Is social media hurting teenagers? 

Nowadays wherever you look, somebody is on their phone. Almost every teenager has a phone and social media. But how is it hurting them? 

Freshman Emma Farroll said she first gained access to social media in 6th grade. 

“The best thing about social media is it makes me feel involved in everything, and the worst thing is that rumors can get spread very easily,” she said. 

Farroll goes on to say how social media can affect her emotions by sometimes stressing her out but other times making her feel good and happy. 

Everybody’s screen times vary. Screen time is how long you are on your phone in a day. Freshman Ryan Azim said his screen time is 7 hours a day, but English teacher Emily Pagano’s screen time is 4 hours. 

“Social media’s impacts can affect relationships in both good ways and bad. You can see what goes on in other people’s lives and see what they are up to, but it can also cause jealousy and miscommunication,” Pagano said. 

Both Pagano and Farroll state that they are addicted to their phones, and that a lot of people nowadays are as well. 47% of Americans admit that they are addicted to their phones. 

Freshman Wesley Cohee’s screen time is around 4 hours per day. 

“My most used social media app is probably TikTok because I just keep scrolling and it’s very entertaining,” Cohee said.

Freshman Parker Rakers talks about how her phone can also affect her sleep.

“When I hear a notification when I’m trying to go to sleep It makes me wanna stay up because I wonder who it is,” Rakers said. 

Studies show that 36% of teenagers wake up and check their device at least once a night.

“I get caught up by going on my phone at night and I forget what time it is. As a result, I get less sleep,” Farroll said.