Talarico 3 Kyle Talarico Adam Padgett ENGL 1102 March 28, 2014 Social Media: Finding the True

Effects There is o do!"t that social media #lays a large role i the moder $orld, %rom &ee#i g i to!ch $ith old %rie ds to shari g #ict!res $ith c!rre t o es, almost e'eryo e !ses social media %or somethi g( )o! ca *t t!r o the tele'isio i this day a d age $itho!t seei g somethi g o the e$s relati g to ho$ social media is a%%ecti g o!r yo! ger ge eratio s me tal health( +o! tless e$s so!rces claim that tee s are losi g the a"ility to i teract mi d%!lly i the mome t( ,!e to it*s #o#!larity it is easy to see $hy some #eo#le $o!ld #a ic as the e$s starts sho$i g ho$ "ad it is %or yo!r &ids to !se social media( -t is 'ery to!gh to %i d the li e "et$ee $hat is tr!th a d $hat has "ee s&e$ed "y the e$s media( - see& to %i d $hat is to "e lost a d $hat is to "e gai ed %rom social media $itho!t the "ias o% ma y e$s et$or&s( .he - tal& a"o!t social media - am tal&i g a"o!t T$itter, /ace"oo&, - stagram, or a y other #rograms $here yo! comm! icate $ith yo!r %rie ds digitally i some %orm( The "ig 0!estio is 1-s the e$s media*s acc!satio s a"o!t social media correct or are they 2!st ma&i g $ild claims34( The really scary thi g a"o!t this 0!estio is that i% the a s$er to it is egati'e it might ot e'e matter( Li&e so ma y other !rge t to#ics that dema d to "e ta&e care o%, e'e i% social media is harmi g o!r ge eratio , $hat are $e goi g to do a"o!t it3 5ocial media has em"edded itsel% so dee# i to o!r li'es that $e do *t & o$ $hat li%e $o!ld "e li&e $itho!t it, it is a l!6!ry #eo#le are ot $illi g to gi'e !#( The e$s media is ad'ertisi g e%%ects o% social media that are ot really #rese t i college st!de ts(

Talarico 2 The articles - am !si g as my re%ere ce to e$s media is 18 #ro"lems $ith tee s a d social media4 a d 15ocial et$or&s a d de#ressio 4( - $ill "e goi g thro!gh $hat - co sider to "e the mai #oi ts i their arg!me ts a d do my "est $ith the research - ha'e gathered to dis#ro'e them( - $o!ld co sider the "iggest #oi ts to "e that college st!de ts ca ot $or& $ith others, social media creates

e6cess drama, #eo#le "ecome de#ressed %rom !si g social media( - ha'e gathered se'eral st!dies that %oc!s o social media a d its e%%ects o those that are i college( The st!dies !se mai ly i %ormatio gathered %rom college st!de ts 'ia the $e"( - $ill also co tri"!te my #erso al e6#erie ces alo g $ith the %acts that - #rese t( -% - am ! a"le to dis#ro'e the #oi ts, - $ill ha'e to re2ect my origi al thesis a d create a e$ o e "ased o my %i di gs(

7 to the %irst #oi t, ca college st!de ts $or& $ith others3 8ased o my e6#erie ces - $o!ld ha'e to say yes( 8y the time $e ha'e gotte to college $e ha'e had to $or& $ith se'eral di%%ere t #eo#le i o!r li'es already, %rom 2o"s to gro!# #ro2ects i school( -t is im#ossi"le to get to college $itho!t some &i d o% & o$ledge a"o!t $or&i g i a gro!#( 5chools $ill %orce yo! to lear this s&ill "eca!se yo! ca ot go thro!gh li%e $itho!t ha'i g to $or& $ith other #eo#le at some #oi t( - the article 1Gro$i g !# $ith social media a d o li e comm! ities4 it is stated that 17 li e comm! ities share tho!ghts or colla"orate o #ro2ects that de#e d o electro ic comm! icatio o ly a d re#rese t a $ide ra ge o% i terests that co!ld "e social, ho""y9orie ted, #olitical, s#irit!al, or #ro%essio al4( There is a reaso it is called social media, it is a large comm! ity $ere #eo#le ca i teract $ith each other a d share commo i terest a d e'e $or& together to com#lete a tas&( - rece t e$s /ace"oo& has "o!ght a 'irt!al reality com#a y "y the ame o% 7c!l!s :; %or 2 "illio dollars( /ace"oo& #la s to !se this tech ology to gi'e yo! a %ro t ro$ seat to thi gs yo! co!ld *t do #re'io!sly( - thi & this co!ld "e a great tool %or those $ho ha'e tro!"le $ith social sit!atio s( )o! co!ld #!t o the 'irt!al reality helmet a d #ractice comm! icati g $ith someo e a d #ractice a %a&e social sit!atio i% they are ot

