We're in the 21st century; we're in the fourth industrial revolution, and social media plays such a vital
role in our lives.
So, how does social media affect how teenagers communicate, study, and interact? Welcome, everyone, to my
presentation. I'm Nguyen The Minh, a student from Class 7A1 at Nguyen Dang Dao Secondary School, and today I'm
here to share my answer about this topic. First and foremost, I wish everyone here good health and abundant happiness.
Now, without further delay, let's dive right into my speech.
Before discussing how social media has changed the lives of teenagers, we should understand what social media is. In
short, social media is a form of mass media communication on the Internet, such as on websites for social networking,
through which users share personal messages and other content. Chat programs debuted in the early 1970s, but
communities did not surface until the creation of the discussion group network USENET in 1979, which allowed
participants to post and receive messages. The first companies used to create social media were [Link] and
[Link], respectively launched in 1995 and 1997. After the dot-com crash in 2000, some early social networking
sites struggled, but the rise of Facebook (2004) and Twitter (2006) helped social media become mainstream well before
the COVID-19 pandemic.
We can't deny the benefits that social media brings to the world. First, social media has undoubtedly changed our lives
for the better in communication and education. In the past, postal mail was the most preferred method of communication,
but its flexibility was still limited by delivery time. Now, with the help of social media, teens can send short text
messages and receive quick replies. With social media, teenagers' lives have become more interesting. Some classmates
shared that scrolling through reels on TikTok or Facebook helps them feel relaxed after stressful lessons. Moreover,
some talented teenagers can earn a lot of money from social media. Do you think that the story of a 13-year-old
millionaire is unbelievable? No, especially not. 25% of teen influencers earn more than 1 million dollars annually,
proving that social media is financially potential
For education, social media plays the role of a forum for students to discuss topics. Students can now chat with
experienced people, learning a lot of interesting things from them. Most of the students who receive scholarships from
top universities shared that having talked with alumni through social media is an important part of being awarded grants
for education.
On the other hand, social media also has its drawbacks. Even though social media can enhance study in some ways, it
can also disturb students. Notifications from texting apps appear frequently, often causing undesirable noise. Research in
2024, done by 595 study participants, showed that commonly reported nightmares of teenagers include conflicts with
other social media users, disturbing stories, down-scrolling, being unable to reach somebody, and cyberbullying. As
stated by Asad Khan, the leader of the study and a biostatistician at the University of Queensland School of Health and
Rehabilitation Sciences, these social media-related nightmares were associated with increased anxiety, lower peace of
mind, poor sleep quality, and nightmare distress.
Even though social media increased the convenience of communication, it also reduced interpersonal abilities. I have
read numerous stories of groups of teenagers chatting with each other through social media, even though they are sitting
right next to each other. Social media encouraged the spread of toxic trends. In 2021, a TikTok trend known as “devious
licks,” in which kids recorded themselves destroying school facilities for likes, resulted in students being arrested and
costing schools in the U.S. thousands of dollars in damages. Of course, it’s not the first social media trend to lead to
destructive behavior, but it leaves educators to ponder how harmful social media can be for teenagers.
In conclusion, social media is a two-edged blade; the way it affects us depends on how we use it. By being a responsible
citizen on social media platforms, you can take advantage of the benefits but still prevent the potential dangers of social
media.