My Relationship to Technology Through Social Media (Final Project)

My Relationship:

I have used social media for a good chunk of my life. It is something that defines my generation. There are three platforms that I use the most, however, and those are Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. 

Instagram:

The first social media I ever got was Instagram. I was in the fourth grade and a friend of mine asked me why I didn't have one. I went home and asked my mom if I could download the app on my galaxy tablet (a hand me down from my brother). She said yes. My older brother helped me make my first ever social media post, a picture of my cat Sophie. I remember feeling so cool for finally having an Instagram of my own. 

The longer I had one, the more I wondered why. Why did I feel so happy because I had social media? Well, I got to learn more about the world. The Instagram discover page showed me all these amazing posts from around the world. Collaborative learning is a big part of the internet. I got to find out what my aunt who I never see does on a daily basis. I got to learn about my family and friends. 

That's a positive of social media. But, I also experienced the downsides firsthand. 

Something I have dealt with nearly my whole life is a struggle with an eating disorder. Starting from such a young age, I experienced how social media affects eating disorders. Photos can be edited so easily. I learned that from editing some myself. It's easy to present an idealized version of yourself to the rest of the world. It's also easy to focus on the idealized version of others. 

On Instagram, you can search hashtags and see all the public posts with them. An example of some hashtags I used to look at in the heyday of my eating disorder:

#weightloss #weightlossjourney #bodygoals #lovemybody #bodysculpting #bodybuilding #dieting #dietbody #summerbody #summerbodyready

These are all real hashtags that people use. And there are even more out there. People will create posts that will encourage unhealthy body standards and images, and promote disordered eating. Not to mention that there are ads made that actively push unhealthy eating habits disguised as 'real diets' that Instagram allows. Photos of realistic bodies or healthy eating habits are less likely to show up on the discovery page.

It's been researched and shown that high social media use is directly linked to increased chances of developing an eating disorder. 

The other downside I've personally experienced is cyberbullying. 

It started out as a joke. I'm sure that's what everyone involved said. But, it kept happening. So many posts, and all of them telling lies about me. Cyberbullying has awful effects on people, something I know firsthand. Some of the effects include:

- increased anxiety and/or depression, low feelings of self-worth, suicidal thoughts and tendencies, increased risk of eating disorders (especially with girls), difficulties sleeping, physical symptoms such as headaches or nausea

It's pretty awful. People cyberbully because it's easy to post something and hide behind the wall of the internet. You can call someone a bad name on Instagram while hiding behind a phone and fake account, but saying the same thing to that person when you actually see them isn't that simple. Before social media, if you were being bullied at school, you went home afterward and it stopped until the next day. But now, it's a constant thing in your life. Cyberbullying goes past middle school and high school. It's something that can last a lifetime now. 

But there are positives to social media. Instagram has its perks. Like pages promoting recovery. I created one of these pages, in hopes of helping people who are going through the same things I used to. Now I can help people through something that once hurt me. 

Snapchat:

I normally don't really use my Snapchat for traditional purposes. Occasionally, I'll send a photo or post something on my story. Usually, I go and watch people's stories, or look at makeup videos which takes a good chunk of my day. But I have never really understood it. The reason I got one in the first place was because girls in my middle school said it was uncool not to have one. So I downloaded the app as soon as I got home. And then waited anxiously for all the kids at my school to add me back. 

Snapchat has its cons like all social media. The filters on the app distort faces which is negative to a person's body image. People use Snapchat on average more than other social media, checking in on average 20 times a day. It shares your location with other users, putting people in potential danger. 

But, of course, there are pros. Sometimes you get a memory from two years ago that makes your day. The app allows for creativity. You can also easily reach out to people, and meet new people from suggested adds. Overall, I've always enjoyed Snapchat, or at least the little amount that I use it.

TikTok:

TikTok is a new social media. I do not use it to post anything, but I would say I spend the most time on TikTok out of any social media. It's so easy to scroll for hours on end. TikTok has a lot of good things about it. 

TikTok fuels creativity. It allows people to create skits and videos that they write and perform themselves. It encourages acting, dancing, humor, and other things. It can also lead to a collaboration like with 'houses'. Creators come together and make shared accounts where they can collaborate and have fun. 

TikTok, however, has many negatives. Of course like with every social media, cyberbullying, body image, depression, jealously, addiction, and more. But something TikTok does that's very dangerous is how it works with copyright, specifically music. 

An estimated 50% of music on TikTok isn't copyrighted. The music industry freaked out when TikTok first launched because of this. To appease them, TikTok made several deals with record companies to stream their music. However, many artists did not fully agree with this. Now, artists are losing money in streaming because of TikTok. Studies show that artists are taking home 12% of their royalties. 

But, many artists are also getting discovered because of TikTok, like Olivia Rodrigo. She released a song that hit #1 globally. Now artists are getting the chance to prove themselves to record labels before getting signed. If someone reaches a certain amount of streams due to TikTok, they are practically guaranteed at least a meeting. which is a new amazing to find artists. 

My Relationship pt. 2:

I have always had strong opinions on social media. I think that there are a lot of negatives. But I also see the good. I see how it brings people together. I see how it tears people apart. But I know that social media is something that is engrained in my life, as well as the lives of others. I understand it's a given in today's day and age, and I accept that. 

But I still have a complicated relationship with it. I'm trying to do good with social media. I think that with social media, people have to take active steps to improve it. People must commit to helping make it a safe virtual place, instead of how it is and can be. I believe enough people have taken these steps to ensure internet safety and inclusivity that one day, social media can be a safe place for all.