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Young American Social Media Influence

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Social Media and Psychological Well-being of Young Americans
Part One Since the introduction of social media in America it has been growing substantially in popularity among users of all ages, specifically young generations of Americans (Ferris and Stein, 2014, pg. 29). Technology continues to advance and become a more prevalent part of our society and social media has continued growing in popularity alongside technology. New sites and apps are being introduced regularly and with social media now being available on smart phones there is a growing dependency seen among young Americans to constantly have access to social media accounts. Social media is available at our fingertips any second of the day as long as our smartphone is within reach. …show more content…
This severe of a dependence on social media has never been seen or studied before in the entire existence of the world, making research imperative in understanding how social media can affect users. Social media can have a substantial effect on individuals whom contribute to society, proving that social media is able to have a great influence on the individual and the society. “Computers, cell phones and other forms of mass communication are defining who we become- how we think, feel and act in the world” (Ferris and Stein, 2014, pg. 91). It is able to affect how individuals view themselves, their society and how they interact with others. Much of the research involving this subject discusses only negative concepts surrounding social media, thus concluding that social media has a severe negative affect on the psychological well-being of users. Social media can cause users to feel as if …show more content…
29). Symbolic interactionism “helps us explain both our individual personalities and the ways in which we are linked together” (Ferris and Stein, 2014, pg. 29). This concept can be applied to studying social media because social media directly influences our individual personalities and how we interact with others. Symbolic interactionism believes that “interaction and meaning are central to society” (Ferris and Stein, 2014, pg. 29). Social media influences the ways in which users interact with other members of society and can affect the ways in which individuals view their purpose in

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