Public Survey on Social Media and Modern Relationships
Click here to listen to on SoundCloud
(Total Runtime: 3 minutes 3 seconds)
Audio Transcription
Intro Music (0:00-0:05)
Kira Scott (0:05- 0:54)
“Over the last decade, the evolution of social media has changed the way society communicates, whether
that's with friends, family, fans, businesses or even the rest of the world. Many people use social media to
build communities and expand their social networks. This topic has been studied extensively with varied
results. However, a 2022 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public
Health found that "more [time spent on social media] is associated with a higher risk of depression in
adolescence...especially for teenage girls." Still, with the amount of social media users increasing, it's
possible that these effects persist well into adulthood. Up Next: Listen to people in Washington Square
Park discuss the impact of social media on their mental health, their relationships and their lives in general.”
Transition Music (0:55-0:59)
Ines (1:00-1:09)“I mean it’s a way that I stay connected to people aren’t necessarily like easily accessible to me, so likelong distance friends and things like that”
Haymanot (1:10-1:17)“Because I’ve been growing up with social media, I know how to use instagram as a platform to advertisefor myself” - “it’s almost a form of a resume to certain people”
McKenzie (1:18-1:23)“It kinda makes unrealistic expectations like ‘oh what am I doing wrong?’ and it makes you feel moreinsecure.”
Isaiah (1:24-1:34) “I think it has led to less meaningful interactions with people, like for me it makes everything more distantbecause it’s like ‘why do I have to see someone if I can just text them or I can just call them.”
Gray (1:35- 1:43) “I think it has changed my communication skills because I can be so - like a little bit more shy, but socialmedia presence has made me come out of my shell a little bit”
Dylan (1:44-2:02) “I think that it’s made me a lot more selective on who I talk to and I think that with social media you haveaccess to so many people, so it’s made me just narrow down and really have to focus on one person inspecific and be like ‘ok there’s a reason I have to talk to this person,’ instead of just like knowing everyone”
Lily (2:03-2:11) “it is easy to kinda compare to what other people are doing and feel like you’re always missing out onsomething or maybe it’s easy to over-perceive like if people are hanging out without you.”
Emerson (2:12-2:29) “I feel like I have a lot of baseline friendships with people on social media. I have my ‘internet friends’and people that I’ll respond to their story or whatever, but that’s not really meaningful though. I feel likemost of my meaningful friendships have come from in-person things.”
Transition Music (2:30-2:35)
Kira Scott (2:36-3:03) “After listening to these perspectives, it's clear that social media has had a profound impact on society's ability to form and maintain their social networks. It can help people blossom in their communities or their careers, just as much as it can be a source of strain on their mental health. As social media continues to evolve and affect daily life, it will be an ongoing journey for many people to adapt and find balance. For Hunter College, I’m Kira Scott. Thanks for tuning in.”
Further Reading
Liu, Mingli, et al. “Time Spent on Social Media and Risk of Depression in Adolescents: A Dose–Response Meta-Analysis.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 19, no. 9, 2022, p. 5164., https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095164.
“Social Media Fact Sheet.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center, 16 Nov. 2022, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/.
