Social media has many effects on humans, whether it's in a good or bad way. Multiple Scientific studies show that people with Social media have an increased risk of depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Social media may promote insecurities about your life our appearance. Although, many people might not feel this way, as some people might say that social media makes them happy and increases their knowledge. We believe that social media has a good and bad effect on everybody. There are many benefits to social media, but there are also many negative effects on people's mental and physical well-being. So, we hypothesize that social media has good effects and mostly bad effects.

We are going to look at it from a physical and mental well-being perspective. We will also be surveying to back up the information we collect. We will give these surveys to 18 people of different ages, and we will put that data in a graph to represent our findings.We are going to look at it from a physical and mental well-being perspective. We will also be surveying to back up the information we collect. We will give these surveys to 18 people of different ages, and we will put that data in a graph to represent our findings.

Social media is a variety of technologies used to share ideas and information among users such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest, Ticktock, Twitter, Reddit, WhatsApp, and many more. Social media was made to connect people and let them communicate in different ways all around the world. More than 4.7 billion people use social media which is about 60%of the population, however, this does not mean it's necessarily good. According to studies social media is proven to increase the amount of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and even suicidal thoughts in this world, however, it has also proven to benefit human society a lot too. For example, it has helped us communicate from all places of the world, as well as helping companies advertise, and helps spread awareness throughout the world.

Cyberbullying is the use of technology to threaten, harass, embarrass, or target another person. People with social media have a much higher risk of experiencing cyberbullying than people who don’t. This is because people with social media accounts can easily contact and message others. cyberbullying has long-lasting effects including depression, loss of confidence, loss of sleep, declining grades, and aggressive behavior, and can even lead to substance abuse.

Social media causes people to turn to the digital world. Studies show that people with social media have reduced face-to-face interaction. Time spent online can stunt the development of non-verbal communication which is vital for face-to-face communication. Nonverbal communication is speaking through a nonverbal technique such as eye contact and body language.

Social media addiction affects the body and the mind. A recent Harvard study found that self-disclosure (being open on social media) on social media triggers the same area of the brain that is activated while using addictive substances. Social media can also affect a person's memory. The constant streams of information bombarding social media users may overload their ability to scan memories effectively.
 

People onsocial media can suffer a physiological stress reaction as a result of cyberbullying, negative comments and feedback from others, growing awareness of traumatic events happening in other people's lives, and pressure to keep their social media accounts updated. Studies show that cases of FOMO are mostly caused by social media.

Many attacks often use social media as a way to impersonate trusted people or brands to gain information, which they can use to carry out other attacks including social engineering and phishing.  They can also steal money, take over accounts, and many more through friends, calls etc.  

Research tells us, that as children become more active online, it's more likely that they'll see something inappropriate. This could include content such as violent videos, inappropriate jokes or suggestive imagery. They can come across this content on social media, in video games, through streamed media and more. Though any young person can have their mental health harmed by inappropriate content online and on social media, exposure to suicide- and self-harm-related content isn't the only risk your child faces as they begin to navigate social media and the internet.This also has effects on parents as they will stress and worry about their children online.

Studies have shown that a lot of time spent on social media could cause a decrease in self-confidence. This occurs because we frequently compare ourselves to others and feel unworthy when we see them talking about their ideal lifestyles or appearances on social media. ⁤⁤Individuals tend to only talk about the positive things that are occurring to them, which might make us feel as though our own lives aren't as fulfilling or interesting. ⁤Using social media may become addictive, and continuously looking for likes and comments to validate our posts could damage our self-confidence and ego.

Social media and other forms of technology have been proven to have caused a rise in laziness among people due to no physical activity or exercise. Obesity is one of the best-documented outcomes of screen media exposure. Social media can also cause people to lose interest in completing their goals related to exercise. Many fitness influencers can bring people up and motivate them, but they can also bring people down by comparing themselves to the influencers.

