The Downsides of Social Media

Paige Cefaratti

Caroline Wrenn

ENG 205 - The Academic Writer’s Workshop

5 April 2022
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Paige Cefaratti

Caroline Wrenn

ENG 205

5 April 2022

The Downsides of Social Media

Social media has become a fundamental part of society, almost to the point where it is a

necessity to function as a human being. There are countless social networking apps and websites

that allow people to post pictures of themselves or chat with others. It is a way people get to

know each other and communicate without ever having to meet in person, which can be a good

or a bad thing. Most people have at least one social media account and while social media can

have great upsides, the downsides greatly outweigh the benefits. Science Direct stated “In 2020,

social networking sites (SNSs) were used by 49% of the worldwide population, tripling their

total user base in the last decade and growing from 970 million in 2010 to more than three billion

users in 2020.” (Musetti 1) People can’t argue with numbers, and these statistics show that

billions of people today are actively using social media, and those numbers will continue to

grow. Social networking sites are toxic and its overall purpose advertises unethical issues in

today’s culture. Social media promotes a multitude of unhealthy subjects, but a few that truly

stick out include issues with self-confidence or self-image, the trouble that people face when

socializing, and the fact that social media is incredibly isolating and is frequently used as a

security blanket. The issues that social media create are detrimental to children, teenagers, and

adults and those that agree are not shy about their feelings. My father co-wrote a book which

discusses how controlling and harmful social media can be, and how most people have no idea
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what is happening right under their noses. Matters such as this are important to speak about

because social media/networking sites are everywhere and it is crucial that people stay informed.

One of the main issues that social media frequently creates is the issue that it can promote

within people a lack of self-confidence, insecurities, and body image issues. The standard for

beauty and the need to look perfect has skyrocketed exponentially with frequent use of social

media. Photoshop and filters have also added to the ongoing need that people feel to live up to

the expectations that society has created. Social media and networking platforms are the go-to

activity for most people, and the power that it has over people and society as a whole can

become all-consuming. King University conducted a study of 227 female college students and

the results displayed that “young women who spend more time on Facebook may feel more

concerned about their body because they compare their appearance to others (especially to

peers).” (King University Online) Although this study was conducted on women, this does not

mean that men do not struggle with these issues as well. Michigan State University School of

Journalism interviewed Abe Oloko, a male bodybuilder and frequent Instagram user, and he

stated “Back in the day, it really didn’t matter,” Oloko said. “A man was looked at for what he

could do and provide as a man, but now it’s more about what you look like.” (Shead) The article

also stated that Oloko was not always a bodybuilder, but when he read magazines and scrolled

through social media, he felt inadequate. Even if social media did not exist, this practice of

comparing bodies would still be done, but with social media sites, it is amplified. From the

comfort of their own home, people can log onto Instagram or Facebook and compare their

bodies, looks, and imperfections to other people worldwide. The reality that social media can be

a toxic and discouraging environment is something that needs to be talked about more so that

real action can be taken and changes can be made.

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Another reason as to why social media can be an overall negative environment is because

cyberbullying occurs which can lead to or worsen social anxiety, or anxiety in general. Similar to

the last point, insecurities and the feeling of inadequacy can be accelerated with the dependence

on social media. The Covid-19 pandemic was extremely hard on people as most things were shut

down and people were instructed to quarantine and self-isolate. This only made the situation

worse as people lounging in their houses heavily relied on things such as Netflix and Instagram

for entertainment. I am guilty of this as well, it was a difficult time for people and studies have

shown that depression, anxiety, and an overall feeling of stress was present in people. Frontiers

in Psychology conducted a study on 3,123 undergraduate students and they concluded that

“Especially during the pandemic, people who frequently use social media may receive a lot of

negative information, even fake news, related to the situation, which may, in turn, increase the

levels of anxiety.” (Jiang) The fear of the unknown was an issue during this time and it was scary

and unsettling not knowing what’s going to happen or what to believe, and social media helped

to increase this. Social media apps are also frequently used for cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has

been a major issue since social networking sites came out. Bullies find it easier to hide behind a

screen and attack people, which causes higher amounts of anxiety to those that are being

attacked. The statistics on cyberbullying are shocking, and Pew Research Center conducted a

study which showed that “59% of U.S. teens have personally experienced at least one of six

types of abusive online behaviors.” (Anderson) Pew Research Center says that these six abusive

online behaviors include “offensive name-calling, spreading of false rumors, receiving explicit

images they didn’t ask for, constant asking of where they are, what they’re doing, who they’re

with, by someone other than a parent, physical threats, and having explicit images shared of them

without their consent.” (Anderson) Most people have been harassed on social media in some way
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or another, maybe not to the same way as others have, but social media is still a place where

negativity and unkindness can be easily spread.

