believe they can complete a paper and watch a show at the same time. However, divided attention impairs the quality of the assignment and reduces memory as well as comprehension of the subject. The phone is a constant source of temptation because it is nearly impossible to resist checking it while it is close at hand. It only takes to have it in sight to take one’s mind off of homework.
Whereas social media platforms facilitate connections, their addictive qualities may also result in unfavorable outcomes (Pagoto1661). Learners must to be aware of how much time they spend online and strike a balance between virtual and interpersonal relationships. Limiting the amount of time, you spend on social media is essential. Learners can take several steps to achieve this, such as eliminating apps from your home screen and not using your phone at the dinner table.
Social media usage goes beyond individual use; it also brings up broader societal issues including cyberbullying, privacy, and the dissemination of false information. It is the duty of colleges to teach learners to think critically about what they see online and to behave as responsible digital citizens. In order to combat the isolation of spending all of your time in front of a screen, institutions can also arrange for in-person events, volunteer work, and cooperative learning.
In this regard, we need to keep considering how new technologies affect our relationships and behaviors in a world where technology is consuming our lives. Setting time boundaries on how much time you spend on social media is essential. Some strategies to do this include taking apps off of your home screen, not using your phone at the dinner table, and so on.
Cyzewski, Ed. Reconnect: Spiritual Restoration from Digital Distraction. MennoMedia, Inc., 2020: 457
Dontre, Alexander J. “The influence of technology on academic distraction: A review.” Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies 3.3 (2021): 379-390.
Pagoto, Sherry, Molly E. Waring, and Ran Xu. “A call for a public health agenda for social media research.” Journal of Medical Internet Research 21.12 (2019): 16661.
Tandon, Anushree, et al. “Dark consequences of social media-induced fear of missing out (FoMO): Social media stalking, comparisons, and fatigue.” Technological Forecasting and Social Change 171 (2021): 931.