At just the tap of a button, teenagers have the world at their fingertips; this world, however, has been seen to have significant impacts on the teenagers accessing it. Some feel the negative consequences of it, while others feel some positive. 

Doom scrolling is the act of mindlessly consuming negative news or social media content for extended periods. In a study conducted by the Morning Consult, an estimated 53% of Gen Z engage in doom scrolling. Many state that it can both uplift and bring down someone’s mood. 

Communications High School (CHS) sophomore Andrew Rabe of Neputune believes that it can do both. 

“Certain videos can really affect my mood,” Rabe said. “Sometimes it can make me laugh a lot, or sometimes it can make me [feel] really down.”

Another key aspect of the rise of social media is tracking likes and comments. Seeing who liked a post and how many likes it has can boost self-esteem and give a sense of belonging.  On the other hand, it can also hugely increase the feeling of anxiety and the fear of missing out. Senior Ishika Pondicherry of Marlboro says that she used to become anxious over her likes, but has found a way to manage it. 

“Whenever I post something, I will close out of everything, put my phone down for a couple of hours and go do something else,” Pondicherry said. “Otherwise, I just feel like I’m anxiously checking my phone.”

Social media can also serve many different purposes for people utilizing it for self-promotion or businesses. Artists from CHS have used social media for recognition and financial benefits. 

Junior Kami Lopez of Long Branch was able to use her platform to connect with multiple schools to further expand her audience on her photography account.

  “The reward is that you start growing your business,” Lopez said. “I started making a profit from my account after two weeks of consistency.”

Another purpose of social media among CHS students, especially freshmen, is to get to know their grade better. Many people have social anxiety about face-to-face interactions, and social media can help those socialize while still being in the comfort of their own home. Freshman Margret Daily supports this idea.

“Social media can be helpful because you can get to know the person a little bit without having to deal with the face-to-face conversation,” Daily said. “That’s really helpful for people with anxiety.”

Seniors at CHS go through a similar process for college. They have to overcome the challenges of going to a new school where they do not know anyone. Social media can make that transition a bit easier.

Senior Isabel Moller of Tinton Falls met her international roommate on the college’s Instagram page.

“I found it really useful in finding my roommate on the 2029 meet page on Instagram,” Moller said. “There’s no way I would have met her otherwise.”

Despite being a deterrent in some senses, social media can be used as a major tool for staying in touch, a quality very necessary for seniors at CHS soon graduating.

“Some of my friends are going far away,” Moller said. “I have to use social media if we wanna stay in touch, and I think it will be really useful.”