Even before all our lives were thrown into chaos with the pandemic, as students, social media was significant to us. Now, it offers the alternative to the social interaction we all so desperately crave. The onset of the pandemic has forced millions to re-evaluate the consequences of social media in our lives. During this time, the importance of social media has been reinforced: it helps us connect, socialize from far away, and obtain near-limitless amounts of information.

Social media are various platforms that provide ways for people to communicate and share content and ideas with one another. In this broad category, there are many subtypes of social media. These include social networking (like Facebook), microblogging (Twitter), photo sharing (Snapchat or Instagram), video sharing (YouTube, TikTok), and more. As technology continues to develop, social media has reached larger populations and become more interactive. Most – if not all – of these platforms are downloadable on phones and devices, and can be taken anywhere and used at one’s leisure.

Social media is an unparalleled tool to express oneself and share memorable moments of life with others. Perhaps social media’s greatest impact is that it allows those thousands of miles apart to interact from the comfort of their own home. Social media allows users to share blogs, videos, photos, ideas, memories, and opinions. Social media, however, can cause depression- along with many other unsavory effects. Although there is a lot of good on social media, there is also a lot of negative. Because of the amount of people on social media, cyber bullying, threats, and inappropriate behavior frequently occur. Social media is thus defined by its ability to connect thousands of people immediately and easily.

In the last decade, social media usage has skyrocketed. Other than connecting people, it is also used to kill time and stay up-to-date on recent events. Whereas maintaining connections with people over long distances used to be challenging, social media has made the process as simple as pressing buttons. For all social media users, it is reassuring to know that there is a way to stay up to date with friend’s and family’s lives.

Social media helps students to connect with friends that have moved on or changed schools. Though physical interaction is limited or nonexistent, old friends are just a few clicks away and can be talked to from virtually anywhere. Justice Irvin (12) explained: “I use social media to connect with and talk to my friends. It’s usually the easiest way to contact them or for them to contact me.” It’s not just the instant communication systems that help people stay connected. Viewing, commenting on, or liking posts can brighten a friend’s day because taking the time to click “like” shows that friends still care. Additionally, social media can be used to extend invitations to relatives or family members when social events are about to occur. Platteview High School’s Band Director Mr. Layher uses social media to “invite folks to be a part of different things that are going on.” Social media isn’t just a platform for posting selfies – it’s a way for people to stay united.

Social media has also rewritten the rules on building new relationships. Justice Irvin (12) said that social media “makes it easier for me to talk to people.” For example, she said that “my brother doesn’t have a cell phone, but he has a device that he can use to talk to me through social media.” Keeping in touch with family members is an important way to maintain lasting relationships, and social media helps to do just that.

Paige Fritz (10) shared that “building relationships is a lot easier with social media because [it provides] easy, constant contact with others.” Because of its prevalence, social media is often ground zero for change and new norms. Paige Fritz (10) said that “everyone has a chance to create change. Whether you start a funny trend or send a deep message, it can reach the hearts of so many [people].” Social media has become irreplaceable in modern society.

In the video above, Jamen Kinman interviews students on the impact and use of social media in their lives?

Social media is used by more than students at Platteview. Many clubs and sports use social media to keep athletes updated and show the progress that their students are making. Most of these pages can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. A few examples of this would include Platteview FBLA, Trojan Esports, football, soccer, and basketball. Moreover, some teachers have created class or activity social media pages. Some examples are the math page on Twitter, which shows what projects have been happening in the math classes and how they turn out, as well as the Trojan Zone and school-associated pages. These pages share student successes, spread in information, and provide various services to the entire district.

Throughout the school year, Platteview High School E-learners have used social media to stay up to date on school news and homework assignments. With Platteview split between in-class and online learners, E-learners use social media- like Snapchat and Instagram- to communicate with other students about schoolwork, while e-mail, Schoology, and Zoom are primarily used to keep in contact with teachers. While online students frequently are able to ask teachers questions about assignments, “using social media makes it a lot easier to double-check the assignments and to make sure you are getting done what is needed for class,” stated Makenna Frank (12).

Social media also helps E-learners to use social media to further comprehend lessons. For example, senior Emma Pitman explains, “If there’s something that I don’t fully understand from the resources my teachers have provided me (especially in Math), I always use YouTube.” With the struggle of learning from home, social media provides communication between students and teachers along with extra educational support on schoolwork. 

Social media really was one of the main sources of entertainment that kept teens minds preoccupied during the lonely, repetitive days of quarantine. Most spent countless hours on their phones looking at posts from friends and watching YouTube. Screen time was off the charts with it being one of the few things that could still be done without going out. One app that really helped people get closer and learn that there were other ways to interact was Zoom. Especially at school, Zoom was used for communication between teachers and classmates. With the volatility and constant change presented by a virus-afflicted world, schools and other organizations must take necessary precautions. Social media has been largely exempt from these precautions as a non-face-to-face alternative, and teens are using social media more than ever. 

Social media will change in future years just like it has changed from its first years. For instance, there will be changes to what it will look like and its security and privacy will be strengthened. Since privacy concerns are rising, it is important for brands to gain trust. In other respects, social media will also see more memes and videos – this is illustrated with the rise of Tik Tok, which is the new face of social media. Older platforms, while still gaining users, and decreasing in popularity. Facebook, for example, has seen a dramatic decrease in personal posts since 2016. Instead, people are posting more memes and videos. In fact, videos are becoming more popular than pictures and texts. To increase competitiveness, platforms will also decrease the amount of ads and make their products more mobile-focused. Social media apps ten years ago were predominantly used on computers. Most people in the upcoming years will only use apps on their phone or whatever mobile device technology has next in store.

Social media isn’t only a place for people to share pictures. It is also a place for brands to market their product. Social media may make different account types to regulate ads or even allow brands to tailor their messages and products towards individuals rather than a whole group. Following current trends, platforms, brands, and companies will likely focus on video- communication in the years ahead. Nonetheless, technology is unpredictable, but what can be predicted is that social media will be completely different in future times. 

Social media has become a unique aspect of our lives. Its efficiency and accessibility furnishes millions of people an easy way to connect, socialize, and know what’s going on. In the coming years, the importance of social media will only solidify. Social media will provide a way for future populations to connect in an increasingly modern, globalized world.