ISB’s Favorite Social Media

Everyone understands that waking up in the morning is a task that becomes easier when  your phone is sitting next to you, full of messages from friends living all over the world. Through the development of modern technologies such as computers and phones, communication between humans has reached an all time high, especially through social media.

Platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and several more, have allowed us as a civilization to globally interact with each other in just a few seconds. Although the benefits of social media are tremendous, many also argue that social media may not always be social.

At some point in our lives, we have all seen that one family sitting in a restaurant, not even engaging with one another because of distractions on their phone. At ISB, the usage of social media and cell phones all together, have become a controversial topic.

When most adults aged 25+ were asked what their favorite social media was, they all replied, “Facebook.” In a survey of over 350 American adults between the ages of 60 and 86, researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that older people enjoy the same things their younger counterparts do: using Facebook to bond with old friends and develop relationships with like-minded people. They also like to keep tabs on their loved ones.

Much like adolescents, older/middle aged people enjoy staying in touch with their friends and family. Perhaps, this is the reason that many of them enjoy using Facebook; it provides them with a social platform which is simple to use and navigate.

However many students in high school indicate that they only use Facebook occasionally either to check up on clubs or other school related announcements, or to use Messenger to get in touch with other students whom they are not as close to.

In our ISB community, most high schoolers rate Snapchat to be their favorite social media platform. For those who are not aware, Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app allowing users to send pictures/messages to each other at rapid speeds. Additionally, the Snapchat “story” feature also users to post pictures of themselves for all their friends to see (friends can be added upon the user’s discretion). Recent updates also include features such as Snapchat Maps, which shows the current location of users based on their internet connection and phone GPS, as well as the ability to use filters, enabling users to create “memes” out of themselves.

Jazmin Nichols-Lemon (10) remarks, “Snapchat is definitely my favorite social media platform. I get to text my friends from Africa, Taipei, and Sri Lanka with just the touch of my finger at anytime of the day without disturbing them. I am also able to entertain my friends, family, and myself by using hilarious filters.”

Although Snapchat was rated the most popular, Instagram was not far behind. Many students enjoy the validation they receive through the amount of “likes” and comments people give them on their posts. Through Instagram, we are able to express our individual identity through our feeds, and are also able to validate our friends through a public platform.

Orisa Thanajaro (10) explains, “Through Instagram, I am able to share my passions to a larger group of people, and am able to promote school related activities through the Sophomore Student Council Instagram page!”

Personally, my favorite Social Media platform is Instagram. Through Instagram, I have the ability to use a platform which reaches out to all my friends, and to essentially the entire world (if I chose to make my account public.)  Through my personal and photography account, I am able to share my passion for running and traveling, while also possessing the ability to connect with my friends from all over the world. Through the ISB Service Council Instagram account, I am able to advocate for positive change and educate people about the service opportunities around them. I have the power to spread positivity to our online community.