Katie Hurley, LCSW, makes a persuasive argument that there is a downside of social media use by teens. While teens use social media to join groups and make new friends, they also experience cyberbullying, trolls, toxic comparisons, sleep deprivation, and less frequent face-to-face interactions. According to Hurley (Hurley, 2019), “Too much time spent scrolling through social media can result in symptoms of anxiety and/or depression”. Hurley explains how social media can be destructive: Focusing on likes : The need to gain “likes” on social media can cause teens to make choices they would otherwise not make, including altering their appearance, engaging in negative behaviors, and accepting risky social media challenges. Cyberbullying : Teens girls in particular are at risk of cyberbullying through use of social media, but teen boys are not immune. Cyberbullying is associated with depression, anxiety, and an elevated risk of suicidal thoug...
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April 26, 2019 New research shows a link between social media and mental health of teens. Teenagers gravitate to social media platforms to find community, but their mental health is adversely affected by this culture of social comparison. According Katie Hurley, LCSW, (Hurley, 2019), “Some studies show that online connections with small groups of people can be beneficial to teens, while other research points to a rise in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.” There are distinct pros and cons to teenagers using social media. One study from the University of Pittsburgh found a “correlation between time spent scrolling through social media apps and negative body image feedback” and “those who had spent more time on social media had a 2.2 times the risk of reporting eating and body image concerns, compared to their peers who spent less time on social media. The participants who spent the most time on social media had 2.6 ti...
In the book Identity Crisis, the 2016 Presidential Campaign and the Battle for the Meaning of America , authors Sides, Tesler, and Vavreck note (Sides et al, 2018), “Sander’s challenge to Clinton benefited from three things, however. The first was a set of tools, including social media that helped him generate grassroots enthusiasm and large crowds at rallies and speeches.” Sanders’ gained momentum and arguably influenced and connected with many supporters. Still, Sanders had to influence a vote. Sides explains (Sides et al, 2018), “Sanders faced the perennial challenge of insurgent candidates: how to turn thousands of supporters at local rallies into millions of voters.” Social media played an important role in influencing supporters and making strong connections. Through social media, Sanders gained momentum and over performed expectations. He was able to increase his level of effectiveness and his ability to lead others. Social media suc...
In the book Identity Crisis, the 2016 Presidential Campaign and the Battle for the Meaning of America , authors Sides, Tesler, and Vavreck point out that the Democratic nomination contest in 2015-16 was very different from the Republican nomination because of one main feature: the unity of party leaders (Sides et al, 2018). More party leaders supported the nomination of Clinton than any other candidate since 1980. Yet, rival Bernie Sanders produced significant challenges despite having all odds stacked against him. Americans really did not know Sanders and he was not part of the political establishment. Sides notes (Sides et al, 2018), “Sanders began his primary campaign as a virtual unknown. AS of March 2015, he was less familiar than nearly every other candidate or potential candidate in either party: only 24 percent of Americans could provide an opinion of him…” As the underdog, how then did Sanders gain a significant number of votes? ...
Google has had a major effect on the general public. People generally opt for Google because of habit, the default search service embedded in the browser, their choice of e-mail client, appearance or speed. In the past or pre-internet age, I would spend countless hours at the public library pouring over books learning how to apply for college or the best places to spend my summer vacation. That was the norm. However, Google has changed all of that. Google links filtered information to people in an instant. Today, web users can search any subject and find tons of information that it is available to them without leaving home. The internet can provide so much history and other links to research and endless data. So, I would argue that Google has had too much power over our lives. It has almost eliminated the “middle man” such as travel agents, many retail stores, bookstores, and office supply stores. The convenience outweighs the c...
I was intrigued by Tiffany B. Brown's interview. I connected with her because of her writing background. I have always wanted to start a blog of my own and never knew where to begin. I glossed over the idea because I thought you needed to be a professional writer at minimum to begin blogging. Brown had experience in journalism but admits her experience was limited to just that and college writing. And she jumped right in. So that was encouraging to hear. What is impressive is that Brown started off simple. She wanted to promote herself professionally. Many times we have a desire and dismiss it without even trying. Brown tried and she was successful. It is encouraging for me since I do not have any experience in writing other than for academic purposes. I have a passion for leadership and want to inspire people to reach their potential. Brown's interview motivates me to take a ri...