As high school students, we basically grew up with technology. Technology started advancing and the spread of the Internet allowed people to share and access information easier. Everywhere you look, technology is everywhere. It has become a daily use in our everyday life. Some even might say it consumes our lives. But others say that technology is beneficial for society. Later on in the early 2000s, social media gained widespread popularity. 

Mayo Clinic states, “Social media lets teens create online identities, chat with others, and build social networks.” The article adds, “These networks can provide teens with support from other people who have hobbies or experiences in common. This type of support especially may help teens who lack social support offline or are lonely.” The article also explains how not all teenagers are affected the same. “Social media depends on things such as what a teen sees and does online, the amount of time spent online, psychological factors, (such as maturity level and any pre-existing mental health conditions), and personal life. (including cultural, social, and economic factors) 

The article breaks down social media into two parts: Healthy social media, and Unhealthy Social Media. Some examples and effects of Healthy social media would be expressing yourself, connecting with other teenagers, learning how other teens cope with challenging life situations and mental health conditions, and viewing or taking part in moderated chat forums that encourage talking openly about topics such as mental health, and more. Furthermore, some examples and effects of Unhealthy social media would be, being distracted from homework, disrupted sleep, misleading information that’s biased or wrong, sharing too much personal information, and more. 

According to the article on MindWise, some tips to have a better relationship with social media is to have healthy habits and a healthy mindset. Some of those are:

1. Schedule a time to use social media and plan intervals to take a break. 
2. Understand your purpose when logging into social media and stick to it. (don’t get distracted with other news) 
3. View other people’s posts as an inspiration, not a comparison.
4. Think before you post something.
5. Put your mental health first.