They’re used at school, at home or even at work. From Facebook and Twitter, to Instagram and Pinterest, or even the recently popular Snapchat, students have become close to obsessed with social media networks.
Students find these social media networks can be entertaining when they’re bored. Senior Courtney Mortensen said, “You don’t have to be doing anything to be on [social media sites]. It’s easier to be on them than doing homework. It’s a good way to pass time.”
Social media networks offer anything from pictures to status updates. Senior Carly Falco said, “Ideas and pictures on Pinterest [are the best]. You can stay in touch with people. There’s always new stuff on there.”
Some social media sites can be better than others because of what they offer. “With Instagram you can see what everyone is doing but don’t have to listen to all the annoying conversations that everyone puts on Facebook,” said junior Hunter Berrett.
“I’m partial to Facebook because it is the thing I’ve always had,” said Mortensen. “But Snapchat is prime because you can have ugly face contests and no one will see the pictures unless the recipient is good at screenshots.”
While these networks can be fun and amusing, they can also have hazards. “Some people post inappropriate things like swear words and pictures,” said senior Kate Hadley. “There are a lot of things on there that can be very detrimental to the way you view yourself.”
Among such dangers is addiction to these social media sites. Students find they can be addicting and hard to turn off. Hadley said, “[It’s time to stop] when you realize you’re on it so much that maybe your family life is starting to go down, or friendwise you’re not hanging out with people, and you’re just always on it.”
Berrett agreed with just how addicting these networks can be; “You like one thing and then you just keep liking everything and all of sudden you’re looking at someone’s random profile, looking at their pictures from fourth grade, and you’re like how did I get here?”
Reporter: Emily Richardson
