Technology dependency has become normalized for many high school students and social media was labeled as the culprit by many. Smartphones and social media have been around for as long as most FHS students can remember, being a very prominent part of many student’s everyday lives and interactions.
“I think social media plays a huge factor in high schoolers lives, [and] lots of stuff off of social media impacts me like news, fashion, or even just informative stuff,” said senior Colten Protiva.
TikTok is a social media app where users can share, create, and watch short form video content. It is widely known as the app that popularized this format. TikTok’s success with this format prompted other popular social media platforms to adapt this format. Some prominent examples include Snapchat, Youtube and Instagram.
These apps use an algorithm based on the way people interact with videos and other users on the platform, along with some other factors such as content that people post, or their location. This algorithm uses peoples interactions to give them content they would enjoy, ensuring that users will stay engaged for long amounts of time, many users stating that they don’t even realize how much time has passed while consuming this content. There are other aspects of social media, however. Many students use social media as a way to connect with friends and share memories and events.
“Social media is the way to connect with your friends and catch up with what they’re doing without having to show up to their house since social media accounts are used to share day-to-day experiences and events that I may have missed,” said freshman Stacey Weng.
But technology isn’t only about social media. Modern phones have many very helpful features such as calendars, calculators, maps and photos. These features can be extremely important or even necessary in high schools. Along with phones, there are school provided computers in Loudon County that are used for testing, notes and communication with teachers and peers.
The internet is another very prominent use of technology, allowing students and teachers to research things on their own without the need for textbooks or a visit to the library. One downside to this is the rise of AI technology, which threatens to take jobs and makes it harder for teachers to monitor cheating. Many students also become discouraged to learn due to how convenient it is to simply search up information and answers rather than learning it on their own.
Social media and technology can have many impacts to multiple aspects of Freedom High School students’ lives. It can affect the way they feel, the way they act, or even their perception of others and how they think. Because of the heavy impact technology can have, it is very important to understand both the positive and negative aspects of social media/technology to know what is best for each student. For some, social media or technology can be an escape from a bad situation in real life, and a way to connect with others.
Many use it as a tool to learn and stay informed from the comfort of their own home. For others, it could distract them from important things in their lives such as school or work. It could even make them view the world differently and create insecurities that may have otherwise not existed.
“To me, social media has a positive impact on people,” said freshman Alexis Nguyen. “It lets you share your life experiences with others and allows you to meet new people. Social media also helps keep you informed on news and other events. I love using social media and think it has definitely made me a better person.”
