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The Harm Present in Social Media
Many issues present in the world today stem from social media. Cyberbullying is a very common issue and often can destroy a person’s self image. The person doing the bullying can leave a hateful comment in a matter of seconds and never have to reveal his/her face. This makes bullying so much more prevalent because if someone is scared of being rude in person, that person could just hide behind a screen and get away with his/her cruel remarks. Additionally, even information put out that is not meant to be negative can be harmful to viewers. For example, Victoria’s Secret just hired Barbara Palvin, a new “plus sized” model. However, according to an article I read, she is 5’7 and weighs only 121 pounds. I found an online Body Mass Index calculator which showed that, if she lost just 3 pounds, she would be considered underweight. The media constantly portrays unhealthy weights to girls as not only normal, but desirable. These unrealistic body standards can often lead to eating disorders and other major issues in a person's self-esteem. Also, social media can lead many people into depression. No person ever posts their struggles or the boring aspects of their lives on social media. Because of this, everyone online appears to have a perfect life and can lead viewers to believe that they are constantly missing out on good things. Lastly, social media leads to a lack of communication among people. Before technology and social media were invented, people had no choice but to talk one on one and truly get to know one another. Nowadays, everyone is so distracted by phones and the internet that people rarely interact face to face. Although social media has some positive aspects for sure, I think the overall impact it has had on the world has been harmful. We do not have the power to change what is portrayed in the media, however, we do have the ability to convince ourselves not to give in to the negativity present in social media and to remain happy despite what we may see online.
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