Should teenagers be allowed to use social media?

Most te

enagers now have social media apps downloaded on their phones. In fact, it has gotten so common nowadays that it’s either considered weird or unusual if they don’t have it downloaded. However, the question is now this: Should teenagers be allowed to use social media in the first place? Most parents and adults are concerned about their children’s health and safety while they’re engaging with social media, but the truth is, while there are still consequences, social media brings multiple benefits to teenagers that outweigh the harms. In this essay I will explore the benefits SNS usage can provide to adolescents such as more social connections, opportunities to participate in digital activism, and increased ability to find communities and support networks.

First of all, teenagers should be allowed to use social media because social media allows teenagers to have more social connections. When the Covid-19 pandemic just started, students got forced to stay inside all day in quarantine with no interaction time with any of their friends in school. This was a downside of Covid, because kids so young should be hanging out with each other and engaging with, even if it is something as little as having a conversation with each other. Through social media, teenagers can not only share their everyday life with each other by posting pictures and videos, but also simply connect with them by texting and calling. Imagine a world where SNS had not been so accessible. To give an example, let’s go all the way back in time where teenagers didn’t have social media. Because they didn’t have social media, teenagers couldn’t text or chat with their friends at home, and therefore would’ve had to wait until the next day in order to talk to them. The best case scenario would be if they could call, but that would be an extremely rare case.

To add on a bit, teenagers should be allowed to use social media because it helps students with digital activism. Digital activism is basically when you use the internet and digital media in order for mass mobilization and political action. Teenagers will learn how to 

Finally, teenagers should be allowed to use social media because it will increase the ability to find communities and support networks. Social media is a place where anything can be shared and any connections can be made worldwide. Social media platforms can allow people to access global information and connect with friends and family at a distance. Through social media, teenagers might find a specific community or group within the app. This will lead them to connect with people that share the same hobbies and interests as them, possibly allowing them to further discover what their genuine passion is. This can later be referred to them after they grow up and are yearning to find a job, because those little communities might act as a support system in the future that can determine what jobs they plan to work for. To give an example, let’s say that a student is very interested in the field of art, and wants to become an artist when she grows up. Through social media, she’ll learn by joining communities, watching video tutorials, and lots more. This will majorly help her into getting into a university that’s strong in the major she is looking for. As we can see, joining communities and skimming through social media can be beneficial for teenagers.[add on a point about potential limitations that can check the risks associated to SNS usage; but why a radical solution like a outright ban is probably not going to be a good idea] If parents are concerned about their child quickly getting addicted or spending their entire time on social media, they can create a limited amount or a set amount of time their child can spend on social media. By creating this rule within the household, students will get all the benefits they need from social media without having to seriously deal with addiction. Additionally, parental supervision can help significantly. Parents can make rules to limit the amount of time teenagers spend playing on social media. Just because a teenager is allowed to be on social media, it doesn’t mean they have to be allowed to play them all the time. Therefore, if parents supervise their children, they can ensure that they are only on the apps for a specific amount of time. That way, they can get the benefits from social media, without the risk of addiction. SNS has many benefits to students; The important thing should be for us to educate students to use the new technology responsibly- instead of opting of an unreasonable solution like an out-right ban.