please help me include my research paper three drafts and my reflection of my writing process what worked well, what didn't, and what I would do differently next time. The Effects of Social Media on Individuals

Introduction

Social media is a drug, and the world's population are the users. Social media is any

website or application that enables users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. We use many of these websites to do different things like communicating with loved ones, friends, or acquaintances. Some people use it for marketing or to provide and promote different services such as news, journals, restaurants, music, clothes, and accessories for example. In our age, there are many people whose lives revolve around the internet since we have about 3.773 billion people who use the internet, and 2.789 billion who actively use social media. This is why social media affects billions of people every day, their lives revolve around it! The way social media affects them does depend primarily on the reasons for using social media as well as what aspects of their lives are connected to it such as people who market themselves, their business, or their services through it. These people as well as others are heavily influenced by social media, not always negatively but it is a possibility. It does have positive effects on some individuals though. Social media is a growing influence in people's lives, it can improve someone's life, or gradually decrease their well being, it all depends on different factors.

Using social media can cause a decrease in general well being, health, and mental stability. The people who are using social media for entertainment and for socially connected with unknown individuals are more likely to suffer from this than others. They are susceptible to the fear of missing out or FOMO. As Erin Walsh stated in "It's Complicated: Teens, Social Media, and

Mental Health", A recent study of Australian teenagers showed that the heaviest social media users experience the greatest amount of anxiety related to FOMO (fear of missing out). Anxiety is a dangerous mental issue that can lead to complex health issues. According to Ann Pietrangelo, anxiety can cause a person to have restlessness, trouble sleeping, weakness, shortness of breath, excessive perspiration, feeling cold or overheated, numbness, rapid heartbeat, palpitations, chest pain, rapid breathing, hyperventilating, and trouble concentrating. Aside from effects on your body, it can also affect your social health and life. A person suffering from anxiety may also be suffering from a fear of leaving their home, extreme fears, compulsive behavior, changes in personality, trouble on the job or in school, family or relationship problems, alcohol or drug abuse, and depression or suicidal thoughts (Recognizing Anxiety: Symptoms, Signs, and Risk Factors). This is why one out of five teens disclose feeling worse about their own life because of what they see on social media, they compare their lives with others with makes them sad, depressed, and anxious to try new things.This depression which is a result of anxiety caused by social media or is just plainly cause by social media can lead to suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation, which is the same as suicidal thoughts are thoughts about how to kill oneself, which can range from a detailed plan to a fleeting consideration and does not include the final act of killing oneself and even though the majority of people who experience suicidal ideation do not carry it through, suicidal ideation is a serious influence that social media can have which can lead to full- blown suicide (Nordqvist). The results of another study, conducted by Ethan Kross and his team, concluded that the more people used Facebook, the worse they felt the next time his team text- messaged them and the more they used Facebook over two-weeks, the more their life satisfaction levels declined over time. Interacting with other people "directly" did not result in the negative outcomes shown on the individuals who were being text messages through Facebook. All of these studies conclude that social media is a negative influence on many people's lives and for many that is the case. Social media affects people differently depending on different factors. These factors greatly influence the kind of effect social media has on an individual; they are the reason that social media can be a good influence in someone's life.

Different surveys or research experiments have been conducted to try and provide a definitive answer to whether social media has been negatively or positively affecting our society these past few years. This effort has not been successful as no definite answer has been provided. That is because social media affects everyone differently because no one is the same as another person so the factors that cause social media to give a negative result are not present in someone else causing social media to give a positive result of using it. Bessiere and colleagues conducted a research experiment where different results were provided by the same group of people. In a US survey conducted in 2001, almost all respondents reported using the Internet for information, entertainment and escape; these uses of the Internet had no impact on changes in respondents' level of depression. These people also used social media to communicate with family and friends, which resulted in lowered depression scores six months later, but only 20% of these people used the internet to meet new people. The results of this survey concluded that people with low levels of social support do not experience increases in depression due to social media while people with high to medium levels of social support do. This suggests that people's choices of how they use the internet, and their social life might influence the outcomes of different research (Effects Of Internet Use And Social Resources On Changes In Depression). Other factors may also play into the influence that social media has on an individual.

