Technology is used worldwide as it is a key in everyday life. Kids, Adults, Teenagers, and even elders spend hours on technology every day. Since 1999, technology has integrated itself into our daily lives astronomically. According to Statista.com, 78% of the world owns smartphones.

     Technology isn't just social media. It's the device itself. You were looking at that bright screen before bed can alert us to be less ready for bed. The national sleep foundation says you should stop using your phone for 30 minutes before bed. If you must use your phone, Apple says to use its night shift feature as it blocks some of those harmful rays from your smartphone. Many other devices have this feature too. 

     We rely on technology for everything, the weather, time, date, and more. While technology has vastly improved our lifestyle, while improving in some areas, has it plummeted in others? According to California Healthline, mental health issues in teens have grown highly since 2012.

Who is to blame?

     Many people argue that technology isn't causing mental health issues. Instead, its apps like Instagram, Tiktok, and Pinterest are to be blamed. I disagree because not just one or three apps are responsible for this crisis. 

     According to businessofapps, there are over 3.47 million apps on the app store today. Each of those apps can be blamed for the mental health crisis. Each app is another way to get you to spend more time on your phone, leading you to see notifications faster and be more engaged with your smartphone. 

     Being engaged with your smartphone leads you to spend more time on it. It can direct you to be less present in the world around you and not focus on your surroundings. This can also guide you to see those notifications faster, leading you to doom-scroll through another social media app for hours that feel like minutes. 

     Sadly, there is not one app or one person to blame. Someone who could take a large portion of the blame is Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook. 

The app that started it all 

     Facebook is a popular social networking app that is used around the globe. Facebook shaped the way social media is today, taking the world by storm with its cutting-edge algorithm and harsh advertisement. The app has gone through several lawsuits in recent years, costing the company billions of dollars. These lawsuits occurred for violating federal and state privacy laws by tracking users through unaffiliated websites, though many still believe today that the app owes more money. 

     Instagram, a prominent competitor in the social media industry, is not a competitor to Facebook. In fact, it's actually a branch now of Facebook as it was rebranded its name to "Instagram: From Facebook" This change was made after the founder of Instagram, Kevin Systrom, resigned from the company on September 24th, 2018. This choice was made by Kevin Systrom. He said in a statement that he "didn't agree with the app's future," 

     With Facebook having control of a large portion of the social media industry, it leaves many to wonder are giving the power to the right people? Giving these companies so much information about us that we spend hours on their app daily? Many believe that these apps do not help us in many ways, but many believe the opposite. 

The "Benefits" of Social Media

     Social media has shown its downfalls, but its benefits have also shown. Social media is a great way to bring awareness to issues, bring people together, and keep people up to date on the world's fast-changing trends… though, it leaves many to question, with all of the downfalls, is it really worth it? I don't think so. 

     Social media not only connects us with our friends and family, but people we don't know. This makes the app very appealing to predators. According to Pew Research, 57% of teens aged 13 to 17 have made friends online, but how many are actually telling the truth? Lying about your age, gender, and anything else is very easy online. In fact, 44% of teens admitted to lying about their age online, according to First Monday. 

     Apps like Discord, Snapchat, and Facebook Messenger are all ways kids can get into contact with someone much older than them and really fast. This makes these apps especially dangerous to kids, as some people can be very manipulative and get children to share personal details about themselves without even second-guessing it. (Asking to meet in a park.. ext) 

Conclusion 

     Technology has advanced the world in many ways, but technology hasn't shown any benefits to us. They can affect sleep, thoughts, and emotions. Although, technology isn't at fault. It is us. We control how we use these devices. We as people need to learn how to use these devices and technology to better help ourselves mentally and physically. 

     Though many often blame technology, it is not fair to technology to say it is why our world is the way it is today. We, as people, created technology and chose to use it. Cutting apps such as Snapchat, Instagram, etc., is a great way to start healthily using technology.