Everyday, teens spend close to nine hours indulging in the world of social outlets on their phones, tablets and computers. Teens are told that the time they use their devices to scroll through their social feeds is time wasted, but the many hours they spend using technology may prove to be beneficial.

Through social media, people of any age are able to stay up to date on almost anyone’s life, from their close friends to celebrities. More than half of teens say that social media has a positive effect on their relationships with friends. Not only can teens keep tabs on their friends by updating their phones, but they can also gain confidence by snapping a selfie, writing a caption and tapping post. In most cases, likes and comments on posts act as self-esteem boosters for teens.

Not only do teens benefit from the use of social media, but so do businesses. All types of platforms are used by major and minor companies for marketing. Instagram and Facebook allow users to make business pages that allow companies to promote their products and services to their target audience. Social media makes marketing easier and less expensive for companies.

Awareness about various issues can be spread through social media. For example, an Instagram page with the username “@timesupnow” was made recently, having the goal of spreading awareness about sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace. The account gained 115,000 followers within its first three days. Another movement that has been spread through social media is the “#metoo” campaign. The creator of the movement, Tarana Burke, started the movement by encouraging social media users to post using the hashtag “metoo” if they have been sexually assaulted. The hashtag started trending on various social media platforms, showing the amount of sexual abuse and harassment in our society today. People are able to educate themselves on important topics that are relevant to today’s society through the use of social media. There are many awareness accounts, across many platforms, that continue to gain followers. The people who follow these pages are able to learn and be updated about issues that are prevalent.

In today’s society, it is important to be up to date on what is going on around you, whether it be in your community, country, or in the world. Social networking sites spread news faster than any other media. By following reliable news outlets on social media applications, people are able to quickly learn the latest news, about anything from politics to pop culture, all in one place. People can choose to watch videos, view photos, or read about virtually any topic on networking apps such as Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

In these many ways, social media is advantageous to teens, as well as businesses and anyone who wants to stay updated on what is going on in the world. From spreading information about important topics, to giving teens a boost in self-esteem, media has the ability to help people in many ways. To sum up, the many hours we, as a student society, spend on social media is not wasted time, but rather time used to educate ourselves on important and prevalent news.