How Social Media is Affecting Modern History
it’s common knowledge that 2020 is not
like
any other year in history coronavirus
has already affected
millions of lives and the 20
unemployment rate has been the highest
since the great depression
91 years ago in addition to coronavirus
we have had global protests sparked by
the constant fight towards social
equality
and freedom in the midst of all this
what was supposed to be one of the most
brutal campaign seasons of all has been
halted by the media
in just a couple of months a
presidential election is going to occur
but it has been completely overlooked
due to global-wide events
these events are causing a lot of social
and political change
and there is one common theme that is
present in all three of these events
the impact of social media
this isn’t the first time that the
nation has had a global pandemic
as the spanish flu in 1918 killed
millions
however this is the first time that mass
media companies are distributing
everything from facts to opinions and to
guidelines on social media platforms
this also isn’t the first time that
there have been protests against police
brutality
there were large-scale protests in 1992
and in 2014 but this is the first time
that people of
all ages are able to voice their
opinions on social media platforms
thus fueling the movements that are
happening
this is definitely not the first
presidential election
but this is the first time that the
president has taken
such advantage over personal media
accounts such as twitter
there’s no denying that social media is
affecting every major worldwide event
this year
and its effects will be unprecedented
the majority of the public see social
media as a disadvantage
and that it can control people’s lives
they become too dependent on social
media and only care about their image
and the pictures that they post some
studies have even shown
that the dependence on technology has
the same effect as the brain drug
addiction does
this has resulted from the release of
endorphins and dopamine when we are on
our phones
these hormones shift the nervous system
into a different mode
which can then result in mental and mood
disorders
additionally people are believing that
we are becoming too dependent on others
to initiate conversations
specifically in a common sense survey in
2018
they found that 54 of the teenagers that
they had asked
had ignored who they were hanging out
with to look on their phones
teenagers resort to their phones when
they do not want to have a conversation
in person
even if they are sitting right across
from their friends
most of the time it is to check social
media or to send a snapchat streak
because teenagers cannot control
themselves once they get activated into
using social media
some use social media as a way to hide
their identity and hate on others
to spark their own confidence cyber
bullying is the main disadvantage of
social media
as many teenagers feel that they can
bully others online so they do not have
to say it to their face
some teenagers think that by cyber
bullying they will boost their own
self-esteem while demolishing others
because of cyber bullying and the fact
that teenagers depend on positive praise
from social media
social media could increase depression
rates in teenagers and cause them to
have more mental health issues
the posts that teenagers create
themselves can even affect their lives
later
due to societal repercussions their post
can face
social media is a record that follows
you but
if you use this platform for positive
change it can be extremely helpful
although these are true and social media
has its flaws
social media is building a platform that
allows ideas and facts
to be spread all around the world during
the months we have spent in lockdown
social media has taken over many
people’s lives and they’re becoming
invested into all types of social media
platforms
it is becoming the main way people get
their source of news and communication
taking over mass media distributors as
stated before
there’s no denying that social media
affects the way modern history plays out
with the detriment to social media
accounted for it has also done wonders
acting as a platform for social justice
movements and allowing opinions and
perspectives for a diverse range of
people
thus fueling the movements for social
and racial equality
every day teenagers are posting on
social media voicing their opinions and
educating themselves on recent events
especially with all these unprecedented
events happening in history
teenagers are adapting and are learning
how to use social media for the good
purposes
and not for the bad for example with all
the protests happening around the world
teenagers are using social media to
educate themselves on recent events
and mistakes that have happened in past
history
they are expressing their opinions daily
through social media
such as instagram stories facebook and
other social media platforms
to try to change the past and make the
future better
even if teenagers cannot attend protests
in person or events trying to change
history they are still doing their part
on social media
by educating themselves and posting for
ways other people can help
teenagers are becoming much more
involved in modern history and are
fighting to make the world a better
place
through the use of social media
even though coronavirus has halted
in-person interactions
teenagers are allowed to see facts and
personal experiences
through others on social media people
are still able to communicate with
others through applications like zoom
so work and school are still able to
happen
social media allows people like
government officials to share responses
to the increase in cases
and individuals are able to use their
social media platforms to give advice
such as advocating for people to wear a
mask since social media allows people to
stay connected
people can continue their daily lives
virtually
regarding the presidential election the
current president is commenting on
every single day this is different from
past elections
as many important events in history have
happened from the president’s tweets
no matter what you believe both
political parties can agree that it is
giving a new perspective of new ideas
from the president
and is causing tensions between the
republican party
not only has social media affected the
president for the next elections but it
has also affected teenagers
teenagers are finding new information on
social media and are sharing it with
others to try to spread awareness
they are expressing their opinions daily
through social media and are showing a
new perspective on the election that
adults would not normally do
social media is providing this platform
for teenagers to voice their opinions
and mature to the degree that they can
make change to modern history
teenagers and those in their early 20s
are the main group on social media
and this medium of communication is a
main platform for giving teenagers a
voice
in political and social issues because
teenagers are dominating social media
their opinions will be affecting the
future
we have so much influence on social
media and our opinions will be heard
we can generate social change and
empower others to listen to our opinions
and think how they can act to make the
world a better place
before social media was popular
teenagers couldn’t really share their
ideas with more than just their local
community
but now teenagers can post one picture
and it can be shared with thousands of
people within minutes
every post can have a major effect so
use your platform for
positive change this is the main goal of
tedx youth atagora hills
to give teenagers and students a
platform to share their opinions because
teenagers are normally
unappreciated or their ideas are simply
undervalued because of their age
social media outlets and platforms like
tedx youth are contributing to a growing
amount of power that is being given to
this teenage generation
social media is slowly adapting to be a
platform a foundation for the youth
to show ideas and perspectives and to
contribute to modern history
thank you