Are Social Media Websites Harmful To The Youth?

Pg. 1-Are Social Media Websites
Harmful To The Youth?
Are Social Media Websites Harmful To The Youth?
Evan Atkinson
Strategic Communications
Elon University
Abstract
This study was done to determine if social media websites negatively affect the
youth of America. Many young people in the United States have accounts on social
media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace and studies have shown that
these websites can have negative affects. With so many young people using these
social media sites, studies on the negative affects should surely be done. After
conducting a survey, and analyzing many secondary academic resources I determined
that in fact the youth could be negatively affected by these social media websites. They
are negatively affected in many different ways such as them being addictive, and
distracting in an academic environment, but also can affect the youth negatively in
several other ways. After coming to these conclusions, I am certain that more studies
need to be done on this issue, so we can reverse some of the negative aspects of social
media websites, and find a way to be able to use them in the best possible way.
I. Introduction
The Internet is a powerful tool, and has transformed modern life
considerably. The way people communicate today has changed tremendously
because of advances in technology, and much has to do with the power of the
Internet. In the last 10 years the Internet has evolved, and what came about has
been social media websites. Social media websites allow people to communicate in
ways we never have before, and have attracted millions of people.
On Facebook more than 25 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories,
blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) are shared each month, and more than 150
million people use the social media website each month. Facebook has more than
100 million active users currently using Facebook on their cell phones. People
spend over 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook.

When it comes to Twitter, the other social media giant at the moment, they
get more than 300,000 new users each day. As of now there are 110 million users of
Twitter’s services with a third of users accessing on their cell phones.1
Social media is growing at a rapid pace, and with this growth their are new
questions that are coming forth and need to be answered. Social media is changing
communication and our society as we know it, and the question is if it’s a good
change.
II. Literature Review
The topic of social media or social networking is a very interesting topic, but
also a very new topic. In recent years the Internet has been booming, and in these
years social media was born. As of 2010 73% of children between ages 12-17 use
social networking sites, and 82% of people between ages 18-29. Since social media
is a fairly new phenomenon is it very important for us to understand the risks, or
the negative affects these social medias can have on our youth. Social networking
sites have benefits to the people who use them, but also as my research showed they
can also have negative affects on the youth.
Social networks reach millions of teenagers a year, so it is our responsibility
to understand how they affect us. As of 2010, 15% of Facebook users were
teenagers ages 13-17, totaling to almost 73 million teenagers using Facebook.23
1 "52 Cool Facts About Social Media." Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog. N.p., n.d. Web.
21 Nov. 2011. <http://dannybrown.me/2010/07/03/cool-facts-about-social-media/>.
2 Fong, Sandra. "Where in Social Media are Young Teens?" Ogilvy PR 360 Digital Influence Blog.
N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://blog.ogilvypr.com/2011/02/where-in-social-media-are-
young-teens/>.

Research done by Dr. Larry Rosen a professor of psychology at California State
University says that he found a correlation between heavy Facebook use and
narcissism. In his research he also found that teen that frequently check their
Facebook pages reported lower grades, showing that there could be a correlation
between low grades and social media use. "Facebook is seven years old. We're not
talking about an established media form ... we're talking about something that's very
new," Rosen said. "People are starting to investigate how people use these
technologies for good and bad."
Another risk that is being examined is if social networking sites are changing
the idea of “friendship” as a whole. Whether the quality of their interactions is being
diminished without the intimacy and emotional give and take of regular extended
face-to-face time. Today’s youths may be missing out on experiences that help them
develop empathy, understand emotional nuances and read social cues like facial
expressions and body language. With children’s technical obsessions starting at
ever-younger ages even kindergartners will play side by side on laptops during play
dates and their brains may eventually be rewired and those skills will fade further,
some researchers believe.4
Dr. Gwenn O’ Keeffe a Boston-area pediatrician and author of American
Academy of Pediatrics social media guidelines says that social media sites are not
3 Lenhart, Amanda, Mary Madden, Aaron Smith, and Alexandra Macgill. "Summary of Findings |
Pew Internet & American Life Project ." Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project .
N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/Teens-and-Social-
Media/1-Summary-of-Findings.aspx>.
4 STOUT, HILARY. "How Does Technology Affect Kids’ Friendships? - NYTimes.com." The New
York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/fashion/02BEST.html?pagewanted=all>.

