Pro:

Assistant Editor Riley Wilson

We are known as the technologically savvy generation. A generation that with a tap of a button can connect to each other all over the world. We can share memories, stories and news with others in what seems like the speed of light. However, the very platform that allows people to express themselves through photos, text posts and videos is receiving backlash. It is time for people to realize that social media, and the people who use it as an outlet are not the enemy.

Not every single person on social media is obsessed with the number of likes they receive or the amount of compliments they get. Sharing and communicating is part of the human makeup, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to post a selfie or type up a post about how your day went. With social media, we are able to see the whole world.

Social media allows us to have the world in our hands. We can travel to Paris and drink coffee, hike in Ireland, surf in California or skydive in London all by experiencing these events through photos. We can become best friends with famous people by keeping up to date on their posts. We can attend Cousin Bob’s graduation, Aunt Cathy’s baby shower or even go to a college class without actually being present.

Research shows that social media improves quality of life. It is so easy to get lost in a big world, especially as a teenager. With the use of social media, teenagers have an outlet to express themselves, which is important because expression is key during the teenage years. The atmosphere of high school has a tendency to leave many feeling cut off from the world, or even other students.

Of course, with a system so encompassing as social media, the system has flaws, like people who use their power for false advertising or pay for likes. I believe that it is not the system that is flawed, but the people using the system. Social media can be used for good and be very benefitial to others, but certain people can abuse it.

Social media gives people value. It allows them to put their best self out there, brand their content, network express themselves and build relationships. Social media, put simply, is a social community. As young adults today, it is more important than ever to be a part of this community.

Con:

Sports Editor Michael Pearce

When defining self-worth, what comes to mind first? For some, its “likes.” This is one problem with social media, and how people use it in today’s society.

People spend hours on their phones taking selfie after selfie, searching for one that will receive the most comments that say “Ugh, can I be you? Stop being so pretty!!” Feeling good about yourself is not the problem. There is nothing wrong with taking a good picture of yourself. The problem here is the value that a “like” contains.

What does a like actually mean? Absolutely nothing. A like is just a number on a picture that increases when someone else double taps on it. It is literally worthless. Obtaining self-worth based on a fake count of how many people “like” a photo is actually self-destructive. Basing self-worth off of Instagram likes is not productive, but actually lowers your opinion of yourself.

Everyone in the world is more than the number of likes they receive. If you follow more people than follow you, you are not less of a person; it does not look bad. Social media has no rule book.

There are apps that share your post at a certain time. The idea is that this app tracks what time you get the most likes and posting at this time will maximise your likes. Believe it or not, there are apps that get you hundreds of likes, and apps that get you more followers. But there is a price to pay. People actually pay to obtain more likes and followers on Instagram… with real money!

No one should define their physical attractiveness by the number of likes they receive on their tilted head, valencia filtered, Squaready selfie. You don’t need 75 likes on a photo to keep it on your social media profile. There are many positives to social media, but this is a glaring negative.

“Likes” do not matter. So why should they bear an effect on someone’s happiness? This is the main problem with social media. It creates a number that defines a person. Social media ruins the way people feel about themselves and determine their self worth.