The Controversial Apps by Sameeka

The Controversial Apps by Sameeka - March 2022 Scholarship Essay

At school, social media has become a very controversial topic. High school students will confidently say social media is their whole life, but the teachers beg to differ. When the whole world was shut down during the covid pandemic, nothing boomed more than social media platforms. Whether it be making Tik Toks during virtual school or posting Instagram stories about their teacher’s internet connection, social media took control over millions of teenagers like never before. Even the end of virtual learning didn’t end this control; it instead started a new cycle of social media obsession. I was sucked into this obsession, myself, as my screen time went from fifteen minutes a day to two hours a day. It took immense reflection for me to gain control over my Twitter fingers and divert my attention back to schooling. This distraction from education proves the negative effects of social media.
As a straight-A student, I found it very frustrating when I couldn’t focus on what the teacher was trying to teach. What was even more surprising was finding the culprit behind my lack of concentration: the phone on my lap. I had the constant urge to keep scrolling through my Instagram feed as the teacher was taking roll calls. Social media has a very addictive factor to it which makes you want to never stop scrolling. Even when I wasn’t looking at my phone, I was thinking about it. This distraction became real when my grades started slowly decreasing and I couldn’t find the reason behind it. I’m glad I found a way to change my habits and get back on track with school. I deleted all of my social media for a week and only kept apps that were related to my extracurriculars. That way, when I get bored and start scrolling through the apps, I’ll only collect useful information to help me grow as a person.
Something that scares me about social media is the hate that spreads on it. All the good things students have learned at school can easily be canceled out by the bad things they pick up on social media. One hate comment can instantly capture the attention of thousands of gullible teenagers. It can incorrectly create an impression of what’s right and wrong on these developing young minds. For example, I once ran across a post talking about how much weight a celebrity had gained. And even if I knew how wrong it was to talk about someone’s body like that, I chose to explore through the ridiculous comments. I now look back at that choice with humiliation because I, myself, had become a member of the disgrace; I chose to sit on the disgusting thought and let it endeavor through my mind. This is a pure example of how with every positive comes a negative, as social media was built for support, but can turn into hate.
On the other hand, if used responsibly, social media can positively influence education. It is a quick way to spread information that would otherwise take hours of advertisement. It’s important to relieve stress and connect with friends through social media because being mentally fit is just as important as the academic subjects at school. Furthermore, social media will teach you life hacks that you’ll normally never explore. I, for example, learned how to crochet, cook, converse in Spanish, and entertain young children all on my phone. Although social media is addictive, it can lead to social growth that you can’t experience at school.
Social media is a great addition to schooling, and with great power comes great responsibility, so it’s important to treat it with caution. Too much can lead to a distraction, however too little can leave a dent in your social learning. I choose to stay right around the middle, where I use social media as an enhancement tool, not as a surviving device at school. So next time you're bored in class and your eyes wander to that flashing icon on your phone, keep in mind the advantages and disadvantages of social media.