The Positive Side of Social Media

     When thinking of social media, it is easy to think about the negatives. Undoubtedly, there are many negative aspects of social media. However, through reading different studies and texts, there are also some positives. First, social media is a platform for each person to express themselves and tell their stories. As the text states, "We must teach students how to find their own writing topics by sifting through their own life and stories" (Hicks, 2013, p. 120). Many students need a place to express their stories, and social media can be that space. Moreover, writing through social media can teach students to become better writers because it teaches them how to write for an audience from which they want approval. 

(2026, January 22). Social Media Apps. Tridens Technology. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from https://tridenstechnology.com/social-media-statistics/

    One study that looked at the importance and benefit provided extremely interesting results. The study asked participants to complete "online daily diary entries for 14 consecutive days" (Tobin and Dunkley, 2026, p. 202). These diaries were being analyzed to see if they would help participants overcome issues such as perfectionism, mindfulness, and self-compassion. In the end, keeping these online journals did positively affect the majority of the participants. The study states that, "Observing may help perfectionistic individuals direct their attention to their senses rather than automatic ruminative thoughts about bothersome daily events" (Tobin and Dunkley, 2026, p. 209). In order words, the daily diaries helped take focus away from mistakes and shifted them towards other areas of the lives of the participants. The overall finding of the study "highlight the importance of fostering situational mindfulness and self-compassion to improve daily mood in individuals with higher perfectionism" (Tobin and Dunkley, 2026, p. 210). These individuals saw an increase in self-compassion and mindfulness as they kept daily diaries. In this study, it was proven that social media could be helpful to individuals needing to strengthen mental skills.

    In another study, individuals who were overweight or obese saw better outcomes when using social media to connect with others. The article states that, "Emerging evidence suggests that harnessing social media platforms, such as Facebook or Twitter, offers a promising avenue for implementing behavioral weight loss interventions at the population level" (Betz, Masri, Konig, and Bartelme, 2025, p. 1). The researchers wanted to study whether interactions on social media could have a positive impact on participants in the study. Many social media platforms were utilized, such as Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, MyFitnessPal. In addition, "higher engagement often associated with better outcomes in terms of physical activity and weight loss" (Betz, Masri, Konig, and Bartelme, 2025, p. 7). 

    When thinking about these studies and the textbook material in relation to my first video, I believe that I was only thinking about the negative side of social media. However, in this video, I wanted to focus more on the positive outcomes that can come from social media. In addition, I want to focus on the communal aspects of social media, such as these studies do. Social media creates a community, as we have formed in our own class. As we grow together, we use social media to help us communicate. Through our usage of social media in this class and the articles referred to above, it is clear that although social media can be used for negative purposes, it can also be used for good. Watch my re-introduction video below to learn more:


  

References

(2026, January 22). Social Media Apps. Tridens Technology. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from https://tridenstechnology.com/social-media-statistics/

Betz, C., Al, M. M., König, L. M., & Bartelmeß, T. (2026). Identifying Social Media‐Based Interactions That Help Adults to Adhere to Weight Loss Goals: A Systematic Review. Obesity Reviews, 27(3), 1–15. https://doi-org.ezproxy.montevallo.edu/10.1111/obr.70030

Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: composing texts across media and genres. Heinemann.

Tobin, R., & Dunkley, D. M. (2026). Perfectionism, Situational Mindfulness and Self-Compassion, and Daily Affect. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 73(2), 200–211. https://doi-org.ezproxy.montevallo.edu/10.1037/cou0000850

Comments

  1. Daylah MorganMarch 17, 2026 at 10:28 AM

    You did an awesome job discussing the positive elements of social media, especially how it can give students a space to express their creativity and build a community. According to the Reading Rockets article, using digital tools can strengthen how students communicate, which ties to social media because that is where students communicate a lot today. In the article, Positive Effects of Social Media for Students, one way it can help students is to set them up with a mentor who can guide them in their future after high school. Overall, your blog offers a strong perspective on how students can use social media in a positive manner.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alicia SmithMarch 19, 2026 at 9:55 AM

    I really enjoyed reading your blog because it challenged the idea that social media is mostly negative. You did a great job using research to show how it can actually support both mental and physical well-being.

    The diary study stood out to me, especially how reflection helped shift focus away from negative thoughts and build mindfulness. Your second study also reinforced how important community and engagement are for success. When people feel supported, they are more likely to stay motivated and reach their goals.

    Research also supports this idea. Active social media use can increase feelings of connection and social support, which can improve overall well-being (Yue et al., 2023). This connects well to both studies you included since participants were actively engaged rather than just passively using social media.

    Overall, I like how your thinking shifted to recognize that social media can be used for good. It really comes down to how intentionally it is used.

    References
    Yue, Z., Zhang, R., & Xiao, J. (2023). Passive social media use and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of social comparison and emotion regulation. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1033112.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8499034/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jill TolbertMarch 19, 2026 at 7:44 PM

    I agree that there are both positives and negatives to social media. It is our job, as educators, to teach the upcoming generations to capitalize on the positives and avoids those negatives. Strassman and O’Connell give an excellent example of how “authoring with video (AWV) enables students to get started writing in a medium they know and love: video.” They further explain how using this technique enhances student’s motivation because it give them, “an audience beyond their teacher.” John Spencer has great story about a shy kid that accidently shared/published his paragraph instead of saved it. The student received a lot of online feedback with questions and wanting to learn more from the student. We need to embrace the fact that this is the world our students live in today. They are constantly bombarded with screen distractions. We need to teach them how to function and behave in their world as well as our.

    Reference List
    Strassman, B.K. & O’Connell, T. Reading Rockets: Curriculum and instruction: Teaching tips: Authoring with video. https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/curriculum-and-instruction/articles/teaching-tips-authoring-video

    Spencer, J. (2020, November 20). Spencer Education: What happens when students launch their work to an audience?
    https://spencereducation.com/launch-virtual/

    ReplyDelete

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