In addition, another common issue that arises with the reliance on social media is the

feeling of isolation or how social media can be frequently used as a “security blanket.” With the

Covid-19 pandemic, people were more isolated then they likely had ever been before, and it

created a dependency on social media for entertainment or happiness. Scrolling through

Instagram or TikTok for long periods of time can be entertaining on a temporary level, but after

creating a routine of it and using it as a crutch, it can be very isolating and overall unhealthy for a

person. Even if a person is not actually isolated, social media can have the tendency to make one

feel isolated. FOMO (fear of missing out) is common when someone sees a picture of all their

friends spending time together and he or she wasn’t invited. This feeling of isolation or

loneliness is increased when scrolling through social media and can lead to a multitude of

negative feelings. Brian Primack and his colleagues conducted a study with 1,787 United States

adults aged 19-32 and asked them about their “It turns out that the people who reported spending

the most time on social media — more than two hours a day — had twice the odds of perceived

social isolation than those who said they spent a half hour per day or less on those sites. And

people who visited social media platforms most frequently, 58 visits per week or more, had more
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than three times the odds of perceived social isolation than those who visited fewer than nine

times per week.” (Hobson) This study truly shows that people who spend more time on social

media have a feeling of social isolation.

Social media and other networking sites are commonly a place where negativity and hate

is easily spread, but there can be upsides to the usage of social media. Social media can be a

good way to promote a brand or business that someone is creating, especially small businesses

that are just starting out. Posting and sharing this brand may be a way to bring in more

customers. But with this comes downsides as well, and the promotion of the business may bring

people to write negative comments. These negative comments may affect the creator of the brand

and their confidence in what he or she has created. Although honest feedback is important,

hateful comments can be discouraging. Even though there are positives to the usage of social

media, they also come with negatives.

I conducted an interview with Todd Cefaratti who wrote a book on the effects social

media has on not only the younger generation but people as a whole. The book also discusses the

big social media companies as well as their actions. I first asked him “How have you been

involved with social media currently and in the past?” He replied “I owned a media company
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that was based in social media and I wrote a book on it. The book was called Big Tech Tyrants

and it was about how the main social companies are not out for people’s welfare and are doing a

lot of bad things for profit and power.” His book frequently talks about how power can be abused

when it involves the big social media companies. The second question I asked him was “How do

you think social media has changed this generation of people?” His response was “People are

desensitized to everyday life and it has changed the way people interact with other people,

especially face to face. It also influences how they think.” This answer was crucial to the

argument which states that social media can have negative effects on people’s social interactions.

It shows that people frequently replace communicating face to face with communicating through

a screen. Another question that was asked was “Do you think society today needs to increase or

decrease their social media usage and why?” He responded and said “Like any stimulus, it can be

addictive, and anything addictive isn’t good.” Although social media is not usually viewed as

being addictive, people can become addicted to it because they may rely on it for amusement and

even happiness. I then asked him “Since you are an avid social media user, what has been your

overall experience with social media? Has it been more positive or negative?” He replied “Social

media gives ordinary people a lot of abilities they didn’t have, like influencers, but the negative

side is that it can be manipulated by the people that own the platforms and private information

can be taken.” Both points in this statement are true, social media can be a positive thing because

it gives a platform to people who are trying to do good or make people smile. The second part of

his statement is also true because people do not have a lot of privacy on social media and this can

create issues. The final question asked was “Should there be limits on how much time children

spend on social media?” He said “Definitely, in the formative years, children need to learn how

to establish relationships with people face to face rather than electronically.” Children are having
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more and more trouble with interacting in person with the rise of social media. Todd Cefaratti

has seen the effects that social media platforms have on people and his responses add further

proof that an addiction to social media can be problematic.

