According to the website, Aacap, ninety percent of teens aged 13-17 use social media. Lots of people enjoy using social media, but can social media be harmful to society? 

Several students at Plano West were asked if they thought social media was dangerous. Kendall Lee, a senior, said, “It can be dangerous because of how fast misinformation can be spread.”

In some cases, when people have conflict, they tend to take their issues out to social media without thinking about the consequences, which often causes more problems. These problems can not only cause more dissension between people, but it can also have negative effects on their mental health.

A junior, Malaika Mubashir, said, “Social media can cause a lot of people self-harm and it can lead to depression.” 

Mubashir mentioned her bad experience on Tiktok. “One time I made a tiktok account and I posted a tiktok and a couple of guys in the comments were talking about how my nose was big,” said Mubashir. “It made me cry.”

As seen on the Oscars with Will Smith and Chris Rock, these types of comments not only affect the individual being insulted but also their families. On March 29th, Jada Pinkett Smith took it to her Instagram and posted “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.” 

As previously mentioned, these types of comments can really affect a person’s mental health, which is why people need to be careful with what they say. Before commenting, it is vital for people to consider the impact of their words. Some people may feel better about themselves by bringing others down, but that is precisely why social media can be dangerous. If nothing needs to be said, why say anything at all? What’s the point of spreading hate? Some people may take advantage of the fact that they’re behind a screen, but that doesn’t make their actions any less harmful. If everyone stopped all the negativity online, social media would be a more safe and happy platform. 

“Social media isn’t bad. It honestly depends on the people. It’s only bad if that’s the only thing you rely on,” said a junior, Samantha Steward.