IndexSocial interactionMental illnessPhysical appearanceMoralityThe media has a power over the public that many overlook. It has altered the way people think, interpret situations, act and live. While providing knowledge and answers at the fingertips of many, social media rewires the minds of those who use it. Enabling long-distance communication has opened up a new world for the emerging generation, changing the insights they receive and giving individuals broader pools of experience to draw from. Constant online presence can affect the natural release and balance of hormones and neurotransmitters induced by face-to-face socializing, resulting in mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. In this sense, the standard of beauty and attractiveness has increased; Advertising, television and media perpetuate specific body types and model-like appearances, causing hesitation in trust and raising unrealistic standards for consumers and viewers. So, one must ask how this affects morality and whether the media is more beneficial than malevolent. Media and technology can impact and influence how society views and interprets interaction with others, how it impacts mental health, physical appearance standards, and the morals of the world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Technology and media have evolved rapidly throughout history. Today, the modern era is governed by smartphones, connected devices and computers. To get information, there is ready access from the news, social media and the infinite library of the Internet. As convenient as it is, there are effects resulting from the evolution of technology as humanity evolves along with it. This easier, effortless life that people believe it brings can come at a cost. Evidence from a wide variety of studies shows that factors such as social interaction, general well-being, physical appearance and morality have slowly changed accordingly. From subtle to very obvious, these troubling effects impact people's physical and mental states, as well as society as a whole. Social Interaction Throughout human history, nothing has directly influenced population spread and development as much as social interaction. Social interaction is one of the most important and diverse aspects of human life (Grohol, 2009). It defines everything about human culture, especially what people aim to accomplish and how they will accomplish it. Unfortunately, social interaction is not a staple in modern times. “Social networks undoubtedly play a vital role in broadening social connections and learning technical skills, its risks cannot be overlooked.” (Ramasubbu, 2015) With the invention of technology, such as the mobile phone, people were finally able to communicate over long distances, which logically should mean increased social interaction. But this is not the case, because thanks to cell phones and telecommunications people no longer have to leave their homes to communicate with the outside world. Maura Keller says this in her article on social interaction: "Take a look around a restaurant and you'll be hard-pressed to find people who don't put their heads down and use their cell phones to text, tweet, or update their Facebook status—the all while sharing a meal with others at their table. (Keller, 2013) This would lead to isolationism, which would be the slow onset of the death of social interaction. It was not mobile phones that drove societytowards the abyss, but the invention of a device so strong and powerful that it can permanently influence brain chemicals: social media. In theory, social media seems like the perfect invention for such a large audience. company, as anyone can log in to their account and share their ideas or feelings with the world. However, this is not what happened at all. What people see is a complete social meltdown at the hands of social media. Social media, as others are discovering, is turning out to be something like an illegal street drug, in that it is addictive to the brain. Suren Ramasubbu also said that “Internet addiction and sleep deprivation are issues that continue to be under intense scrutiny due to the contradictory results that have been obtained in various studies.” (Ramasubbu, 2015) Peer praise stimulates the brain to release dopamine, a key chemical used in the body's risk-reward system (APA, 2013). Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but with social media, every notification, like , retweet, or comment is another release of dopamine in the brain. This means that the brain becomes overloaded with large amounts of dopamine, making people want to use social media more and more. Instead of spending time together or interacting, they drift apart and choose to stay indoors with their phones. This is dangerous, because the more humans distance themselves from society, the more relationships between people break down (Grohol, 2009). People are drifting away from reality, unfortunately, because there is so much more to society than the latest updates to someone's reality. social media timeline. Not only is social media changing the way people interact with each other, but it is also negatively influencing the views of the people who use it. It gives them the ability to broadcast whatever they want to a much larger audience. This spells absolute disaster, especially for a generation of very gullible and impressionable teenagers. Lies and rumors are shared at a frightening rate, which is toxic in a society that is teetering on a very fragile balance. Suren spoke about it by stating that “the permanence and pervasiveness of the Internet make it fertile ground for the spread of such information to the point of becoming viral” (Ramasubbu, 2015). Social media also allows hate and other groups with bad intentions to organize together. , spreading their ideas like a plague. As Keller said, "we tend to follow and interact with people who agree with our views, so we don't get the same diversity of views that we've gotten in the past." (Keller, 2013) Easily impressionable young people may see information that completely changes their opinion on a topic, even if what they saw was untrue. This alone makes technology and social media an extremely dangerous threat to the progress of a free nation. People don't think so much for themselves anymore and choose to listen to whatever they find. Leslie Kennedy even said, “It's the opposite of the Internet making us smarter. It is making us complacent, gullible and misinformed.” (Kennedy, 2013) Social media is a very unique and versatile tool created by humans. It is useful in some respects and has valid reasons for existing and influencing humans as much as it does. This does not mean, however, that it is a safe option for finding new information because it has the ability to damage someone's opinions, including opinions about the world around them. Mental illnesses Today, the number of smartphones, daily messages and likes