Beyond the Likes: A Scout’s Social Media Guide

Have you ever picked up your phone for one minute and it turns into an hour of endless scrolling? My name is Khadijah Khoule and I’m a Girl Scout adult serving as a community helper attempting to earn my Gold Award. My intent is to remind society about how social media has changed us in both worlds.

In The World of Virtues

Most people would probably agree that social media can be helpful when it comes to wanting to build better social connections. Reference from Pew Research Center strongly suggests that 74% of teens have claimed that social media is an essential tool for increased social communication with friends and family. While this may give the impression that using social media is okay, the virtues do not outweigh the vices of the social media feeds.

In The World Called Vices

Have you ever felt a sudden change in your habits or your character because of a digital screen? That is primarily due to the negative correlation between increased screen time and mental health. As teens spend more time on social media, their mental health is becoming more disturbed. In 2022, a survey was conducted and 45% of teens have claimed that social media has caused negative issues with their mental health due to overuse. We need to find a way to make society a better place without relying on a digital screen.

Help Us Resolve

In a world where technology takes over, we need a solution to fix it. The first step is to recognize that social media has an equal balance, but it’s a matter of how we use it that counts. Spending time with family without screens, helping someone, or time management could all be essential techniques for those stuck in the digital world with no way out. Let us come together to unite. We can, we can, and we can change.