Talarico 3 com%orta"le $ith gro!# thera#y yet( - co!ld *t see #eo#le $a ti g to e6#erie ce $hat their %rie ds ha'e e6#erie ced o /ace"oo& cachi g o "eca!se it elimi ates the "arrier "et$ee /ace"oo& a d the real $orld that #eo#le are tryi g to a'oid thro!gh !si g /ace"oo&(

.e already & o$ that #eo#le $ill say egati'e thi gs o /ace"oo& or T$itter all o% the time %rom #ast e6#erie ces so the a!thor is right a"o!t that "!t $hat a%%ect does it ha'e o the recei'er3 There are #le ty o% st!dies li &i g social media a d ho$ it a%%ects sel%9esteem( - the st!dy 1A mi6ed method a##roach to e6ami i g /ace"oo& !se a d its relatio shi# to sel%9esteem4 a i teresti g o"ser'atio is made<

=5tei %ield et al( 2008> %o! d that the associatio "et$ee /ace"oo& !se a d social ca#ital is greater %or those $ith lo$er sel%9esteem tha those $ith higher sel%9esteem( 5#eci%ically, the a!thors ote, 1a social et$or& site that ma&es it easier %or lo$er sel%9esteem st!de ts to e gage $ith others o!tside o% their close #erso al et$or&s ca there%ore "e e6#ected to ha'e a larger e%%ect %or them tha %or higher sel%9esteem st!de ts4 =5tei %ield et al(, 2008, #( 443>( This is "eca!se i di'id!als $ith lo$ sel%9esteem are a"le to comm! icate $ith i di'id!als o /ace"oo& they may ot "e as readily a"le to do so i #erso ( -t li&ely ma&es as&i g 0!estio s a d ma&i g #la s easier si ce a res#o se is ot e6#ected so readily =5tei %ield et al(, 2008>( =Ta?ghi i>

This is a rather im#orta t #oi t, i% /ace"oo& attracts those $ith lo$ sel%9 esteem more tha those $ith high sel%9esteem the there is a greater co se0!e ce %rom egati'e #osts or comme ts( /or those loo&i g to get i creased sel%9esteem le'els %rom social media, a mea comme t or e'e the lac& o% atte tio ca "e 'ery detrime tal to that #erso s sel%9esteem iss!es( @o$e'er, - mysel% ha'e e'er see

Talarico 4 a serio!s egati'e comme t o a #ict!re, o"ody seems to $a t to #ost a ythi g egati'e a"o!t #ict!res, it is al$ays 2!st com#lime ts( The o ly #osts that - ha'e see attract a lot o% egati'e atte tio are o es relati g to religio or other co tro'ersial to#ics( This %act still sta ds that the egati'ity is still there e'e i% it does *t e%%ect yo!, "!t sadly there is o $ay to mo itor i s!lts "et$ee the "illio /ace"oo& !sers there are or the AB0 millio t$itter !sers( The res#o si"ility relies o !s the !sers to "ri g the "est o% o!rsel'es $he e'er $e log o (

A other li & that e$s media is creati g $ith social media is that o% de#ressio ( /irst $e m!st de%i e de#ressio , as a s!%%erer o% de#ressio - %eel there is o e 0!ote that "est de%i es it< 1That*s the thi g a"o!t de#ressio < A h!ma "ei g ca s!r'i'e almost a ythi g, as lo g as she sees the e d i sight( 8!t de#ressio is so i sidio!s, a d it com#o! ds daily, that it*s im#ossi"le to e'er see the e d( The %og is li&e a cage $itho!t a &ey(4 =Eli?a"eth .!rt?el>( .ith de#ressio "ei g s!ch a horri"le thi g to e6#erie ce, or to %i d yo!r &ids e6#erie ci g, it is im#orta t to & o$ $here the tr!th lies( - a st!dy "ased o %i di g the e%%ects that social media has o de#ressio it is %o! d that de#ressio is ot a res!lt o% social media "!t that social media hel#s to am#li%y de#ressio *s e%%ects( They also %o! d a #ec!liar e%%ect that is stated hear<