good for children dealing with poor self-esteem. My research led me to this new
condition called “ Facebook depression.” Also, it's common among some teens to
post snotty or judgmental messages on the Facebook walls of people they don't like,
said Gaby Navarro, 18, a senior from Grayslake, Ill. It's happened to her friends, and
she said she could imagine how that could make some teens feel depressed.5
Safety has also become a very important issue when it comes to social
networking websites. Teens can give out important information that could make
them easy targets for pedophiles and other criminals. Posting too much information
on social networking site may be dangerous.6 7 Also, research shows many teens
have posted information about sexual behavior, substance abuse or violence.8 9 In
the end, the texts show that there are many risks and negatives involved when it
comes to the youth and social media websites. Some of these negatives include:
cyber-bullying, safety, addiction, depression, affecting friendships, and also
5 "Docs warn about teens and 'Facebook depression' - Health - Mental health - msnbc.com."
msnbc.com - Breaking news, science and tech news, world news, US news, local news- msnbc.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42298789/ns/health-
mental_health/t/docs-warn-about-teens-facebook-depression/#.TooHBByBO-p>.
6 "Online Social Networking Dangers and Benefits - University of the Pacific ." University of the
Pacific - Stockton, San Francisco, Sacramento. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.pacific.edu/x4989.xml>.
7 "Why parents must mind MySpace - Dateline NBC - msnbc.com." msnbc.com - Breaking news,
science and tech news, world news, US news, local news- msnbc.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11064451/ns/dateline_nbc/t/why-parents-must-mind-
myspace/#.TooL3hyBO-p>.
8 "Why parents must mind MySpace - Dateline NBC - msnbc.com." msnbc.com - Breaking news,
science and tech news, world news, US news, local news- msnbc.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11064451/ns/dateline_nbc/t/why-parents-must-mind-
myspace/#.TooL3hyBO-p>.
9 "Are social networking sites turning teens into substance abusers? - HealthPop - CBS News."
Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. N.p., n.d. Web. 3
Oct. 2011. <http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20097923-10391704.html>.

distracting in school setting.10 Finally, we must understand these negatives more to
prevent them from happening to the youth in the future.
III. Methods
I have done extensive research on my topic, which is social media. I believe
that social media can negatively affect the youth emotionally and can affect the
youth negatively in many different ways. The research questions that I raised were
(R1) does social media negatively affect the youth emotionally? If so, how? And my
other question is (R2) does social media negatively affect the youth in other ways? If so,
how? Another question I raised is, (R3) if social media affects the youth what age does it
affect the most?
I am going about answering these research questions using secondary resources
such as academic journals found in Elon University library, and I will also be using a
survey. The survey questions will be
1. What is your Age / Gender? (R3)
2. How many days a week do you use social media websites? (R1/2)
3. How many times of day to you check these websites? (R1/2)
4. How many hours a week do you spend using these social media websites?
(Estimate) (R1/2)
5. Do you feel anxious or uneasy when you cannot check these social media
websites? (R1)
6. Do you feel the need to be liked on a social media website? (R1)
7. If you bring a laptop to class, do you check social media websites during
class? (R2)
10 "Problems With Social Networking and Teens - Life123." Articles and Answers about Life -
Life123. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://www.life123.com/parenting/tweens-teens/social-
networking/issues-with-teens-and-social-networking.shtml>.

8. Do you feel social media websites distract you during class? (R2)
9. Do you ever feel the need to check social media websites while doing
homework? (R2)
10. Do you feel social media websites are affecting your schoolwork? (R2)
11. Have you ever posted a picture or status of/about you consuming alcohol or
illegal drugs? (R2)
12. Has someone ever used a social media website to harass or bother you?
(R1/2)
13. Have you ever been cyber-bullied on one of these websites? (R1/2)
The research participants will be Elon University students between the ages
of 18-23. I am hoping to receive at least 100 responses, and the participants shall
see this survey through Elon email, twitter, and Facebook and I will be using
SurveyMonkey.com.
IV. Results
To answer some of the questions to my research on social media, and to
confirm or dispel my hypothesis that social media can negatively affect the youth
emotionally and can affect the youth negatively in many different ways I used a
survey. I used the website Surveymonkey.com to create my survey, and used the
link that the website provided for me to send out to people. I first used my Elon
University e-mail address to send my survey link to my friends in college or high
school, I then used social media to try and reach people for my survey results. I put
my survey link as my Facebook status so my friends could see the link and use it,

