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Joshua Burroughs

Professor Leonard

ENG 1101-517

3 December 2021

Lasting Impact of Social Media

We have all been there, scrolling on our phone for hours laughing at, liking, or even

criticizing someone else’s post on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Snapchat. These

apps or networks like Instagram and Facebook are known as social media, and they allow people

to share content, including photos, videos, and more. Many believe that this social media is an

unhealthy habit or a waste of time, but, however, it is the very opposite. Social media is a very

beneficial tool in modern-day society as it can leave positive impacts on one's mental health, be

used in real-world situations to benefit many different people, and improve the overall life of a

teenager.

Spending time on social media can lead to a boost in the mental health of users on social

media platforms. It is known that the use of social media by both children and teenagers can lead

many of these children and teenagers to have fun (“Social Media Benefits and Risks: Children

and Teenagers”). If young people are having fun on a social media platform, these same people

will feel more pleased with their life, and, therefore, these children and teenagers will have an

overall better mental health. Also, social media is a way for teenagers and any other person to

reach out to people they are similar to for support, and this can help boost the mental health of a

person. A way that “teens are finding support is through online communities,” and people

“struggling with issues like drug addiction and eating disorders now can find help and support

online without ever having to leave their homes.” (Gordon). If social media users are finding
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others with similar interests and other things in common, they can use social media to boost their

mental health by getting support from people like themselves. This support can help boost

mental health as it allows users to feel connected with others and not like an outsider or imposter

in society. Due to the fact that users are having fun and gaining the support they need from using

social media, social media is a very beneficial tool in society.

In comparison to social media benefiting the mental health of people in society, social

media can also benefit society through the real-world implications it presents. To begin, social

media can be used to improve the relationships and interactions that autistic people have. Karri

Gillespie-Smith, a developmental researcher at the University of Edinburgh who focuses her

research on topics such as social cognition and autism, details how social media can benefit an

autistic person. “Autistic individuals are reported to struggle with aspects of social interaction”

and may need something like social media to help them with their relationships (Gillespie-

Smith). Gillespie-Smith describes that “two themes were identified in relation to the impact

social media has on autistic young people's relationships” in that the autistic youth were

socializing and communicating more because of social media (Gillespie-Smith). Social media

can be used to benefit the people with autism as it can help interactions become much easier, but,

as well, social media is being used in hospitals to help benefit the hospital itself. Jason P Richter,

PhD, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, assistant professor, and part of

a graduate program in health and business administration, along with other researchers explore

how social media can have a large impact on hospitals. The researchers describe that social

media can benefit a hospital “through increased revenue, employee recruitment, and increased

customer satisfaction” (Richter et al., 447). With the use of social media, “hospitals use

Facebook as a dissemination strategy to educate consumers, acknowledge staff, and share news
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of the hospital's awards” (Richter et al., 447). The increased customer satisfaction, revenue, and

employee recruitment, along with educating consumers all derived from social media allow

hospitals to benefit to a great extent. With both autistic people and hospitals benefitting, social

media is very beneficial to society. These real-world implications of social media makes social

media more than a platform to share content.

There is no surprise that there are dissenting opinions to the benefits of social media.

Amy Orben, a research fellow at the University of Cambridge, and other researchers in their

study “Social Media’s Enduring Effect on Adolescent Life Satisfaction” found that there was no

connection between a teenager’s social media use and their satisfaction with life and overall

well-being (Orben et al.). On the other hand, however, social media can surprisingly benefit the

lives of many adolescents, in very different ways. Sherri Gordon, B.A. in public relations and

speech communications and current author, in 2020 revealed that “more than half of teens

believe that social media helps their friendships” as “52% of teens felt that social media

improved their friendships and only 4% felt it hurt them.” (Gordon). With over half of teens

believing that social media positively affects their relationships with their friends, social media is

leaving a positive impact on teenagers’ lives. Additionally, social media can benefit the lives of

children and teenagers by giving them a platform to learn. For instance, “a child can use social

media to share educational content, either informally or in formal school settings” (“Social

Media Benefits and Risks: Children and Teenagers”). Teenagers who use social media can

increase their satisfaction and overall well-being in life by improving friendships and learning

with other people in an easy-to-use format.

Those not using social media, or against the use of social media, should consider a

change. Social media can help improve one’s mental health, improve and benefit many parts of
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society in real-world situations, and assist and strengthen the overall life of a teenager. The use

of social media makes it easier for a teenager, or any other person, to have healthier relationships

and connect with the world, and allows businesses like hospitals to better their revenue and

customer satisfaction. These healthy relationships in a person’s life can lead to an overall better

mental health and, though there are some drawbacks and downsides to social media, everybody

should consider using social media regularly to benefit many aspects of their overall life.
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Works Cited

Gillespie-Smith, Karri, et al. “Using Social Media to Be ‘Social’: Perceptions of Social

Media Benefits and Risk by Autistic Young People, and Parents.” Research in

Developmental Disabilities, vol. 118, Nov. 2021, p. N.PAG. Academic Search Premier,

doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104081. Accessed 1 Nov. 2021.

Gordon, Sherri. “Surprising Ways Your Teen Benefits From Social Media.” Verywell

Family, Verywell Family, 1 Mar. 2020, www.verywellfamily.com/benefits-of-social-

media-4067431. Accessed 1 Nov. 2021.

Orben, Amy, et al. “Social Media’s Enduring Effect on Adolescent Life Satisfaction.”

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol.

116, no. 21, May 2019, pp. 10226–10228. Academic Search Premier,

doi:10.1073/pnas.1902058116. Accessed 1 Nov. 2021.

Richter, Jason P., et al. “Social Media: How Hospitals Use It, and Opportunities for

Future Use.” Journal of Healthcare Management, vol. 59, no. 6, Nov. 2014, pp. 447–460.

Academic Search Premier, doi:10.1097/00115514-201411000-00011. Accessed 1 Nov.

2021.

“Social Media Benefits and Risks: Children and Teenagers.” Raising Children Network,

22 Dec. 2020, raisingchildren.net.au/teens/entertainment-technology/digital-life/social-

media. Accessed 1 Nov. 2021.