Guest Editorial: Social Media

My name is Elizabeth Reigle. I’m a seventh grade student in Mrs. Smith’s English class at Owego Apalachin Middle School. I’m writing to you because I wanted to know if you would join in and put this in your newspaper because I think people should know that being on social media is bad for you. This is because people are on it so much they are sometimes two feet away from each other and they are texting through their phones! I think for once in a blue moon others should get off their phones and go outside.

One reason why I think that you should not be on social media as much is because others don’t give attention to the people that they love. Copper said in the article, Social Butterflies, How Social Media Changed Teens’ Lives Forever, “I think it definitely makes in-person relationships harder because of people’s attention given to their phones or devices instead of their boyfriend or girlfriend.” 

Another reason why it’s important to be on social media is because people both young and old are getting targeted. Negative posts or comments also can do great damage to a teen’s self-esteem. 

According to a Live Science Health study, about 23 percent of teens report being targeted in some ways over social media. I think this is just breathtaking for young teens and kids, it’s sad, and they don’t want to leave their room. 

Jake Battista said, “While social media has made it possible for some teens to grow closer together, it can also cause problems in the event of a breakup. St. Charles East senior Jake Battista said his ex had an anonymous Twitter account that she used to share the details of their breakup with her followers. Battista said he didn’t know about the account until a friend showed him.” 

This shows that people can get bullied and torn apart by others that they may not know.

Some may say that social media is good for you because it’s a good way to keep in touch with your friends; and I agree. However, St. Charles East junior, Sienna Schulte, said, “You also lose a more personable experience because if half of your relationship is over social media, you don’t really know how the other person is reacting, and it may not feel as intimate as other relationships.” 

This shows you can’t see what they are thinking or what they look like because you are not there in person. Someone could be mad at you and you can’t tell because you are reacting through Snapchat or Instagram or text, and I don’t think that’s healthy for any relationship.

These are just three of the reasons why I think social media is bad for people to be on all the time.