Among these other factors is the kind of social media that is being used, as well as the act of scanning profiles of happy people which Walsh states is the equivalent of sitting alone at a party where everyone else seems to be having the times of their lives. Aside from the different situation that everyone is in, not everyone's personality, characteristics, and mind are the same, and not everyone uses the same sites which affects who they interact with and their minds affect how teens or adults interpret these interactions (It's Complicated: Teens, Social Media, and Mental Health). Some of these interpretations can be positive which will result in a positive influence on these individuals.

Since social media is a networking site or app, it does not influence someone itself, it is the interaction which is why it can also have a good influence on certain people. Due to many positive groups and people on social media, teens can gain increased confidence. According to Kelly Wallace when an individual posts a picture, sometimes a selfie, many people will give positive comments to that individual boosting their confidence. Wallace also stated that 28% of teenagers said that social media made them feel more outgoing while 29% said that it also made them feel less shy. Social media can also educate teens about world matters such as feminism issues or attacks on different countries and the effects on these people who are now refugees. In Positive Effects of Social Media, Kelly Austin states that Social media can be used to create a voice for the voiceless which allows teens to hear about different situations people are in which may result in them being considerate or helpful to these people. Austin also states that social media has made it possible for young people to be creative and innovative since social media is dependent on interaction and sharing or thoughts, ideas, or other content. This makes teenagers think outside the box and express themselves uniquely. Dave Parrack labels empathy as an effect of social media on people as well. He states that when you use social media, you are sharing part of your life with people who you think will care. As a user of social media, I can say that these people do care, some provide emotional support, other listen to what you have to say and give

you advice about what to do in your situation. Empathizing is then naturally a result of sharing our lives, and our good and bad experiences, on these sites (The Positive Impact of Social Networking Sites on Society). Making friends and building relationships is also easier according to Parrack (The Positive Impact of Social Networking Sites on Society). Friends and healthy relationships will stabilize your general and mental health because these friendships and relationships will provide individuals with social, and emotional support. This will decrease feelings dealing with depression and loneliness as Erin Walsh states in "It's Complicated: Teens, Social Media, and Mental Health." She states that in a study found that college students who interacted with others had decreased feelings of loneliness. This is why social media can be positive; it allows for people to support each other and interact without any negative feedback depending on different factors.

Social media affects everyone differently. Due to different factors, the effects can range from improving a person's well being leading to a better life, to destroying a person's physical, mental, and general well being. This is a dangerous concept and we should all provide support for those that social media has a negative impact on and turn them towards the positive side of social media. Using the greatness of social media and improving the way it is used and the content on it, we can finally answer the doubt that everyone has; "is social media bad or good?" with a positive note.

Works Cited

Austin, Kelly. "Social Media Affects Teens Positively." TeenShield Blog, 28 June 2016,www.teenshield.com/blog/2016/06/28/positive-effects-of-social-media/.

Bessire, Katherine, et al. "Effects Of Internet Use And Social Resources On Changes In Depression." Information, Communication & Society, vol. 11, no. 1, 2008, pp. 47-70.

Kross, Ethan, et al. "Facebook Use Predicts Declines in Subjective Well-Being in Young Adults."PLoS ONE, vol. 8, no. 8, 2013.

Parrack, Dave. "The Positive Impact of Social Networking Sites on Society." MakeUseOf, 19 Apr. 2012,www.makeuseof.com/tag/positive-impact-social-networking-sites-society-opinion

Pietrangelo, Ann. "Recognizing Anxiety: Symptoms, Signs, and Risk Factors." Healthline, Healthline Media, 24 Sept. 2014,www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/effects-on-body.

Wallace, Kelly. "Social media positive for teens? Maybe!" CNN, Cable News Network, 7 Oct. 2014,www.cnn.com/2013/11/21/living/social-media-positives-teens-parents/index.html.

Walsh, Erin. "It's Complicated: Teens, Social Media, and Mental Health."Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 28 Sept. 2017,www.psychologytoday.com/blog/smart-parenting-smarter-kids/201709its-complicated-teens-social-media-and-mental-health.www.psychologytoday.com/blog/smart-parenting-