Though social media is a relatively new concept, today’s college students cannot imagine their lives without it. Platforms like Tik-Tok, Instagram, and Facebook have taken over our lives. It would be silly to say that social media has had no effect on our everyday lives.
College students happen to be a part of the demographic that is most active on social media. Because of that, we cannot disregard the positive and negative effects of social media on students.
Some members of the older generation don’t realize how many opportunities the internet can give you. In this day and age, a full-time student can easily earn some extra money by posting content on social media. Of course, we have to take into account the fact that creating high-quality content can be too time-consuming.
Students who don’t have time to spare can find online help through services like Edubirdie. You might be wondering, does edubirdie actually work well or not? The answer is yes. It can help you complete assignments in a short time without any plagiarism. It’s a great solution for students who want their essays to look like they were written by a professional writer.
Keep reading to find out about other ways social media affects students.
4 Effects of Social Media on College Students
Communication
Social media platforms allow students to stay connected with minimal effort. In this day and age, people don’t have to see each other every day in order to remain good friends. It’s enough to comment on someone’s post now and then or send them a funny picture you found. Social media platforms make communication easier.
College students can create communities online. Many choose to communicate via Facebook groups or WhatsApp chats. These apps can streamline communication and make it easier for people to get involved. Students that are more introverted don’t have to leave their comfort zone and can choose to communicate with their peers virtually.
Mental Health
With everything out in the open, as it usually is on social media, it’s hard to see the line between real and fake.
Young adults can experience FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and jealousy when looking at their peers’ posts. It’s so easy to misinterpret things and get offended. That happens because Instagram and Facebook never give you the full picture. Seeing a post where your classmates are hanging out without you can make you feel targeted and excluded. The truth is usually far from that.
The same goes for follows, likes, and friends lists. Not receiving enough likes on your post or not seeing your classmate follow you back can make you feel as though nobody likes you. Studies show that college students often experience anxiety and stress.
Income
In recent years, social media has proven to be a great source of income for young people. Platforms like Tik-Tok allow users to go viral without any prior endorsement. If you can create content that people like, you can make content creation your full-time job. It seems that there is no real algorithm or system that works for everyone. You just have to post consistently and communicate with your followers. There are too many ways to make money online by college students.
What you decide to post about is entirely up to you. Tik-Tok stars from different fields and genres have gone on to share their success stories on the internet. It is a risky business and not a reliable career by any means, but if you can captivate your audience, you can earn money. The best part is, all you need is a phone.
Grades
There are conflicting studies regarding the effects of social media on academics and grades. Some claim that social media platforms make students lazy and unmotivated. Others say that there is no correlation between the amount of time spent on social media and low grades.
One thing that is for sure is that social media is time-consuming. It’s quite easy to get stuck in a loop between Instagram and Facebook.
Tik-Tok is the latest addition to the list of popular social media platforms and it is arguably the biggest time waster. You might come across some videos that are educational and inspiring, but the majority is pure entertainment.
There is nothing wrong with pursuing entertainment in your free time. The problem is that many students make the mistake of thinking they’ll only be on Tik-Tok for 5 minutes. Hours later they are still scrolling.
There is no evidence that getting stuck scrolling on social media apps can lower your grades. However, it can force you to write your assignments in a rush and spend less time studying. Such distractions can affect your study patterns in the long-run.
