Social media seems to be getting more and more popular as time goes on, which everyone has a mixed feeling about. They do not know if it is good for kids or bad. Personally, I think that social media can be both a positive and negative. It is a positive because it helps people stay in touch, even after school. I communicate with my friends through these websites, keep updated on anything that is going on, and they help me stay in touch with ones who either moved or graduated. Communicating with my friends through social media is a huge thing for me, and many other teens. Yes, their is texting, but sometimes sharing it on Twitter but makes it funnier and better. If I put something funny on there, I know everyone will see it and they can comment on it, starting the conversation. Staying updated with friends or family who do not live close is yet another plus side to social media. When my little cousin was sick with cancer, I used Facebook to stay updated with all that was going on. Many people, mostly adults, will use these websites to stay in touch with old friends. They can talk and even share old pictures with each other.

With all the positives to social media come lots of negatives. Lately in the teen world, it seems to me that social media is being used more for bad than good. People upload things that should be private, bully, and spend most of their time on it. Being a teenager means doing things without thinking. Lots of younger people are putting things on these websites, Instagram and Twitter, that really should be kept private, no matter if that is a picture or rude comment. Bulling also happens a lot on social media, such as Twitter. Some kids will either sub tweet someone, which is writing a status without adding that persons name, or they do it directly to that person. Being a young adult, I have sub tweeted someone, but then felt bad after. If I would just think about my actions first, then those statuses would of never happened.

Many teens, and myself, need to learn that social media is here to be a good thing, and we should not abuse that. No matter what anyone puts on the internet, it is no longer private.