and I also posted my survey link numerous times on Twitter, hoping to receive more
people to take my survey through social media.
After posting my survey through social media sites, and using my e-mail to
connect with people I received 100 responses. My age demographic on responses
was between the ages of 17-23, which was perfect for my topic on social media
affecting the youth of America. About 55% of the responses coming from females,
and 45% coming from males, which I thought was a good split between the genders.
My first question was, “ How many times a day do you check your social
media websites? (Estimate)” 46.7% of the respondents said they check their social
media sites 10 or more times a day, with only 14.4% saying they check there social
media sites 3 or less. From my results, almost 50% of respondents said they check
there social media accounts more than 10 times a day which I believe shows some
sort of habitual attachment or addiction to their social media accounts. I believe
that 10 or more times a day to check social media, is in excess and should be at a
lower number, but this statistic could show us how big the problem really could be,
which it comes to social media and teen addiction to them. There are millions of
teenagers in America and across the world who are linked to social media websites,
if almost 50% of them are checking these websites obsessively throughout their
days, this could be a nationwide addiction, and potentially worldwide.
My second question was, “ Do you feel anxious or uneasy when you cannot
check these websites? If yes, why do you think this is so?” When it came to this
question around 35% of people answered and said they do feel anxious or uneasy
when they cannot check there social media accounts. Many people attributed this

uneasy feeling saying that if they cannot check then they feel “out of the loop.” Or,
disconnected from the world, like they are missing something. This number I also
believe is high enough to make the statement that the youth also has at least a slight
addiction to social media. Around 35% get a negative feeling when they cannot
interact with social media, and this shows the dependence on the Internet to feel
“normal.”
My third question was, “ Do you feel the need to be liked on these social
media websites? If yes, why?” My results said that around 30% of people answered
and said that they feel the need to be liked when on these social media sites. This
number was lower than I expected, I hypothesized that at least 50% of people would
say they wanted to be liked on these social websites. I believe it reality the number
could be higher, and my results skewed because people do not want to act like they
care about other people approval when in reality they may. But still drawing from
the results, 30% is still a high enough percentage to say that people care about
social media and their image on them. Social media to many it seems, feels like real
life because it can have real life repercussions. Many people cited for their reason
for caring about being liked on social media, was that they believed it affected their
image to others in real life.
My fourth question on my social media survey was, “ If you bring a laptop to
class, do you check social media websites during class time?” This question was
asked for me to evaluate the addictive powers of social media and also how they
distract the youth when they are students. My results showed that the 85% of
people who took my survey say they take their laptop to class. Around 75% of them

check social media websites during class time, with only 10% not, and around 15%
who do not take their laptops at all to class. This 75% is an astonishing figure to me,
showing that social media can without a doubt distract students from their class
work. Students bring laptops to class to aid them in their academic work, but it
seems that these social media websites are taking attention away from school when
in the classroom. I believe this statistic shows that social media can negatively
affect students in school, and can also be addictive to the youth of this nation.
My fifth question was also about social media in the classroom, and the
question was, “ Do you feel social media websites distract you during class?” I
thought the results for this question were interesting, showing that around 65% of
students think social media websites distract them during class. This showing that
10% of student check social media during class, but do not think it distracts them.
Nonetheless, 65% of students admitting to being distracted by social media during
class backs up my prior findings, and results that indicate that social media can
negatively affect students in school, and can also be addictive.
My sixth question was, “ Do you ever feel the need to check social media
websites while doing homework?” My survey yielded the results of around 95% of
students said that they feel the need to check social media websites while doing
homework. The few people that said they do not feel the need said they still check
them while doing homework but said that students need a study break. Even so,
this 95% of students in my survey saying they feel the need to check social media
when outside of class and doing homework, further proves that social media
negatively affects students by distracting them and taking their minds away from

