Image Attribution: “VISA 1500 assignment 3” by Angelina is licensed under CC0. (See interactive map)
The social media I use the most for communication is snapchat and the one I use the most for entertainment is Instagram. Snapchat is my main source of communication because it allows for pictures, videos, or messages. I like to be able to send a video to tell a story or send pictures of the random things that happen throughout the day. I think that is a positive aspect of snapchat, is having different ways to communicate. A negative aspect of snapchat is that since it is still talking through a cell phone, things can be misunderstood or taken in the wrong way, it also can become very addicting. I scroll through Instagram aimlessly when I am bored to kill time. A positive aspect of Instagram is being able to share photos with your friends and family or use the platform to promote yourself or business. Negative aspects of it are that things you see from celebrities or influences are not real and the app can create negative self-image. With an addiction to social media, it is easy to negatively compare yourself to others you see post (Sheldon et al 2020). Snapchat and Instagram differ with each other because snapchat is used mostly as a source of communication and Instagram as a platform to share photos and videos and the messaging features are second to those aspects.
Over the course of the last three days, I have created one snapchat story and have made one Instagram post. I have consumed 8 hours of content between the two according to my phone. I have not altered or shared any content in the past three days.
Not much has changed in the last year in terms of my usage of SNS’s, social media has been a big part of my life for a long time because it is just the generation I grew up in. What I have noticed lately is my realization and acceptance that I am addicted to my social media, but not in a way where I cannot go without. If I am out of cell service or forget my phone at home then I do not think about it and it is easy. It is when my phone is in front of me and I am bored that I am fully addicted to checking all social media for hours. According to a study done by Michael Adorjan and Rosemary Ricciardelli it is common now for teens to acknowledge and accept they have an addiction to their social media (2021). Social media caters what you see to the things that relate to what you interact with so everyone’s feed will be what their interests are.
The photo posted is of the snapchat story I posted.
Adorjan, M., & Ricciardelli, R. (2021). Smartphone and social media addiction: Exploring the
perceptions and experiences of Canadian teenagers. Canadian Review of Sociology,
58(1), 45–64.
Sheldon, P., Antony, M. G., & Sykes, B. (2020). Predictors of Problematic Social Media Use:
Personality and Life-Position Indicators. PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORTS.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.tru.ca/10.1177/0033294120934706