Social media has become the main source of news and communication of this generation. People no longer pick up newspapers or turn on the news because all they have to do is turn on their smartphone and visit one of their many social media accounts. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, and more are considered part of social media. It’s an easy way to stay up to date on trends and hot topics. It also gives people a voice to express themselves in any way they choose.

Currently, teens are the largest group of social media users, with the main two outlets being Snapchat and Twitter. Both allow you to post images and text but Snapchat only lets you post content with a maximum length of 10 seconds which lasts 24 hours before being automatically deleted, while Twitter has no time limit and posts are permanent unless manually deleted.

After surveying 5 students, 100% of respondents claimed to check their social media at least every 2 hours. One of the students, Jade Espino, a junior at Lincoln said, ¨I need to check my social media at least every 2 hours. If I don’t I will feel almost disconnected from the world.¨

Many teens are like Jade today, checking their phones constantly, glued to the realm of social media. People both feel connected and disconnected due to social media. It allows individuals to stay connected to the world by being one click away from important recent news stories.

On the other hand, some are spending so much time on social media they barely interact with people in person, causing them to have a disconnection from the world.

Social media gives people important information and allows for some often needed self-expression, but it can disconnect you from the world if you allow it to.