Social Media’s Effect on Me

Jump to a category:

Fine Art
Digital Art
Photography
Music
Poetry
Dance

Fine Art

ERROR: incorrect media type: . Edit item.

Fine Art

Scarlet Ibis

Samar, CA

Honorable Mention - Fine Art: When the age of social media dies out and the world writes down our memories experiences in a textbook, “How did Social Media Effect The Public?” I can only think of a tragedy. The short novel that shares the same name with my ongoing experiences having anxiety, depression and an eating disorder, not only tell that of losing a loved one, but losing oneself as well. Thus I grieve, “How could I do this to myself?” Social Media caused the loss of my identity, and everyday I try to shed off the old feathers and don a new image.
Like a Scarlet Ibis.

Fine Art

Scrolling

Natalie, NH

Honorable Mention - Fine Art: Social media has benefitted me as an artist trying to put myself out there and share my art with the world. Despite the many great things about it, social media does have its negative impacts. Social media drains the life out of me. Scrolling on Instagram for hours, comparing myself to others, and getting sucked into the addictive nature of social media is both mentally and physically exhausting. It leaves me feeling empty, anxious, and bad about myself. My sleep is compromised and motivation is shot. Are the positives worth
the toll taken on my physical and mental health?

Fine Art

Addict

Aspen, AK

Honorable Mention - Fine Art: I wanted to show the grip social media has on our everyday lives and its addictive nature. My piece depicts a girl with drug tablets on her tongue. The tablets show app icons for Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, which I feel are the most popular social media platforms for my generation. The chain around her neck is another way of representing how society is chained to social media and phones with no intention of changing. Her drippy eye emphasizes how sad, tired, and stressed she is because of the criticism and standards that
come with social media use.

Fine Art

"Likes"

Ashwini, CA

Honorable Mention - Fine Arts: I have portrayed how social media has affected me through a picture of a young boy. Without the highest number of followers or likes, we lose our confidence and sense of self-worth. Through social media, we are held to unrealistic expectations and standards to meet. This is especially prominent in adolescent years because we rely on the approval of others. Personally, it has taken a toll on my confidence. After seeing others post their pictures, I feel I have a standard to meet. This has drastically increased
my self-consciousness and insecurities.

Fine Art

Flow

Nadia, CA

Category Winner - Fine Art: When thinking about the prompt, I came up with the idea of illustrating a flow of information. I believe that although seen as toxic, social media has played a major role in my life. Even though I see its positive side, it wouldn't be fair to ignore its flaws. I decided to illustrate the limitation of knowledge, as well as the transmission of propaganda through the soldier, along with the role of unanimity on social media, depicted through the child running behind the soldier. The cyclist, trying to outrun everybody else, is a reflection on social media and its effects on the way we view success and hustle culture. Furthermore, I added the pills following a woman to emphasize my experience with objectification and
imposed standards.

Digital Art

Digital Art

Incomplete

Trichelle, CA

Honorable Mention - Digital Arts: “At times, I feel controlled, unfocused, incomplete.” This portrait’s of a girl, walking on a crosswalk of phones. Social-media’s in every step of our lives. Whenever the girl walks past a phone, we find it cracked and the next phone lights up ready to be used. Social-media’s always there, making it easy to use. Also notice that there’s no time on the phones. Social-media takes away the sense of time, keeping your focus on it only. As for the girl, she’s like a marionette with social media as the hand controlling her. How has social-media affected me? This is how…

Digital Art

Raised by a Screen

Violet, AK

Honorable Mention - Digital Arts: My piece is a digital abstract painting that uses bright yellows, oranges, and blues. The piece shows two parents in the far right corner looking at an expressionist style of a digital screen. Their shadow leads them to two holograms that look like the two other parents as they watch over a child who watches a screen. This piece resembles the digital wall between generation's because of technology. Children are being raised by technology more than their parents.

Digital Art

Digital Shadow

Emily, TX

Honorable Mention - Digital Arts: Everything you have posted, clicked, searched or commented is saved somewhere on the internet. Things on the internet never go away and your past has a bad habit of catching up to you.

Digital Art

Consuming

Lucia, CA

Category Winner - Digital Arts: This artwork represents time that passes while I’m on social media. Sometimes I feel like my phones is consuming me because I’m looking at my screen on social media apps for too long. It leads me to feeling unproductive, unmotivated, and sad.

Photography

Photography

Isolation

Analiece, IN

Honorable Mention - Photography: Often times I see groups of my friends hanging out without me and I can't help but feel a sense of isolation and loneliness. I believe social media has that effect on many people. We are unable to connect with one other over screens the way we can when we are in person with each other.

Photography

Blue Glow

Analiece, IN

Honorable Mention - Photography: Often I find myself late up at night on social media, scrolling for an endless amount of time. It leaves a negative impact on my mental health due to a lack of sleep and on the next day at school when I am tired and unable to focus.

