Why You Should Quit Social Media

Social media has been in our lives for quite some time, helping us make more money, communicate with each other, and do things faster. This explains why 77% of Americans have a social media profile. As the appeal for social media grows, skeptics of its benefits grow also; and why wouldn't they, as people who used to want to go off the grid are now posting their lives on Instagram? So, am I one of those skeptics who have no notifications on their phone? Yes. Before you make your assumptions about who typed this article, I am not some 50-year-old women with a blackberry; I'm the complete opposite, a teenager with an iPhone. A teenager with an iPhone who has spent a year off of social media and doesn't live under a rock. Yes, this teenager is telling you to quit social media.

Mental Illness and overall Depression

Before social media, or BSM, the only people we were sharing our lives with was our friends and family through polaroids and embarrassing Christmas cards. Those Walgreens printed pictures were in envelopes and we would share stickers for scrapbooking, and then Facebook came. At the beginning, Facebook was used for the same purpose as kodaks, but grew into something toxic. What was a place where you could share little Sarah's school place became a place for the lost family members to frown at their family's achievements. To make that feeling of being unsuccessful worse, Instagram comes along, gluing us to our phones more.

Looking at other people's lives and not focusing on your life definitely can connect to depression. A study conducted by the National Institute of Health came to the conclusion that the people who checked into social media an average of 30 times a week had a high risk of depression. This study can be linked to the fact that being on social media all the time is very isolating, as people begin to compare themselves to the people on their screen; and after all, comparison is the thief of joy. With that being a fact, people still tap on Instagram with millions of people who alter their lives to make them better. When you don't have the ability to really make your life into this fantasy, it can be stressful and terrible to one's self esteem.

It's like Added Sugar

The best way I can describe social media is like it's added sugar; it's addictive. Back when I was on social media, I often found myself checking my Instagram in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep, and it was the first thing I did in the morning. While social media makes us feel bad sometimes, I know from experience that checking people's stories and seeing influencer's aesthetically pleasing feeds can you lead you to staring at your phone for an hour. I still use YouTube and I often find myself enjoying seeing the new posts that come up. Something so addicting shouldn't be part of our everyday lives.

Social Media Lies

Lastly, the reason you should consider deleting some of your applications is, between false ads and people's edited bios, social media lies. Social media has become the place to sell t-shirt brands and ways to get skinnier, but some of their marketing strategies are simply just to lie. Social media has made us more gullible, to the point we believe flat tummy tea will make us drop 10 pounds, and we will get 30% off. The appearances of these ads often look so good and the creators really know their way around ethos, pathos, and the opposite of logos. You should not put your trust in social media, along with your passwords or information, because social media is like a little sibling. They lie and don't feel bad about it.

Just a little side note, this article was about the main social media apps, not sites like Vocal or Wattled :)