,e#ressio a##ears to "e tra smitta"le thro!gh tech ological i teractio 'ia 1emotio al co tagio 4 =@a coc&, Gee, +iaccio, C Mae9@$ah Li , 2008>( @a coc& et al( =2008> %o! d that de#ressi g media, #artic!larly mo'ies a d m!sic, i d!ced egati'e a%%ect( Ta&i g this #he ome o o e ste# %!rther, i a co trolled la"oratory st!dy, @a coc& et al( =2008> %o! d that ot o ly did the 'ie$ers a d liste ers "ecome de#ressed, "!t $he they had a s!"se0!e t i sta t message co 'ersatio , their #art ers !sed %e$er $ords, more sad terms, a d e6cha ged messages at slo$er rates i dicati g that they, too, te ded to e6#erie ce egati'e a%%ect, al"eit

Talarico 3 seco dha d( .ith a large !m"er o% egati'e tho!ghts e'ide ced i "logs =Goh C @!a g, 200D> a d thro!gh social et$or&i g =,a'ila et al(, 2012, @ollera , 2010, More o et al(, 2011 a d 7&amoto et al(, 2011> emotio al co tagio theory co!ld #redict sig s o% de#ressio s#readi g thro!gh social et$or&i g sites a d o li e comm! icatio (=;ose >

This is a 'ery i teresti g o"ser'atio , co!ld de#ressio "e s#readi g thro!gh %rie ds, are there more de#ressed #eo#le tha i the #ast3 Most im#orta tly is social media the ca!se here3 The a s$er, o $here i the article $as it e'er stated that social media $as the ca!se o% the de#ressio ( - ha'e a alter ati'e hy#othesis to this, - "elie'e that si ce it is easier to e6#ress to!gh to#ics o li e $e are ha'i g more a d more #eo#le admit their de#ressio so it seems higher tha it $as i the #ast( - order %or the emotio al co tagio theory to "e a real #ro"lem there $o!ld ha'e to e'ide ce that the e%%ect lasted %or a lo g #eriod o% time a d did *t 2!st go a$ay a%ter tal&i g to the %rie d(

- co cl!sio , e$s media i

ot com#letely $ro g i the realm o% social media( - do "elie'e

that they are 0!ic& to "lame social media %or thi gs that it does *t ca!se, s!ch as de#ressio ( The commo co se s!s o% the st!dies o social media $as that social media am#li%ied traits that $ere already #rese t i its !sers( Ma y #eo#le see a i crease i de#ressio or sel%9esteem iss!es a d see social media as the ca!se o% it all $he the #ro"lem $as really there all alo g( - am ot sayi g that am#li%yi g #ro"lems $ithi !s is o&ay, it*s ot, ho$e'er the mai #oi t o% this #a#er is to %i d i% the e$s $as lyi g a"o!t the e%%ects o% social media a d "ased o that they ha'e "ee ( ,eali g $ith the egati'e im#act it still has tho!gh is a other story(

Talarico A EEli?a"eth .!rt?el(E 8rai yF!ote(com( G#lore - c, 2014( H A#ril 2014( htt#<II$$$("rai y0!ote(comI0!otesI0!otesIeIeli?a"eth$33488D(html

5mith, Aaro ( E5ocial Net$or&s a d ,e#ressio (E Chicagotribune.com( N(#(, (d( .e"( 08 A#r( 2014(

Ta?ghi i, 5arah, a d Kare L( 5iedlec&i( EA Mi6ed Method A##roach To E6ami i g /ace"oo& Jse A d -ts ;elatio shi# To 5el%9Esteem(E Computers In Human Behavior 2D(3 =2013>< 82H9 832( Academic Search Complete( .e"( 23 /e"( 2014(

5T;7M, PA;-5, a d ;78E;T 5T;7M( EGro$i g J# .ith 5ocial Net$or&s A d 7 li e +omm! ities(E Education Digest H8(1 =2012>< 489B1( Academic Search Complete( .e"( 23 /e"( 2014(

Gree "erg, 8ar"ara( E8 Pro"lems $ith Tee s a d 5ocial Media(E The Huffington Post( The@!%%i gto Post(com, 20 K! e 2013( .e"( 0A Mar( 2014(

;ose , L(,(, et al( E-s /ace"oo& +reati g 1-disorders43 The Li & 8et$ee +li ical 5ym#toms 7% Psychiatric ,isorders A d Tech ology Jse, Attit!des A d A 6iety(E Computers In Human Behavior 2D(3 =2013>< 1243912B4( Academic Search Complete( .e"( 23 /e"( 2014

.hitehill, Ke i%er, M(, Li""y, N( 8roc&ma , a d Mega , A( More o( E1K!st Tal& To Me4< +omm! icati g .ith +ollege 5t!de ts A"o!t ,e#ressio ,isclos!res 7 /ace"oo&(E ournal !f Adolescent Health B2(1 =2013>< 122912H( CI"AH# Plus $ith %ull Te&t( .e"( A Mar( 2014