Blue light, also known as high-energy visible (HEV) light comes in two forms, artificial light from things such as phones, laptops iPads etc, and natural blue light from the sun. these have many negative effects such as digital eye strain, fatigue, myopia ( when things from afar are blurry), etc. But what exactly is the science behind this? It is said that the overuse of the ciliary muscles (which change the shape of your eye lens when focused on a near object) can lead them to thicken, which decreases the eye's ability to relax. This can widen the eyeball causing permanent damage and changes to the structure as well as the ability to focus light on the retina.

There are multiple reasons why frequent social media use might result in neck and back pain. First of all, the neck and upper back muscles tense when looking at screens by repeatedly bending forward. Additionally, long periods of sitting and scrolling cause the muscles supporting the spine to weaken. Strain injuries can also be caused by repetitive motions such as scrolling and typing. Long-term screen gazing can also cause eye fatigue, which can result in uncomfortable positions that put additional strain on the neck and back. Last but not least, the mental strain brought on by social media use can tense muscles and worsen discomfort. It's critical to use proper posture when using social media, take regular breaks, set screen time limits, and take part in activities that encourage rest and exercise to prevent these problems.

The gut-brain axis can be negatively impacted by social media use in several ways. First of all, the stress brought on by social media might throw off the balance of the the gut's bacteria and interfere with the brain-gut connection. Secondly, adhering to unhealthy eating trends that are frequently advertised on social media can damage gut health, which can impact mood and memory. Thirdly, an excessive amount of time spent on social media might result in a lack of movement, which can harm one's digestive system and general health. Additionally, a lot of screen time before bed might mess with sleep cycles, which can further impact mood regulation and gut health. Finally, even while social media promotes unity, loneliness and social isolation can occasionally result from it, and these emotions can have a negative impact on gut health. In conclusion, social media may have a big impact on the gut-brain axis.

Social media can help promote brands and engage with customers, as well as get feedback from a wide variety of people which helps marketing. As many people use these platforms, it is much easier to spread and advertise as without them it would be much harder to reach more people and spread the recognition of the brand, app, or company. a “paid social” refers to social media ads. Instead of unpaid organic posts, a paid social is sponsored paid advertising on social platforms. For example, have you ever seen a YouTube video with small writing under the title saying “*sponsored*”? These are people paid to advertise other companies and brands. 

Many people start their businesses and careers using social media, as it is much easier to attract customers, get customer feedback, and build customer loyalty. It gets people engaged and prepares you to start small, and as you get more recognized, you can start boosting your company and expanding it. According to research, it is said that in order the best social media platforms for business growth in 2024 are Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Tumbler, TickTock, and YouTube. Around 76% of local businesses use social media as part of their marketing strategy, as 41% of them rely on social media to help drive revenue (increase their top-line revenue).

One of the things social media is most known for is connecting with people online and sharing your ideas. You can connect with many people who have similar interests Whom you might never meet otherwise, as well as connect with friends and people whom you might not be able to meet in person due to geographical boundaries. It enables real-time interactions and collaborations, creating a sense of togetherness, as you can create trusted and supportive communities.  

Everybody needs a little entertainment in their life, as tired, busy individuals could use a break. Something that is most common for people to go to for entertainment is social media. Social media platforms provide individuals with customized/personalized feeds that consist of memes, news, or short clips of videos that bring us joy in watching. There are benefits to media entertainment such as maintenance or improvement of problem-solving, and motivation. 

Social media can act as a source of fantasy, and an outlet for escapism, boosting imagination and creativity as we can share and discover new ideas and opinions from all over the world. Using social media lets us uncover a new point of view and learn other people's traditions which also expands motivation and creativity at school, also creating a more positive mindset. It also helps kids and people to be more outgoing and confident to share their work.

It is important for everyone to be aware of the world around them,  as social awareness helps us understand how someone would fit into and contribute to the community and the world, as well as how we get what we need from the world. We need to know what is going on in our society as, if nobody is aware of these things, no one would ever find a solution or contribute to help change it. Lacking knowledge is something really bad as well, and social media platforms prevent that, as it is much easier to gain and share the knowledge that is necessary to know. For example, if there is a war or problem such as racism, it's our job to gain knowledge of this topic, and then spread the awareness of it. Many people nowadays use platforms and channels in order to share important news by sharing images, stories, and videos,  encouraging people to take action or things that could impact our daily lives. 

