Is social media destroying our lives? That’s the question that we should be asking for ourselves and future generations.

Studies have found out that the top 5 social media platforms, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, are causes of body image issues, bullying, and are also linked to depression and anxiety.

However, 70.4% of people said that social media has improved their lives drastically. While gender and political affiliation had little variation in opinion, it is more likely that millennials and people in relationships are the ones who insist that social media has worsened their lives.

“Social Network represents the digital reflection of what humans do; we connect and share.” – Jeramiah Owyang, Partner at Altimeter Group 

 According to Security.org Team, People who have said social media has worsened their lives:

• Baby boomers
• Married people
• Men
• People that have an associate degree

These 4 different graphs (right) show which groups say that social media improves or worsens their lives. The line graphs below are separated by gender, generation, political affiliation and relationship status.

Of course there are going to be pros and cons to social media. Online platforms are useful and helpful for bringing people together and allowing people to stay in touch with friends and family members. Nonetheless, there are also societal burdens that seep through social media posts. Snapchat adjusts face shapes while Instagram illustrates improbable images.

“I don’t check Twitter as much or tweet as often because, honestly, social media is draining and brings out all the negative things going on.” – Doja Cat

While most studies have found social media to be a negative widespread source, the superiority of people beg to differ. But even amid people who thought it worsened their life satisfaction, a society without social media didn’t seem to be the justification.

“Engage, Enlighten, Encourage and especially… just be yourself! Social media is a community effort, everyone is an asset.” – Susan Cooper, social media enthusiast and strategist