Photography

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Luka, NY

Category Winner - Photography: It shows my own personal struggle with identity as a young teenager. I felt like I lost myself in the abyss of social media, influencers, popularity, etc. I always wanted to be like the people I saw on my feed but I lost who I was, enough to not know who the person in the mirror was.

Music

I'm Okay

Broken Words

Drama Queen

Music

I'm Okay

Julia, TX

Honorable Mention - Music: When I first got social media, I started comparing my own life to everyone else’s seemingly perfect life. Because I felt that I could never be happy with myself, I began having suicidal thoughts. However, after receiving help, I no longer wanted to give up living. Instead, I looked for ways to help others who struggled through similar experiences. “I’m Okay” progresses from me wanting to give up on life to me using my story to help others escape hopelessness. Instead of just saying they are okay, I want to make sure that other
people genuinely feel okay.

Music

Broken Words

John, IN

Honorable Mention - Music: The lyrics encompass the emotionality, irrationality and perceived inadequacy I feel when exposed to social media. I express frustration that social media is hard to get away from. I address the paradox that some people feel inspired, that they have a voice, while others feel like they need to hide their imperfections because those on social media seem perfect. I see social media as an empowering and useful platform, that is often misused for the harm of others, and the belittling of oneself.

Music

Drama Queen

Sloan, PA

Grand Prize & Category Winner - Music: Social Media makes a lot of things seem perfect on the surface, but beneath the shiny exterior it is easy to feel excluded or judged. This song is about my own struggle to feel accepted.

Poetry

The Little Things

Peyton, WI

Addicted

Mary, OH

I'm Obsessed

Delaney, LA

Budding Rose

Bee, NY

Work

Santiago, NJ

Poetry

What’s happened to the little things?

The roses so neatly planted in row,

As not to disturb nature’s eb and flow.

What happened to the sunrise on the way to school being so bright it was blinding,

Now death’s grips so binding.

What happened to the smell of grass after a fresh cut?

The door to the rest of my life so abruptly shut.

What’s happened to the little things?

The dancing in the midnight rain and jumping off the dock,

The time dwindling, practically ticking off the clock.

I no longer know where I stand,

I miss the feelings of summer, getting tanned.

What’s happened to the little things?

Feeling the August sun against my cheek,

Why now must it all seem so bleak.

The little things have disappeared.

They are nowhere to be found,

Underwater, they have drowned.

Off the edge,

I repeat my lonely pledge,

Not today, there’s more little things to come.

There’s a better you, more things to be done.

But is it worth the fight?

Are the little things worth it?

The Little Things

Peyton, WI

Honorable Mention - Poetry: My entry for the 2022 Spring Hall of Personal Expression is focused on social media's effects on me while being chronically ill. I’ve seen so many people take the little things in their lives for granted through the screen. Sitting in a hospital bed, seeing my friends and family post about vacations, family time, and hanging out with friends broke me
because I knew I could not participate. This poem is about losing faith in the little things and deciding if it’s truly worth it.

Poetry

I’m stuck on a screen

And I can’t break free

My eyes are glued to you

I want to scream

I scroll, I click

I click, I scroll

You’re bad for me

I know

How you make me feel,

what you say to me

The horrible things you show me

So why do I keep coming back to you

I scroll, I click

I click, I scroll

11 pm 3 am 1 am 4

2 am 12 pm 10 pm more

I should be sleeping

Why am I up all night

Just to waste my day

Still on you like things have changed

I have stuff to do

I scroll,I click

I click, I scroll

I am an addict to my phone

A devotee to a screen

Even with the horrible things I see

Heartbreaking things that were said to me

Even when I try to break free

I come back

Like an itch you can’t scratch

Switching through the same four apps

To see the same 4 things

Its madness

The depression you’ve plunged me in

A blanket of sadness

I scroll, I click

I click, I scroll

I’ve stopped eating now

Are you happy, is this what you wanted?

My smile surrendered, my confidence forgotten?

You’ve made me cry more times than ever before

I cry, cling to my Chromebook

And beg for more

I scroll, I click

I click, I scroll

WHY can’t I be like those girls on my feed?

Perfect hair

Perfect Lips

Perfect bodies

I look at myself

And want to curl up and hide

Pretend I don’t exist

Just like I died

I thought about it

I tried

I didn’t

I’m better now

On the wagon 70 days clean

Have checked for a text

In ages, it seems

My eyes are dry

My belly’s full

I still ponder and wonder

Want to check my DMS

But I like it this way

For better, for good

I remember who I was

And who I am now

No matter what, no matter how

I say never again

And I’m grateful.

Addicted

Mary, OH

Honorable Mention - Poetry: As a tween/teenage girl I have had a pretty bad run with social media concerning body image and cyberbullying. I remember at 10, I was skipping meals, exercising till exhaustion & crying myself to sleep at night over things said about me online. Recently I've learned to love myself and my body and not compare myself to what I see online but it is hard. This poem is an expression of my feelings, thoughts, and mindset now during that time and now.

