Social Media Vs Learning by Mia

Social Media Vs Learning by Mia - March 2022 Scholarship Essay

With social media being a big part of everyday life, it's no surprise it affects every aspect of our lives. Social media has many effects on learning; both negative and positive. Education is another big part of our lives. We spend the majority of our lives learning for either personal gain, or our career path. So how does social media affect learning?
The negative effects of social media can be direct or indirect towards education. Many surveys have been conducted over this particular subject. A big result is sleep deprivation. The lack of sleep causes a decline in attention and learning. On top of this, attention is constantly drawn away by the feeling of the need to check socials. Teens also find the need to learn at a lesser degree. All these factors added together, with other unnamed ones, bring to light how big of an effect social media ultimately has on learners.
The effects aren’t all negative though. Collaborative learning has become easier with technology, and social media allows another output for this. Many teens and young adults also look to social media for help on scheduling and study hacks. While these may be performed on other platforms, social media is the one of the biggest used. Using the chatting portion, learners are able to reach out to others for help. As well as those seeking more knowledge can find opportunities and suggestions shared by others.
Ultimately, any action performed towards learning on social media, can be done in a less distracting way. While it is a personal decision, social media is a big factor on decreased health and learning. A good way to have the best of both worlds is to limit screen time. Focus on school and only go on socials after it's all done. Remove any distractions in the time focusing on education. In the end, the only thing that will change it, is the will and effort given.
Today, social media and education are big in society. Sometimes they work together, other times not so much. Whether social media is used to gain education or take away from it is up to the user. Caution is advised as social media affects parts of life often overlooked. But with proper time management and control, a positive outcome can be achieved.
As for the personal side of things, I have not used social media. All the previous facts and opinions stated come from studies, research, and performances by others. Although if I did have social media, I would work my best to follow my advice. Until then, I remain without much knowledge on this subject, other than what I’ve learned from others.

How has social media impacted the way you learn? What are some advantages and disadvantages of its influence on education?