Jake Rudy

English 2010

Social media apps and the effects

There is a gripping power and influence on the way smart phones and social media apps
have overwhelmed society. Today anyone who has a smart device can connect to the top apps on
their phones. People have easy access to anyone and anything they want to know more about.
People now spend more time on apps and other devices, than they do with others around them.
Due to the advances in technology on Smart devices and apps societies social skills are
deteriorating.
1

Today it is easy to stay in touch with people and the world, and that sounds great; but is it
always? In this day and age the depression and suicide percentage is higher than ever before. The
amount of pressure that people put on themselves to try and fit in has always been high, but it is
only getting higher as people now have access to everyones lives. Due to Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and other social media networks and apps that can be used on smart devices anyone at

1 https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=cell+phone+users&view=detailv2&&id=FA79A05B75CBF53BBF5F77B2767B5C97942B5B1D&selecte
dIndex=0&ccid=1qlWjaDj&simid=608026426368000152&thid=OIP.Md6a9568da0e3303b0b1d93443cc
dcf50o0&ajaxhist=0

Jake Rudy
English 2010

any time can look to see what is going on in your life, and as people look they compare. This
comparisons becomes an obsession to be better and look better forming addictions.
Throughout this paper I will be touching on how addictions and comparisons start at a
young age, how easy it is to be connected with just a single app., the quickness and loss of time
that comes from the use of smart devices and apps, and how social media through technology is
changing, and why we should be concerned.

Since birth to adulthood

The above graph shows the comparison of three different generations. The graph shows
that as technology advances younger people are spending more and more time using the apps
then those who are older and did not grow up with the same access to technology.
2 https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=car+crashes+and+texts&view=detailv2&&id=6F015AF14F6B03A07F0C058D1E8643B2483842FA&se
lectedIndex=3&ccid=tGrNkf3o&simid=608015761957128364&thid=OIP.Mb46acd91fde89c22b36c8725
1809ee14o0&ajaxhist=0

Jake Rudy
English 2010

At an early age more and more people are learning how to use smart phones. Young
children are playing games and using devices to communicate with others instead of verbally
interacting face to face. Parents are allowing their children access to these devices because they
themselves are using them just as much. Apps are made to make life seem easier and more
parents look towards these apps to help them just as Michael did. Michael Nathanson wonders
what the app landscape will look like when his 2-year-old son grows up. Already, Beckett is
quite the smart-phone-savvy toddle. Beckett figured out how to slide his little finger across an
iPhone, unlocking the device all on his own. After a year, he realized the phone was snapping
photos of him, and started posing when his parents held up the device. By 18 months, Beckett
talked to his grand-parents using Apple's Face Time video chat, kissing the screen to say
goodbye. 3One of the greatest advances in cell phones was the camera. Found here to be helpful
in keeping in touch with family. Which is so useful when dealing with family members that live
at long distances. Business are using it as well, so employees dont have to travel all the time.
Saving money and keeping family closer.
However, due to the continuing advances in technology addictive habits with smart
devices are starting at an early age. Back in the day when parents had home phones only or
cellular devices (that only made calls) being connected with the world required socializing.
Today people are seeing younger and younger kids needing phones with access to more apps to
be able to socialize. Making it an expectation to have more advances in technology.
A study taken by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute shows a growing rate of
adults taking the risk of feeling the need of responding to texts while driving Nearly one-third
3 Bailey, Brandon, and Michael Liedtke. "Social Media, the New Megaphone for Violent
Perpetrators." Napa Valley Register. 05 Dec. 2015: n.p.SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 19 Feb.2016.

Jake Rudy
English 2010

of American adults had e-mailed or texted on their phones while driving at least once during the
previous month. And while most get away with it unscathed, many do not. The National Safety
Council estimates that 213,000 car crashes in the United States in 2011 involved drivers who
were texting, up from 160,000 the year before.4This is a scary number that shows that selfcontrol is hard to maintain when their lives or others are on the line. It is hard to stop a habit
when on any given day an average adult responds immediately to texts.
5

Using social media to gain fame

There are millions of users today on more than one social app. Sounds great knowing that
you can see what your friends are up to at any given moment, but some are using this for more
4 Gaylord, Chris. "The App-Driven Life: How Smartphone Apps Are Changing Our
Lives." Christian Science Monitor. 27 Jan. 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 19 Feb.
2016.
5 https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=graphs+of+social+media&view=detailv2&&id=F5C37F887B2026C62DBFB0897CDB34CE6F4D30C3&
selectedIndex=4&ccid=e3jVvYR0&simid=608011634488184443&thid=OIP.M7b78d5bd8474cd0b6def3
53f52cecff0o0&ajaxhist=0

Jake Rudy
English 2010

than just posting comments about the normal day. Some use it to promote good, and show there
good cause of helping someone out. What happens when you take a look at the flip side? There
are a growing number of cases of individuals using the apps to promote violence posting
shocking videos of themselves or of other people, posting pictures, and want groups to know
their purpose or objective in life. Karen North, a professor of digital social media at the
University of Southern California's Annenberg School. Said "If you commit an act and you
want people to know about it, you now have a way to promote it." 6This makes it more than easy
for people to feel it is normal for these kind of acts to occur. The problem is as these acts, posts
etc. get more attention from T.V the more these acts will continue to occur.
Some people see it as them being gloried and thats their main goal; to share with others their
acts. They do this because they get the support and attention they are seeking. Some ask dont the
apps like facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. try to keep tabs of what is written and posted on their
sites? they are fighting an uphill battle with keeping up with all of their uses on a day to day
basics. YouTube, Twitter and other online services use automated software to help detect posts
that violate their terms of service, including those that depict or encourage violence. They also
encourage users to report such material, so it can be reviewed and removed. 7This is just one
way to help keep it down, but even still with all of the advancements in technology there is an
overwhelming number that keeps growing. Known groups of terror has gone looking for people
to join their cause in fighting them.
6 Neyfakh, Leon. "Why We Can't Stop." Boston Globe. 06 Oct. 2013: K.1. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

7 Bailey, Brandon, and Michael Liedtke. "Social Media, the New Megaphone for Violent
Perpetrators." Napa Valley Register. 05 Dec. 2015: n.p.SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 19 Feb.2016.

Jake Rudy
English 2010

Conclusion
I enjoy all the freedom and apps that we have at disposal to talk with who we want anywhere
we want, but the fact is that too many people miss use social media or become to involved with
the fame and glory that comes with it. Groups of people are always trying to be the next greatest
thing or come up with the next great idea to get everyone else to join in on it. Thats not me I
dont want to be a part of it. I feel that everyone can take some time to get to know their neighbor
before they get to know Jackie Chan from China. It will always be there and we will have a more
meaningful enjoyment in life without social media constantly in front of our faces, and using our
ability to socialize and communicate face to face.

Work cited

Bailey, Brandon, and Michael Liedtke. "Social Media, the New Megaphone for Violent
Perpetrators." Napa Valley Register. 05 Dec. 2015: n.p.SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 19
Feb.2016.

Jake Rudy
English 2010

Gaylord, Chris. "The App-Driven Life: How Smartphone Apps Are Changing Our
Lives." Christian Science Monitor. 27 Jan. 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 19 Feb.
2016.
Neyfakh, Leon. "Why We Can't Stop." Boston Globe. 06 Oct. 2013: K.1. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

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Jake Rudy
English 2010