Is social media ruining children’s creativity?

Many people are unsure about social media’s effect on children in this generation. Because of new technology, there may be some benefits, but children are becoming more screen-obsessed. There are many negative effects of technology usage, such as unrealistic body expectations, that can lower self-esteem, increased anxiety, and depression linked to users feeling inadequate due to idealized expectations and comparisons. If our generation has to face these obstacles when using media, will this affect art and culture when Generation Alpha has to continue spreading creativity in the world?

Social media can be used by anyone to communicate or spread information about themselves, but many people use it to portray a fake version of themselves that’s perfect and ideal. “You try to perfect it and be something you’re not,” eighth grader Maya Kaya stated. 

More and more people are viewing these types of media and feel like they’re not good enough, unless they try to live up to social media’s standards. The main reason why students are posting online is that they want to show that they have an ideal life when, in reality, it’s the opposite. “When you make something for yourself, it’s to make you happy, and on social media, it’s to make other people happy,” seventh grader William Gonzalez expressed. 

This shows that when anyone is posting on social media, the viewer’s feelings and expressions come first, and the person posting comes second. When people post on social media, it’s to show the viewers how perfect their lives are; they perfect everything in the post for possible closure in their lives. 

When children are exposed to social media, their attention spans tend to decrease, making it harder for them to focus in school and increasing their addiction to it. “Attention span is getting lower, so creativity is decreasing,” Mr. Michael Altman, drama teacher, affirmed. 

Social Media has not only been shown to affect children’s creativity and mental health, but also could lead to kids getting FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). “The constant awareness of what others are doing, often presented in an exaggerated or idealized way, can trigger FOMO. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, envy, and a compulsive need to check social media to avoid missing out on social activities or trends” (Congressional Medal of Honor Society). This proves that social media can negatively affect children’s mental growth and development.

Others may argue that technology does increase children’s creativity. Children may get a spark of inspiration online. “Artok is influencing them children,” eighth grader Katherine Reich replied. 

Although this may be true, one seventh grader, Eli Carter, stated, “…When watching something you lose passion, and want to be someone else.” 

This goes to show that children can’t be themselves anymore and want a perfect image as they see online, which isn’t reality. All in all, social media has been proven to negatively affect its users. Hopefully it won’t affect any generations from now, so will you bring back the creativity our generation needs?