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Social media is a huge part of most people’s lives, especially for young adults and kids who have grown up with technology.

A few studies have shown that the most popular apps are Snapchat and TikTok; both of these social media apps are full of sharing and creating video features. Alex Kepes (10) said, “I use Snapchat the most out of my social media apps. I use it because it is the easiest way to communicate with people. I have many more people on Snapchat than I do in my contacts, so I use it for convenience. I also use Twitter a fair amount, as I find it the most enjoyable. I love the hilarious quips mixed with current events that I need to know about. Twitter is the all-in-one social media app.”

Most students joined social media at a young age. Cooper Zumwalt (10) stated, “I got my first app when I was 9. This is when I finally made my email for my birthday, and my parents let me use it to make a Facebook.” Sara Beals (12) commented that she got her first app in the sixth grade.

There are dangers to social media. Some schools have assemblies and speakers to teach kids about how dangerous social media can be. Kepes added, “I think the biggest safety rule of social media is to be quick to say no. As soon as you feel uncomfortable, you should ‘eliminate the threat’. I think another really important tip is to not post anything that you aren’t comfortable with the entire world seeing. That seems like a hyperbole, but the more you think about it, the more of a reality it becomes.”

Because teens and kids are on social media so often, it shows a change in generations. Stephanie Dunham (9) commented, “If i’m being honest, I am definitely on my phone way more than I need to be. Especially when quarantine happened, because instead of being productive my screen time skyrocketed. There’s been times where my screen time gets better like during the summer but in the winter time I am constantly on my phone. Also with being on social media constantly it had become a constant reminder of society’s standards and what I ‘should look like’. Also I feel like social media has a great way of making people insecure about things that they didn’t even know they had a reason to be insecure about.”