school. Students feel the need to check these websites no matter when/where, and
if there is not a psychological addiction there is at least a habitually addiction where
students are so use to checking their social media accounts often it just feels normal.
My seventh question asked students,“ Do you feel social media websites are
affecting your schoolwork?” This question gave me some of the most surprising
results from my survey. Around 60% of people that replied said that their
schoolwork is not affect by social media. I found this rather surprising when so
many of the same people said that social media distracts them while in class and
while doing homework. I believe my results for this question were also skewed
because of people inability to see what really may be affecting them. I feel it almost
impossible to say that social media does not affect your schoolwork, when you check
it during class and while doing homework. I assumed that with around 95% of
people checking during their homework and 85% checking them during class, which
my results for this question would be in the same range when it comes to social
media affecting people in school.
My ninth question switched the topic a little, and asked, “ Have you ever
posted a picture or status of/about you consuming alcohol or illegal drugs?” Around
55% of people responded and said yes, with around 45% saying no. People posting
pictures of them drinking or consuming illegal narcotics could be detrimental when
it comes to finding a job in the work force. Employers nowadays frequently check
potential new employees social media accounts to find more information about
them. With above 50% of members of the youth talking openly or posting pictures
about drugs and alcohol this could affect them when it comes to employers. This

could also affect them legally, maybe of the people that took my survey were under
the age of 21 and are talking about underage drinking which is illegal, and also the
partaking in drugs is clearly illegal and talking about these topics on social media
websites could bring legal harm to these individuals.
My final question on my social media survey was, “ Has someone ever used a
social media website to harass or cyber bully you? If yes, what did they do?” My last
questions goal was to get information on if people use social media as a platform for
hate, and bullying. About 25% of people responded and said they have been cyber
bullied before, mostly saying people used Facebook or Twitter to harass them
numerous times, and to use these websites to slander their names and reputation.
This to me shows that social media can also negatively affect the youth, by being a
platform or a gateway to harassment. With social media so big in America, it has
become very easy to communicate with people anywhere at anytime, and
unfortunately it makes it much easier for bullies also.
V. Discussion
After extensive literary research using academic journals and the Internet, I
was able to analyze my social media survey results, and come to some conclusions.
Keeping in mind my research question is how does social media affect the youth,
with my hypothesizing it can negatively affect them in numerous ways.
My survey questions 1 and 2 were asked to see if the young people taking
this survey would show signs of Facebook addiction or Facebook addiction disorder
(FAD), and to see how often young people are checking these social media sites. I

believe that the more often they check these sites the more influence over them
these sites could have. My survey results yielded that 45.2% of the people who took
it, check their social media websites more than 10 or more times a day. I believe
this high number is accessing the site shows that many youths are at risk for FAD.
Young people are checking these sites more often and now they are easier to access
on the computer, and on their smart phones. Too many hours spent on a social
media website shows signs of FAD, and many youths are affected. “An American
psychologist believes so. In fact, he’s even introduced a new term to describe such
an addiction. FAD, or Facebook Addiction Disorder, is a condition that is defined by
hours spent on Facebook, so much time in fact that the healthy balance of the
individual’s life is affected. It has been said that approximately 350 million people
are suffering from the disorder”11
My second questioned asked the people taking my survey about if they feel
anxiety when they cannot check their social media accounts. My results said that
35% of them do feel anxiety or uneasiness, mostly attributing this feeling to “feeling
out of the loop” or “disconnected.” There is a set of six criteria that determine FAD;
a person must show signs of 2-3 over a 6-8 month period. One of them is, “
Withdrawal symptoms: These become obvious when one is restricted from using
Facebook because they have to participate in normal everyday activities. Common
signs are anxiety, distress and the need to talk about Facebook and what might have
11 Summers, Amy. "Facebook Addiction Disorder — The 6 Symptoms of F.A.D. -
SocialTimes.com." SocialTimes.com - Your Social Media Source. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
<http://socialtimes.com/facebook-addiction-disorder-the-6-symptoms-of-f-a-d_b60403>.

been posted on their wall in their absence.”12 35% of the youth taking my survey
said they feel this anxiety, which shows one of the negative affects of social media.
These first two questions asked on my survey yielded results that I expected which
were high rates for checking social media sites, and a high percentage on anxiety
from not checking these sites. Having an addiction is always a negative thing,
according to dictionary.com an addiction is, “the state of being enslaved to a habit or
practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as
narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.” If the youth are
enslaved to the habit of checking these websites, this is undoubtedly a negative
affect of social media on the youth.
My third question was asked to determine if any of the youth taking my
survey would show signs of Facebook depression. According to an MSNBC article, “
Add "Facebook depression" to potential harms linked with social media, an
influential doctors' group warns, referring to a condition it says may affect troubled
teens who obsess over the online site…But there are unique aspects of Facebook
that can make it a particularly tough social landscape to navigate for kids already
dealing with poor self-esteem, said Dr. Gwenn O'Keeffe, a Boston-area pediatrician
and lead author of new American Academy of Pediatrics social media guidelines.”13
Some social media websites such as Facebook can make some children feel worse,
12 Summers, Amy. "Facebook Addiction Disorder — The 6 Symptoms of F.A.D. -
13 "Docs warn about teens and 'Facebook depression' - Health - Mental health - msnbc.com."
msnbc.com - Breaking news, science and tech news, world news, US news, local news- msnbc.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42298789/ns/health-
mental_health/t/docs-warn-about-teens-facebook-depression/#.TsWbihwk8eF>.

