Are Phones Ruining Our Friendships

There is nothing more valuable than friendships. Friendships allow one to escape into a world full of happiness and laughter. Not to mention, they can be a great catharsis for some. Another valuable means is social media. Lives are taken over with google searches, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. These social platforms allow one to create new and even more meaningful friendships. However, there are more negative aspects that can occur such as mental health issues, addiction, and drama. While social media has expanded the lives of teenagers in a tremendous way, this impact is not always beneficial when it comes to friendships. To start, mental health is an issue that needs to be discussed worldwide. Mental health can become problematic

It is understandable if someone wants to take a picture or two while on vacation but if their Instagram is being updated every hour or so it can become a problem. Making new memories and experiences are meant to be special. If someone has their phone in their face the entire time it can negatively affect relationships with friends, family, and even lovers (Cohen). Maggie Kelly in her article, “Are Phones Ruining Our Friendships?” she further explains this point with saying, “We remember what friendship should represent – connection, reliability, communication – and then struggle to align that with what it realistically has become in 2015: distant, digital, disconnected”. Basically, this was never an issue before cell phones and other devices became popular. We were actually forced to speak to one another and do other activities in person instead of being online. On the other hand, the internet is very convenient to some. The discoveries one can find in a simple google search is unbelievable. However, if one spends so much time online there are serious consequences. This includes: social anxiety, poor communication skills, and a self-absorbed complex. Not only will this impact friendships, it can impact work, school, and even family communication (Zahaitis). All in all, combing the internet and friendship nothing but broken

On major social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook, one may post a picture or two. If their friends do not “like” the photo then there become a sense of resentment and anger. The article, “High on Social Media: When Somebody Doesn’t Like Your Post” written by Jena Pugh discusses how controversial it can be if a friend does not like a simple photo, “...what one may not realize is that social media is programming one’s brain to become dependent on peer approval — i.e. “likes,” comments, thumbs and smileys. For each Facebook reaction received, dopamine is released into your brain, the same chemical released when you experience something positive or when you induce it through activities like drug use”. Pugh explains how how brains were programed into thinking that “likes” are important and necessary for a friendship. Moreover, everything that is posted stays online. When making a new friend, they may “stalk” one’s profile and come across old post that they may not hold true anymore. If one has posted anything questionable in their lifetime, it is out for anyone to view including family, work, and especially friends. All of these factors can create drama with friends. To be brief, friendship should not end because one did not like a photo or because of one’s past