With the rise of social media and the dominance of influencers and bloggers, it can be a bit difficult to be a young adult. Older generations always tell us: “When we were your age, we used to play outside” and similar sentences that make social media and advanced technology look bad: but have we ever stopped and seriously thought about the possible side-effects and influence that social media might have on us?

1. SOCIAL MEDIA’S PRACTICALITY

You can now learn anything, and fast. Some accounts on social media are actually useful for traveling, cooking, DIY, make-up tutorials, etc. Also, everything is more accessible through social media: you can shop online, create a blog or begin a startup, all through the click of a button!

2. GAINING INSPIRATION

When it comes to bloggers, sometimes people need the influence! How many times were you lost and didn’t know what to wear, so you just checked out your favorite blogger’s profile for inspiration? But it’s not always about superficial things, in fact, some influencers use their platforms to do good by encouraging their followers to donate to certain charities, or just by raising awareness about a certain cause.

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However, social media has some negative effects on our lives.

3. SHOWING OTHERS

Nowadays, it seems as though everyone is doing things and going places for social media. When you go out, travel or even go for dinner, you absolutely have to take pictures and videos to post them on social media. This is a habit that most of us have without even realizing it has become a serious issue, because most of us are only doing it to show instead of just enjoying the moment for our own sake.

4. FEAR OF MISSING OUT

The fact that most people post what they’re doing at all times, and everyone has access to that through social media, has led rise to one of the worst phenomena of our generation: FOMO or fear of missing out. Have you ever watched someone’s story on Instagram and thought, “Hey, I should have gone to that party!”? That’s pretty much what that is, and it might not be that important of a feeling, but over time, it might become more intense to the point where you may have constant anxiety that something is happening and you aren’t part of it.

5. CREATING YOUR IDENTITY

Bloggers and influencers can also have an impact through their social media platforms. Sometimes, due to the intense observing of an influencer, we might get too immersed in who they are and how they look, that we might not be able to create our own identity or our own style, because we’ll try to be something or someone we’re not.

Basically, social media requires moderation and balance. You can always find other activities to do like exercising, reading or watching a movie. It’s true that it kind of has become a solution to our boredom, and that’s great! But, let’s not get too immersed in it and forget about the real world out there!

Now, do you agree with Sarah? Tell us what you think.

What would be, in your opinion, the biggest influence social media has on us?