Principles of Arts, AV Tech and Communications students at CHS9 have the opportunity to submit content for CoppellStudentMedia.com after an introductory presentation about The Sidekick newspaper. The following is a column by freshman Torie Peck. 

At first glance, social media is an amazing resource. It was created as a tool to be used for social networking. While it can be very helpful, it has also caused a lot of harm. Over time the constant use of apps like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook has made people’s lives more complicated and difficult. 

It is important for us as a community to realize that there is a healthy way to use social media.

As our lives become filled with the excessive use of social media, life can become infinitely more complicated. According to Common Sense Media, the average teen spends around nine hours a day on social media. From Snapchat and Instagram to TikTok, our world is filled with social networks. A great majority of our lives have been captured online. From posting pictures with friends to funny videos throughout the day, everything is shared and saved online.

At first glance, social networks seem like an amazing idea, but they can also pose many challenges. While providing us with many ways to practically save memories, they also add stress and drama by offering an easy way to target individuals. 

From negative posts to just being left out of a group event, Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) now plays a huge role in many teen’s lives. While most of the time people are not meant to be left out, it happens. Seeing this online can cause a lot of teens to have a lowered self-esteem.

Over time, these apps have become an extremely important aspect of our everyday lives. Teens generally use social media as a way to create an identity. People post their best moments online, forming an image of themselves to gain popularity. This creates a facade as they worry about how many followers and likes are on their platforms. Comparing ourselves using these standards lowers our self-esteem. 

Teens become lost in the virtual world of their screens as we continue to create false appearances. It is up to us as a whole to change the way we use these outlets. By cutting down on the time we spend on our phones and using our social media in healthier ways, we can change our world for the better.

Follow Torie @torielpeck on Instagram.