Social Media During COVID

By: Jennifer Lee

Social media has become a huge part of our lives. It’s almost impossible to not have to use it, especially during quarantine. Since we’re isolated from our friends it’s even more important to interact with others besides our family. Many people also use social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share news and bring awareness to multiple topics such as BLM. This can prove to be beneficial as more people are able to recognize the issues of our world. Social media also connects people. This is a great aspect of social media because people can feel less alone when they are able to meet someone with the same interests/passions as them.

While there are many benefits to social media, there are also some downsides to it. Social media can help people feel not as alone during Covid but in other cases can make them feel even more isolated. This can come from seeing other people hanging out while they are stuck at home and unable to see their friends and family. Seeing other people not following Covid guidelines can also cause misconceptions about the severity of Covid. The increased use of social media during quarantine also causes some people to feel more negative emotions as they watch people live “perfect lives”. This inaccurate portrayal of other’s lives can cause people to hold themself to impossibly perfect standards. When they are unable to achieve them, they may start to think badly of themselves. Social media is an amazing tool but learning about the downsides of it is important.