when they feel they are not being liked on the site. My survey results said that 30%
said they wanted to be liked on social media websites. I honestly believed my
survey results would have had a higher percentage for this question. I think that
many youths want people to like them, which would mean that even on social media
websites people would want to portray themselves a certain way, and in doing so
have people like them. I am not sure if my survey question was able to extract the
real truth out of the people taking my survey, which would be something I would
change in the future. But nonetheless I believe that 30% of people agreed that they
want to be liked says something about the virtual reality, and how seriously
members of the youth can take social media websites.
My questions 4-7 were asked to see if social media negatively affects the
youth when it comes to schooling. Now that the youth can check social media not
only on their computers but also on their phones I hypothesized many students
would be affected academically by social media. 72% of students who bring their
laptops to class admitted that they check social media websites during them, 65.6%
said they believe social media websites distracts them in class. 72% is an astounding
number, showing that students cannot stay off of social media websites, even during
class. Social media websites are taking students attention away from what is in
important in the classroom, and this could negatively affect their grades in school.
According to an MSNBC article, “ A new study says that college students who are on
Facebook while studying or doing homework wind up getting 20 percent lower
grades than students who don't have the social networking site in visual range, or

even running in the background on their computers or mobile phones.”14 The other
major distraction Facebook causes that could affect students grades, is when taking
notes in class. If a student is using their computer to take notes, how could they not
be tempted to check Facebook? But it has potentially harmful effects on their
learning in class. Students might stop listening and may miss some important notes
or the instructions to an assignment. This could affect their grades on tests and
eventually their final grade in the class.”15 My results said that 95% of students feel
the need to check social media websites while doing homework, but only 61.3%
think it affects their schoolwork. With so many students distracted by social media
websites in school and while doing homework, they will be performing worse in
school. Students cannot give their full concentration to their teachers or to their
students because social media is so tempting to them. These high results I believe
correspond with the question if many students have FAD. A majority of the students
who took my survey are distracted in class, and at home but neglect to see the fact
that it is affecting them. 61.3% is a high percentage, but the percentage should be
much higher when 95% are checking during homework and 72% during class. With
so many students being distracted from their academic studies in and out of the
classroom, I believe it is very clear that this is another negative affect of social media
on the youth.
14 "Facebook use can lower grades by 20 percent, study says - Technology & science - Tech and
gadgets - Back to School - msnbc.com." msnbc.com - Breaking news, science and tech news, world
news, US news, local news- msnbc.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39038581/ns/technology_and_science-
tech_and_gadgets/t/facebook-use-can-lower-grades-percent-study-says/#.TsWhkxwk8eF>.
15 Hamik, Megan. " The Collegian » How does Facebook affect your study habits? ." The Collegian
» Serving California State University, Fresno since 1922. . N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
<http://collegian.csufresno.edu/2011/03/02/how-does-facebook-affect-your-study-habits/>.

My second to last question was asked to see if social media could negatively
affect the youth, when it comes to the judicial system. My question was, “ have you
ever posted a picture or status or/about you consuming alcohol or illegal drugs?”
My results said that 53.8% said yes they have. The problem with this is that
students can get in trouble with the school they are apart of and the youth can also
get in trouble with the law by posting pictures and status about illegal activities.
“Students are getting in trouble with University administrators for incriminating
and inappropriate information or pictures on their social networking profiles that
are violations of school policy or the code of conduct. Students are being turned
down by employers for jobs, internships and even interviews because of the
information employers are finding out about students on their social networking
accounts. Compromising and inappropriate pictures, statements or other
information on student social networking accounts can hurt students' chances to
gain (or even be considered for) employment. Employers take the images that
students are portraying on social networking sites very seriously as a reflection of
personal character.”16 Social media websites provide an area where young people
feel safe to talk about and post what they choose to, the problem is many young
people fail to realize who could possible be looking at their social media profiles.
Many members of the youth feel as though only their friends may see what is going
on but they are far from the truth. Inappropriate social media accounts can cause
people to lose our on employment, and deal with disciplinary issues, I believe this is
16 "Online Social Networking Dangers and Benefits." University of the Pacific - Stockton,
Sacramento and San Francisco. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.pacific.edu/Campus-
Life/Safety-and-Conduct/Safety-and-Security/Online-Social-Networking-Dangers-and-Benefits-
.html>.

