Even with schools limited phone usuage, students still seem more drawn to them rather than most things during class. (Kristi Studts)

High school used to be about lockers, lunch tables, and football games. Today, it is about followers, streaks, and posts. Social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok have become a part of the daily life of a student. They influence how to communicate, present themself, what to wear, and even how they will succeed. While social media is made for connecting people faster than ever, it also creates pressure and expectations. So the big question is: Is social media changing high school life for better or worse?

Of course, it has advantages. Social media has made high school more connected than ever. Students stay in touch after school, group chats help with homework, and clubs and sports teams can promote their events easily. This is all due to social media and it affects high school life. Even small businesses can grow through various social media sites. Many children like the way that they can stay in touch with their friends after school or that they can promote their small businesses through their own accounts.

However, social media also creates serious challenges for high school students. One big aspect is the bullying culture on social media. Cyberbullying has been bigger than ever, due to the easily accessible anonymous social media account creation. Another thing is the comparison culture, constant comparison with other influencers who may be edited, can damage the confidence of another. When students see edited photos and highlight reels, they may feel like they are not good enough anymore to the point they question their own lives. This is a big reason why many students and young adults have to fight mental health problems or insecurities.

Many students do not even realise how much they spend online until they realise that they go out less and have less social connections. It also affects grades and the sleep schedule if students use it for too long, especially with “doomscrolling” when you just watch short social media videos without being able to stop.

One student said, “It is hard to focus in class when everyone else is on their phone or if the class gets boring.” Another one said “I did develop some insecurity about myself because of the unrealistic editing of people on social media.” This just proves that social media is a challenge for students and everyone else.

Social media is clearly reshaping daily high school life, both in a good and bad way. It connects students, but it also increases pressure and in class distraction. The real challenge is not whether social media should exist in schools, but more like how students can learn to use the phone in a more healthier way to not develop any social or mental health problems.