Now that a lot of the issues that social media creates have been presented, it is time to

discuss the solutions that can be implemented. The number one solution that is recommended is

simply turning off social media or just the phone in general. Now, this may sound easier than it

actually is because an addiction to social media will make it very difficult to turn it off or ignore

the notifications. This solution is true not just for social media, but for all toxic environments. If

someone or something is creating constant negativity in one’s life, then one of the best ways to

fix it is to create distance between that specific person or thing. Another way to solve an issue

that social media is creating, whether it be anxiety or a lack of self-confidence, is to limit the

usage of all social media. While this approach is not as extreme as the first, it is still entirely

difficult as limiting all of social media can be quite challenging when someone is in a rhythm of

constantly using it and depending on it. A woman named Sarah K. Peck conducted 4 studies to

get rid of her need to go on social media, and this was one of them. She stated “Keeping the

mornings social-media and news free was a game changer. I got so much more done on my

biggest projects by having dedicated focus hours, and also knowing that there was a scheduled

break in my day coming up.” (Peck) A way to better the environment of social media without

cutting it out of one’s daily routine is to simply spread positivity where there is a lot of

negativity. Another simple solution is to unfollow or stop looking at people who make you feel

less than or inadequate as a person. Even if this is not his or her intent, removing this from one’s

social media feed would help lessen those feelings. Even if these strategies or solutions don’t
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entirely fix the issue that social media as a whole creates, it is important to remember these

strategies for oneself.

Social media/networking sites are ingrained within society and it is hard to find someone

without at least one social media account. Although the addiction to social media can be

detrimental to a person’s mental and physical health, the use in moderation is not always a bad

thing. Social media can be used for good in a number of different ways, but the bad can

frequently outweigh the good. The sad truth is that most people have an easier time believing

negative things about themselves than positive things. Although I wish this weren’t the case,

hurtful remarks and the feeling of inadequacy can stick with someone for long periods of time.

Social media can create or worsen issues such as a lack of self-confidence, anxiety,

cyberbullying, and the feeling of isolation. Although these matters may be worsened with the

frequent use of social media, there are solutions. It is crucial to remember that social media in

small amounts may not be a bad thing. But if it is found to be harmful to one’s mental health or

well-being, it is highly recommended to take a break. Mental health is something that is

commonly overlooked but is incredibly important. Life can be difficult, and it is so important to

do what is best for your mental health. If that means taking a much needed social media break,

please do so. Social media can be an incredible way to share memories and meet new people, but

it is important to stay informed about the dangers that social media can create.
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Work Cited

Anderson, Monica. “A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying.” Pew

Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center, 14 Aug. 2020,

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-s

ome-form-of-cyberbullying/. Accessed 28 March 2022.

Foy, Chris. “The Rise of Social Media Correlation with Mental Illness.” FHE Health – Addiction

& Mental Health Care, 17 Mar. 2022,

https://fherehab.com/news/social-media-and-mental-illness/. Accessed 5 April 2022.

Hobson, Katherine. “Feeling Lonely? Too Much Time on Social Media May Be Why.” NPR,

NPR, 6 Mar. 2017,

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/03/06/518362255/feeling-lonely-too-muc

h-time-on-social-media-may-be-why. Accessed 28 March 2022.

Jiang, Yan. “Problematic Social Media Usage and Anxiety among University Students during the

COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and the Moderating

Role of Academic Burnout.” Frontiers, Frontiers in Psychology, 5 Feb. 2021,

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.612007/full. Accessed 28 March

“Link between Social Media & Body Image.” King University Online, 9 Oct. 2019,

https://online.king.edu/news/social-media-and-body-image/. Accessed 28 March 2022.

Musetti, Alessandro, et al. “Computers in Human Behavior.” Problematic social networking sites

use and attachment: A systematic review, vol. 131, 2022, p. 1. Cline Library,

https://web-p-ebscohost-com.libproxy.nau.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=38f6b769-a

8cc-4b7f-8d15-eb2af8433c9b%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZ

T1zaXRl#AN=155526860&db=a9h. Accessed 27 March 2022.

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Peck, Sarah K. “I Ran 4 Experiments to Break My Social Media Addiction. Here's What

Worked.” I Ran 4 Experiments to Break My Social Media Addiction. Here’s What

Worked., Harvard Business Review, 18 Dec. 2018,

https://hbr.org/2018/10/i-ran-4-experiments-to-break-my-social-media-addiction-heres-w

hat-worked. Accessed 28 March 2022.

“Pie Chart on What Is/Are the Worst Disadvantages of Using ...” What Is/Are the Worst

Disadvantage(s) of Social Networks?, Nov. 2020,

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Pie-chart-on-what-is-are-the-worst-disadvantages-of-

using-social-networks_fig3_347164216. Accessed 5 April 2022.

Shead, Jonathan. “Male Body-Image Pressure Increases with Influence from Social Media.”

Spartan Newsroom, 19 Dec. 2017,

https://news.jrn.msu.edu/2017/12/male-body-image-pressure-increases-with-influence-fr

om-social-media/. Accessed 28 March 2022.