also a negative affect of social media on the youth.
My final survey question was asked to access the safety of the youth on social
media websites. A growing topic of concern has been the issue of cyber-bullying on
these social media websites. These websites have made it easier for the youth to
connect, but it has also made is easier for bullies to connect with potential targets.
“Cyber-bullying and harassment are most often perpetrated by other teens and tend
to happen most to older girls and to teens of either gender who have a strong online
presence. It may take several forms: publicizing private instant messages, text
messages or e-mails posting threatening messages posting photos that will cause
embarrassment spreading rumors It's rare for harassment to spill over into real-
world conflicts, but it can still be a cause of emotional distress for teens.”17 Out of
the 100 people that took my survey, 25% of them said they have been cyber-bullied
in the past, a few saying they have done the bullying themselves. Out of these 25
people, many of them said people used social media sites to harass them through
hateful messages and negative statuses about them, hoping to hard their reputation
and embarrass them. If young people are being cyber-bullied though social media
websites, this could emotionally affect the victims. I would have to say that social
media being the potential breeding ground for bullies is another negative affect of
social media on the youth.
I am not saying that social media websites are the worst thing that could
happen to the youth, but I am concluding that these social media websites have
17 "Problems With Social Networking and Teens - Life123." Articles and Answers about Life -
Life123. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.life123.com/parenting/tweens-teens/social-
networking/issues-with-teens-and-social-networking.shtml>.

many negative aspects about them, and that these social media websites definitely
negatively affect the youth. These social media websites can become addictive, and
cause members of the youth to feel uneasy. These social media websites cause
many students distractions in the classrooms, and distract them from their studies
outside of the classroom as well. And these social media websites can also
negatively affect the youth by being potential breeding grounds for bullies, and a
place where young people divulge too much information and can be harmful. In the
end, through secondary and primary research I conclude that social media in fact
does negatively affect the youth.
VI. Conclusion
Social media websites are great tools for communication, and are here to
stay. Specific social media websites may phase out, but the social media websites
seems to be a stable part of the Internet. This study looked in depth on the negative
affects of social media websites on the youth.
Through this study it showed that many young people are showing signs of
Facebook Addiction Disorder, and also showed that a majority of young people who
use social media websites are distracted by these sites in and outside of the
classroom. This study also showed that many young people divulge too much
information on their social media accounts, which could affect student’s future
employment. Finally, this study showed that a good number of young people have
been affected by cyber bullying, and that social media websites can affect the youth
negatively this way also.

This study relied on information from young people on a survey for most of
the numerical information. Many of the questions I asked were opinion based, and
the information could be skewed if many of the surveyors don’t reveal what they
really think. With an online survey, I have to put my trust in the surveyors to
divulge true and accurate information.
In the end, social media websites can be an excellent communication medium
for people of all ages, and all over the world. Social media has changed
communication, and made it easy for people to connect with one another in ways we
never thought before. These social media websites have come with some
drawbacks, and negative aspects that affect the youth but through research we can
understand these negative aspects and prevent or reduce the affects of them on
young people in America.

Work Cited
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Survey Questionnaire
1. What is your age and gender?
2. How many times a day do you check your social media websites? (Estimate)
3 or less
4 - 6
6-8
8-10
10 or more
3. Do you feel anxious or uneasy when you cannot check these websites? If Yes,
why do you think this is so?
4. Do you feel the need to be liked on these social media websites? If yes, why?
5. If you bring a laptop to class, do you check social media websites during class time?
Yes
No
N/A
6. Do you feel social media websites distract you during class?
Yes
No
N/A
7. Do you ever feel the need to check social media websites while doing homework?

8. Do you feel social media websites are affecting your schoolwork?
Yes
No
N/A
9. Have you ever posted a picture or status of/about you consuming alcohol or illegal drugs?
Yes
No
N/A
10. Has someone ever used a social media website to harass or cyber bully you? If yes,
what did they do?

Are Social Media Websites Harmful To The Youth?

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