Social media has gained more usage with each generation and now, more than ever, each person is greatly influenced by social media figures. Starting from a young age, students download social media and enter into the world of online living. They see influencers living the life in Los Angeles on Instagram and students their age engaging in normal high school activities across the world on TikTok. A small screen gives 

While social media has gained a negative reputation over the last decade, the ability to connect with people across the globe gives students of this generation an opportunity like never before.  

Last year during the coronavirus pandemic, students used social media to not only connect with their friends but with others around the world. For the first time in their lifetime, high schoolers across the globe were experiencing the same feeling of the “unknown” and they used the power of social media to share this. Ranging from TikToks to Instagram posts, students were able to express how they were feeling through humor or through a “rant”. Students used zoom, group FaceTime, and Instagram Lives to stay in touch with family that may be quarantined in an entirely different state. 

Social media has the power to quickly spread information and start trends. Whether it be related to an act of activism, like the Black Lives Matter movement, or an official announcement, such as an announcement in relation to a new COVID-19 mandate, a simple hashtag can spread from page to page within minutes. And with a simple share button, this information can spread like wildfire. 

Social media is the accumulation of different apps where anyone can share pictures, stories, videos, and thoughts over whatever they choose (within the guidelines of the app). Those who oppose the usage of social media say that it causes a disconnect between a user and the physical world around them. However, social media provides an even better way to connect with the world around them. A problem in culture today is not going outside of one’s comfort zone: home. By viewing the different lives of others from across the globe, users learn about the different cultures and experiences of those different from them.