Social media has taken over the 21st century!  There are so many viewpoints and stances on the topic of "social media" and how it has affected our society, whether it is more problematic than beneficial, especially towards adolescence.  Although, I realize the negativity towards social media and its issues pertaining to it, I believe it's how one yields the "tool".  Depending on how one uses social media will determine its positive or negative outcome.

Our generation experiences a fear of missing out referred to as 'FOMO'.  Teenagers say 'FOMO' or anxiety is an outcome of social media.  We are all used to sharing our lives via. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and etc for our friends/followers to see.  When people see other people doing fun things such as going out with friends or traveling, this can make other people feel left out or as if they are missing out.  One teenager said "If there's an event that maybe I'm not at or my friends are hanging out with each other ... sometimes I kind of feel, I guess, kind of left out."  I personally don't see this as a problem directed towards social media, I visualize social media as the median in between the "real" problem, which may be lack of communication with friends.  Feeling left out, or having anxiety isn't directly correlated with social media, but rather with your friends who didn't invite you.  In fact, I think social media is a great way to keep up with your friends lives and what they've been up to or even reconnecting with people who are no longer in your life. In no way should social media be the reason for your anxiety or FOMO, it may be be a deeper problem.

Many adults and parents are worried how the Internet and social media are effecting real life 'social' abilities and human-human interaction.  Now kids are being introduced to technology devices at such young ages as a way to keep themselves occupied.  It wasn't so long ago when there wasn't such things as iPhone or iPad games and apps.  Children would spend their time with other children and have physical interaction with each other, not even realizing they were building their abilities to socialize. One source says "There's no question kids are missing out on very critical social skills. In a way, texting and online communicating—it's not like it creates a nonverbal learning disability, but it puts everybody in a nonverbal disabled context, where body language, facial expression, and even the smallest kinds of vocal reactions are rendered invisible." I don't feel there is any harm in letting your children use social media or play games on an Internet device, however, with everything there is moderation and limitations on usage.  Too much of anything can take a toll on certain aspects of growing children's development. 

In this time and day we live in a society and global economy where everything is done by technology.  We are lucky to live in a generation so immersed in technology, we don't have the huge learning curve that are a bit of a restraint on older people whose generation used more time consuming and out-of-date techniques to do business.  It would be less beneficial for one to restrain themselves from using social media and other social devices because although there are social cues in "real-life" there is also another world, the Internet world, where so much is being done.  We don't have to choose one, we can still use social media and the Internet as well as being well integrated in society with physical social interaction. 

There are both positives and negatives to social media, and it is up to the person using it which controls its outcome.  There are many benefits to social media such as advertising or promoting ones self, catching up with old friends and/or keeping up with new ones.  Although there is controversy with social media, the negativity it comes with can be easily avoided. It is said "Engaging in various forms of social media is a routine activity that research has shown to benefit children and adolescents by enhancing communication, social connection, and even technical skills".  This is our world now, and it's all about how we choose to use our social devices and how they will let it affect our lives both negatively or positively