Poetry

I’m obsessed,

I’m obsessed with my online persona

This one I’ve created

This one that lies,

hides,

has cried

for help

Help from this addiction

addiction of the thirst for attention

attention!

all eyes on me

Look at me

Notice me

but they don’t yet

yet the like my post

commenting nothing,

nothing is thought of it

It hides in the back of my mind

mind that,

It slowly creeps back

Back to say

“They don’t like you”

You are fake.

Fake defines you.

you

mean

nothing

I'm Obsessed

Delaney, LA

Honorable Mention - Poetry: This poem expresses my everyday process of social media. It demonstrates how social media floods my everyday thoughts and emotions. It says how negative social media has been for me, yet I still run back to it. The toxicity of the internet and media is strong and very real.

Poetry

I quickly brush my teeth, spitting the strawberry toothpaste into my sink

I’m walking back to my room when I hear a familiar ding. I rush to pick up my phone and check my inbox

I see the dots, the quick notifications, I know exactly what I want to.

He is active.

My mom warned me about predators, but I wasn’t prey,

How dangerous could he be? This boy is only eighteen!

I feel my phone buzz all night.

Soon enough, My grades are dropping.

He wants to talk! I wouldn’t dare displease him.

It feels so nice to be liked, to know I am loved. It fills my heart, which I never realized was empty.

He tells me not to tell my parents. I oblige.

My parents wouldn’t understand, they don’t know him! He makes me feel so safe

He calls me his Precious Rose, I’m growing into the most beautiful flower

I was so excited to bloom into a teenager for him.

Then I noticed after my Thirteenth birthday, My flower was not as beautiful to him.

The buzzes slowed. A thorn pierced through and emptied my heart

What changed?

Was I no longer fun?

It was my fault. It had to be.

Have my petals already wilted, no longer precious?

I closed instagram. I close my phone.

I erase everyone I love and everything I enjoy.

I am no fun, I am rotted, I deserve to shrivel up alone.

I stop brushing my teeth.

No amount of scrubbing or rinsing could clean the dirt I placed upon myself.

Budding Rose

Bee, NY

Honorable Mention - Poetry: When I was eleven years old, I was given access to instagram. Unfortunately for me, I soon found myself in contact with older boys. Like thousands of girls (and boys) Across the world, I fell victim to online grooming. This poem talks about how I felt during that experience.

Poetry

Today is just another day

Another insult to my face, a new bruise on my pride

Sometimes I just need to get away

I don’t like it when you walk on me

But you always make sure I can’t be heard

I think I’m ready to be free

It’s funny until you’re left on your own

Why does it feel like everyone hates me?

But it doesn’t matter, because I have a different kind of throne

I come back home, hiding the tears fresh from being subject to society

I immediately run up to my room and dodge any questions

At least I can recognize it isn’t the best show of filial piety

I go to my computer and log on to my favorite website

The funny little pixels on my screen like to talk to me, at least

Sometimes they tell me that it’s alright

It’s just a way to inebriate my desire to be left alone, really

Which, as I think about it, contradicts my desire to be heard

But words are just words. Doublethink is pretty silly

My loneliness is swelling up, but all I can do is put a bandage on it

I don’t care if that bandage has thorns in it, it helps me cheer up

The bandage is me posting dog pictures and talking to strangers for a bit

I don’t mind if they aren’t real

It lets me escape the harsh reality of the general public

But honestly, thinking about the other people is pretty surreal

This happens all the time

And I think it’s a sad excuse for serotonin

But you can lock me up if needing someone to be there is a crime

I know I’m weird

I spend all my time daydreaming and messing around

But those people are the reason why I disappeared

The inherently delusional nature of my situation is kind of funny, to be honest

I’m happy to go on the web and talk to my so-called friends

But they’re just little distractions from despair

Work

Santiago, NJ

Category Winner - Poetry: Sometimes I feel like a loser, like I don't really fit in. It sucks- I know I have a strong voice, but it's hard to stand up for myself when everyone brushes me off. Whenever I go online, I can post a meme, or share my thoughts, and many people will be supportive and listen to me. Social media allows me to have a presence, but the problem is that in the end, it isn't real. It gives me temporary dopamine at the cost of being addicted to a fictional world, and maybe it hurts more than it helps.

Dance

To This Day

Dance

To This Day

Jadyn, CT

Category Winner - Dance: As a teenager in today’s world, it’s difficult to go even an hour without checking for social media notifications. Even without getting notified of a celebrity’s new post, or a new friend request, it’s hard to find a way out of the numbing feeling I get from social media. I often find myself getting stuck in a vicious cycle of comparing myself, feeling unworthy, and continuing to like, share, and comment on other’s content. I choreographed a powerful contemporary dance to Shane Koyczan’s “To This Day,” to demonstrate the way social
media causes me to feel on a daily basis.

Psst…

There’s another competition coming up!

We’d love to receive a submission from you for our next competition.