So, Just How Much Does Social Media Impact Our Lives?
Social media has to rank up there as one of the most divisive topics, not only in education, but in our society overall. Most people can likely rattle off the usual arguments on both sides-it increases connectivity, brings the world closer together, makes the sharing/finding of information easier than ever before; it can lead to body image issues, cyberbullying, misinformation, and becomes an addiction. I will say that my own attitude toward social media seems more shaded toward the negative side-I was a much bigger user when I was younger, but have seen the value I place on social media dropping over time. Part of me feels like this is partially due to the fact that more and more seems to be coming out about the dangers of social media, and the negative trends it has inspired among students (devious licks, slap a teacher, mess up school signs). This is all on top of the fact that social media has been a factor or cause of more conflicts amongst my students than I can count. However, I...