Social media increases access to education by providing a worldwide community of Teachers and educational materials. ⁤⁤Learning is made flexible and up to date by any platform's real-time updates and personalized material recommendations ( For you page). ⁤⁤Anyone may learn through social media at any time, on any device, and anywhere. ⁤⁤Additionally, it creates groups where students help one another and exchange ideas. ⁤⁤In general, social media gives everyone, wherever they are, access to learning possibilities.

• Everyone was between the ages of 12-15
• Most common Social media is Youtube, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok, Weverse, Discord and Facebook
• Out of 18 people, on how social media affected your life, the ratio from negative to positive responses are 10:8
• 7 out of 18 people have experienced either hacking or bullying, 11 haven't, showing that it may not be as common
• The most common average screen time a day for people ages 12-15 is 1-3 hours with 7 people, and people with screen time from 3h-6h (5 people) and 6h-10h (4 people) are less, whereas the least common is 10h-20h and below 1h
• Most people were affected by social media physically

In conclusion, our survey results show that our hypothesis, that social media is mostly harmful, is wrong. Surprisingly, only 31% of our survey takers said that they had negative experiences. This suggests that social media has a more positive impact than a negative one. Thus, proving us wrong. However referring and comparing to the research, we could also conclude that the number of people and variety of ages and different types of people may not have been enough to gather the information we needed, so we would need to fix that next time, as our tests and research do contradict each other. Based on the research and data we collected, I can also state that we think social media should stay, as it does have its benefits, but something such as boundaries should be done to help prevent the negative side that we discovered.

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367209/
• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-brain-gut-connection
• https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10248321/
• https://gleneagles.com.my/medini-johor/articles/it-s-time-to-stop-seeking-validation-from-social-media.-be-confident-in-yourself#:~:text=By%20constantly%20comparing%20themselves%20to,have%20and%20they%20don't.
• https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health
• https://childmind.org/article/is-social-media-use-causing-depression/
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• https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2022/12/06/views-of-social-media-and-its-impacts-on-society-in-advanced-economies-2022/
• https://www.acc.edu.au/blog/social-media-low-self-esteem/#:~:text=Unsurprisingly%2C%20it%20can%20trigger%20a,depression%20lurking%20in%20the%20shadows.
• https://storiesbyharsh.medium.com/how-does-the-internet-affect-creativity-a6b23f13996b#:~:text=The%20internet%20gives%20people%20more,easily%20accessible%20to%20creative%20minds.
• https://www.simplilearn.com/importance-of-social-media-in-todays-world-article#:~:text=Sometimes%2C%20all%20we%20want%20is,break%20from%20their%20busy%20schedules.
• https://www.shiftcomm.com/thinking/social-media-changed-traditional-media#:~:text=For%20one%2C%20traditional%20media%20is,after%20a%20big%20event%20happens.

• https://buffer.com/resources/social-media-community/#:~:text=On%20social%20media%2C%20fostering%20community,you%20connecting%20to%20each%20other.&text=A%20shared%20space%20for%20people,among%20themselves%20in%20this%20space.
• https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/definition/social-media-influence#:~:text=Due%20to%20this%2C%20social%20media,companies%20with%20new%20marketing%20opportunities.
• https://www.makeuseof.com/ways-social-media-brings-people-together/#:~:text=Social%20media%20has%20given%20us,and%20engage%20with%20other%20people.
• https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-statistics/#:~:text=Social%20media%20advertising%20statistics.
• https://www.sprinklr.com/cxm/social-media-advertising/#:~:text=Simply%20put%2C%20social%20media%20marketing,content%20and%20social%20care%20efforts.

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- Our classmates for giving sugestions on the topic

- Our teachers for reveiwing and giving feedback

- all the websites we used (In credits)