by: Molly Sullivan

Social media is a very controversial topic, there are both positives and negatives. It has impacted so many people's lives in many different ways. For some it gave them fame, for others it gave them new connections, or it can be just another frequently used app on people's devices.

Social media is a false reality, as you only see the sides of peoples lives that they want you to see. So most of the time people are only going to show the good parts of their life, the things they think are worth sharing. It's important to note that social media is fake most of the time. Nothing is exactly how it seems no matter how real or amazing a person makes their life look on different social platforms. Yet not all parts of social media are bad. For example, some people start their careers from social media, meet new people, and stay in touch with people you don't live close to. Some use their platforms in informative and educational ways, others share funny/happy moments. These platforms can be very creative places. Some of the platforms I am referring to are Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, and Facebook.

A huge negative to social media is cyberbullying and how much social media can affect people's lives and also their mental health. These platforms make it so easy for people who could be random strangers or people you know to use fake names and send/say harmful things to people they may not even know. This can cause serious problems and affect the person targeted in horrible ways. As I said, social media can spread positive messages but that means social media can also send negative messages.

Social media can strongly affect people's mental health by making people feel bad about themselves, or anxious about missing out on things, and lots more.