are increasing billions, andthis figure will continue to grow. People now have such a deep appreciation for technology, smartphones and social media that, for many, they become an obsession. However, these obsessions can turn into something more serious: mental illness. There are numerous circumstances that could lead to the development of a mental illness. Numerous studies have been conducted on phone use regarding time spent on and off the phone. A study conducted by found that “87% of young adults – or those between the ages of 18 and 34 – who own a smartphone say they never part with their mobile devices” and also that “78% [of young adults] spend more than two hours a day using their smartphones” (Hackett, 2015). In a world where the phone is everyone's best friend, it constantly requires attention. Too many, missing that message, notification or call is a scary thought. For fear of getting that information later instead of now, they keep their phones with them at all times, ready to unlock at a moment's notice. Some negative feelings can be provoked, such as sadness, as demonstrated in another study conducted on adolescents in Australia. It recorded that “60% [of teens] get stressed about their appearance when posting photos on social media. . . 60% worry that people will post ugly photos of them. . . and 55% feel bad about themselves when no one comments or likes their photos” (“FOMO: the Fear of Missing Out,” 2016, p.22). Most teens in the study enjoy their social media presence, which would result in feelings of sadness if one had a negative perception of them. Constant negative emotions about the appearance and opinions of others, often, like two hours and more, are the basis of a mental illness such as depression. Signs of mental illness could be seen through statistics regarding phone use and social media entertainment. Since statistics show that young adults never leave their phones and use them for long periods of time, it is possible for something similar to an addiction to develop. After all, “The smartphone, more than any other gadget, robs us of the opportunity to maintain our attention, to engage in contemplation and reflection, or even to be alone with our thoughts” (Davis). While there are technology-based addictions, such as gaming addiction, phone addiction also exists because of the constant entertainment and satisfaction it provides. Every like, share or retweet is followed by a feeling of happiness or joy, even if small. Every addiction arises from the need to experience that same feeling again, which is why it is considered a mental illness. Addiction could also lead to another disease, depression. A study of teenagers in Scotland concluded that: This suggests that teenagers who are more emotionally involved in social media sites are at greater risk of anxiety and depression due to the feelings of distress and isolation they experience when not connected to social media average. This is in line with previous qualitative findings that social pressure to be constantly available led young adults to experience feelings of stress, guilt, and isolation when they did not immediately respond to messages. (Woods and Scott, 2016, p.47) This addiction could also be called “fear of missing out”. Depression is also a possible risk linked to excessive use of social media. Studies suggest that people who compare social statuses to others on social media, such as Instagram, are more likely to develop signs of depression. A study conductedamong adolescents, their Instagram use and overall well-being concluded that “Instagram use was marginally positively associated with depressive symptoms, and positive social comparison was significantly negatively associated with depressive symptoms” (Lup, 2015 , p.247). addiction to the cause is dangerous and could lead to further depression. Physical Appearance Technology and media as a whole are a new cause of mental illness and can directly influence how our younger generations feel about their physical appearance. Both tend to project images of the human body that are all too impossible to achieve. In most cases, “serious body image disturbances among individuals are likely underrecognized and undertreated and may be related to other forms of psychological distress (including depression and suicidality)” (Lifespan, 2006). Both males and females can experience its mental and perhaps even physical effects. Media Projects“The contemporary ideal standard of female beauty in the Western world is based on thinness, attractiveness and physical fitness. Women are enculturated to monitor these personal characteristics and to construct their appearance to meet these normative expectations” (Lifespan, 2006). For women, the media also portrays a “perfect body” as having a small frame and/or a large bust and rear end. For men, it's a tall, muscular build accompanied by bold facial features and hairstyles. Frequent exposure to such stereotypes is the reason why people want to change their appearance. Although it is more common for women, men can just as easily desire to achieve a “perfect body image.” “Many adults presenting to psychiatric settings often report that concern about their appearance first began in adolescence” (Lifespan, 2006). Without technology and social media in general, younger people and generations would not be so severely affected by this problem. Mental thoughts can lead to a physical response. Distorted body images give rise to dangerous thoughts and practices in an attempt to meet society's standards. Some may even starve themselves or train for absurd amounts of time. Even new products, such as sneakers, have contributed to these harmful efforts. If an individual falls victim to this epidemic and cannot receive help, they run the risk of developing a variety of mental disorders. The most common eating disorder is anorexia. Anorexia is “an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). In some cases, another disorder, such as bulimia, may follow. When someone develops bulimia they suffer from "an emotional disorder involving a distortion of body image and an obsessive desire to lose weight, in which bouts of overeating are followed by depression and self-induced vomiting, purging, or fasting" (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). In the worst case scenario, these conditions can lead to hospitalization or even death. The way the media can create a negative self-image in individuals consistently affects a large portion of our population. Problems regarding physical appearance usually begin with dissatisfaction and depression. “Adolescents with negative body image concerns are more likely to be depressed, anxious, and suicidal than those without intense dissatisfaction with their appearance, even when compared to adolescents with other psychiatric illnesses,” according to a new study conducted by researchers at Bradley Hospital, Butler. Hospital and Brown Medical.