Just A Few More Minutes

There are about 1.96 billion people on social networking sites and people are expecting that number to rise to around 2.5 billion in the year of 2018. Social media can be a way to stay up to date on what's going on in the world, from who is running for president to when the next episode of Teen Wolf is airing on TV. So many people use social media that you most likely can't even walk into a party without someone scrolling through Twitter. A lot of social media users use social media sites, like Twitter and Snapchat, to make new friends and meet new people. But what happens when those people need to talk to people face to face? What will happen when human interaction is needed? You get used to communication over the internet, but actual human interaction will steadily become more difficult for someone the more that person uses social media. I myself am an excessive internet user. I used to be such an extrovert. Now, even when hanging out with friends, I am constantly wondering when I will be able to log onto the internet. Over the years, I have developed social anxiety. Whenever I have to talk in class, my head will start throbbing, my heart will start pounding, and my palms will start sweating. I have gotten so used to internet communication that I can barely communicate face to face.

For some people, social media might fill a hole in their heart. They might view social media as a cure for the emptiness they feel inside. These kinds of feelings can definitely lead to addiction. It also depends on what you view on social media. At the University of Missouri, there was a study done that provided evidence for Facebook use being linked to depression. The study explained that when people see what their friends are doing and what is going on in their own lives, it can lead to depressed feelings. But jealousy is not the only way social media can lead to depression. The more a person uses social media, the more a person will isolate themselves from everyone else in order to stay online. How many times have you said, "Just a few more minutes"? I know I have said that phrase plenty of times. Let's say there are two people: Person A and Person B. Person A and Person B are invited to a party. Person A accepts the invitation. Person B declines because they are "too tired", but in reality they just want to scroll through Tumblr. Person A gets home from the party and tells Person B how much fun they had with their friends. Person B then feels "left out", but they just can't get off of social media. I believe that excessive social media use can possibly lead to depression. I used to be a really happy person, but I use the internet excessively every day and most of my happiness is no longer there. 

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