If you are in high school, you certainly have experience with social media. Even if you do not have an account, every teenager undoubtedly uses the internet that way to some extent. We all are insecure in some way; it is what makes us human. And approval from other people only comes naturally as well.

It is very noticeable to see how many people are on their phones at the lunch tables, in class, in the hallways, etc. There could be an assumption that everyone has accounts. Specifically, looking through the school, I see people most often on Snapchat. Has it become an addiction that we should be more aware of, and should we do something about it? I wanted to answer this question by asking my peers what they thought. Interviewing a junior at PHS about the effect of social media usage, this is what he had to say: 

“Instagram is easily accessible. A lot of my friends use it. It’s simple to navigate. I like the stories feature. It’s like watching things without putting too much mental energy into it. I think the reel feature is cool. The way you can customize stories; you can throw music on there and organize and do whatever you want.”

I also interviewed a senior at PHS about a different social media, Snapchat. They said they use Snapchat so they can text their girlfriend easily. They also said that Snapchat can take a toll on you if you allow it to “because maybe people don’t text or talk to you or snap you.” This Senior said they overcome this “by not caring about what other people think.”

I have concluded that although it is worrying how it may take a toll on one’s self-esteem watching a screen all day, social media is essential to talking to peers. I would say yes, to an extent, that people seek approval from others through social media and relying on this approval to build ourselves up can hurt our self-esteem. However, I believe it is one’s choice to reflect on themselves, and know whether or not it has become an addiction.