Social media keeps Reedy students more connected than ever—but at a cost: rising stress levels and slipping focus in the classroom.
At Reedy High School, students say that constant connection is influencing not just their mood, but their GPA. The most prominent effect that students say they’ve experienced is bad time management caused by excessive use of social media. Several students complained that social media’s addictive nature significantly affects their academic performance.
“I use all kinds of social media. It helps me communicate with my friends more than anything but I have trouble focusing when I really need to,” sophomore Sraddha Yenamandra said. “Sometimes I think about deleting apps like Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit and Twitter, but I always come back.”
Based on interpretations from student interviews, scrolling on social media can be surprisingly addictive. While initially making users feel satisfied and good, this continuous feel-good stimulation from social media algorithms can deplete or desensitize the dopamine system, making it harder for the brain to feel motivated by more meaningful rewards.
“I often watch reels on Instagram. It can get really distracting when I have to lock in for a test,” sophomore Yawen Zhang said.
Another major effect of social media can be unrealistic standards and filtered reality.
“I sometimes feel insecure about myself when I see seemingly perfect people on social media,” senior Nick Reyes said. “I compare myself to others often even though I know no one’s perfect.”
Some people only post the most perfect parts of themselves on social media. Most people on Instagram portray a glamorized lifestyle and appearance, affecting real life standards and encouraging comparison,
“I feel like there’s been some kind of looks inflation lately,” Zhang said. “People call each other ‘chopped,’[sic] when that’s how we just look.”
Social media makes people overemphasize on looks more than anything else.
“It’s sad that social media has become a place to endlessly compare each other and lie to ourselves about who we are,” Yenamandra said. “Social media should become a place where people foster growth and encouragement instead of trying to feel superior all the time.”
