social media essay cons

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Social Media Pros and Cons

• Categories: Effects of Social Media Internet Social Media

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Words: 889 |

Updated: 7 November, 2023

Words: 889 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Table of contents

Advantages of social media, disadvantages of social media, video version.

Hook Examples for Argumentative Essay on Social Media

• A Startling Statistic: Did you know that over 3.6 billion people worldwide use social media? Join me as we explore the impact of this global phenomenon on our lives and society as a whole.
• An Intriguing Quote: As Oscar Wilde once remarked, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.” These words prompt us to examine the balance between the benefits and drawbacks of social media in our lives.
• A Personal Revelation: My own journey with social media led me to question its role in my life. Join me as I share my experiences and insights into the pros and cons of this omnipresent digital landscape.
• A Societal Mirror: Social media reflects the best and worst of our society, from fostering connections to perpetuating misinformation. Explore with me how it both mirrors and shapes our cultural landscape.
• An Evolving Debate: As technology advances and society changes, so does our understanding of social media’s impact. Join me in examining the ever-evolving debate surrounding the pros and cons of this powerful communication tool.
• Van der Bank, C. M., & van der Bank, M. (2014). The impact of social media: advantages or disadvantages. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 4(2), 1-9. (http://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_17_vol4(2)july-nov_2015.pdf)
• Abudabbous, N. (2021). Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media and Its Effects on Young Learners. Available at SSRN 4002626. (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4002626)
• Holmes, W. S. (2011). Crisis communications and social media: Advantages, disadvantages and best practices. (https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=ccisymposium)
• Roebuck, D., Siha, S., & Bell, R. L. (2013). Faculty usage of social media and mobile devices: Analysis of advantages and concerns. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects, 9, 171. (https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/facpubs/3171/)
• Farrugia, R. C. (2013). Facebook and relationships: A study of how social media use is affecting long-term relationships. Rochester Institute of Technology. (https://www.proquest.com/openview/04bf6121089bb04b74dcaba7486bd814/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750)

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Social Media Essay: Benefits and Drawbacks of Social Networking Sites

The advent of various social media channels has revolutionized the internet landscape by introducing us to global networking. Today, an individual can connect with another in a completely different part of this world just in a matter of seconds. We will take you through various notions and opinions associated with social media and how they impact our everyday lives. Also, there are some incredible tips to give you a better insight into how to write a social media essay.

Sep 03 2020 ● 8 min read

Table of Contents

What is social media essay, how do you write a social media essay, structure of social media essay, various tones of a social media essay, incorporate an attractive topic.

As you know, an social media essay is a piece of writing that is used to introduce an essential topic to the world with its underlying advantages and disadvantages. These aspects are driven solely by facts and should not contain the opinions of the writers. It is drafted to give others a better understanding of the subject in hand.

No matter which subject it pertains to, an essay ends with a conclusion where the writers are permitted to give their opinion after weighing the advantages and disadvantages.

Similarly, a social media essay is written to appreciate the positive aspects and highlight the negative impacts of social media in this time and day. The conclusions include the analysis of the two elements by the writers in their own lives and give an open-ended point of view. Depending upon the essay writer or paper writing service , the decision can be decisive, too, but that is not encouraged.

Today, the use of social networks, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or LinkedIn, has increased exponentially. An average millennial spends 2 hours and 58 minutes per day on social media platforms like Facebook. While some say that the platform is super-informative, others argue that all the information gathered on this platform is trivial and doesn't justify long hours invested in the use of social media.

The above arguments make using social media by individuals with a debatable issue, and this is why a lot of students are required to write an essay on social media. So, here are some incredible tips to help you out in writing an essay on social media even if you don't have marketing skills .

A classic essay consists of 3 parts – the introduction, main body, and the conclusion.

• The Introduction

As you introduce the main topic, always begin with how it is relevant to the current scenario. You can do this by providing some background information. The information can be made richer by adding some reliable stats and data . Once you have established the topic, you need to give a strong thesis statement of the hypothesis on which your essay is based.

The thesis statement in your essay should be precise and debatable. If not, the arguments that you are going to put forward in the essay would make no sense.

The main body of your text should consist of logical arguments in relevance to your hypothesis. Make sure you put forward one statement in one paragraph and start a new one with another section. This will make your essay look more organized.

Also, when developing ideas, only include the ones you can write clearly about. If not, avoid them. Make sure that the essay develops coherently.

To conclude the essay about social media, bring back your hypothesis, and state how the aspects you discussed earlier support or nullify it. Make it a point to summarize all ideas, but do not start adding more ideas when you are about to conclude. You can now give an, ideally, open end to your essay.

A great conclusion is the one that provokes thought and will make your readers question the use of social media in their everyday lives.

Also, remember that essays do not have to include pros and cons always. They can either be full of pros or cons or both, depending upon your hypothesis. Just ensure they are relevant.

You might believe that an essay is an essay, and two of them would be similar, but that's a misconception. Different essays have varying tones depending on how the author is treating the thesis statement through the main body of the text. Here are a few examples of essays on social media in different tones.

• Sample of a Persuasive Essay

If you are asked to write an academic paper about the effects of social media on the mental health of teenagers and young adults, you should make it persuasive. For this, just writing about the topic is not enough. It would help if you had an impactful thesis, followed by powerful arguments to support or question your theory.

The perils associated with social media addiction are forcing parents and "grown-ups" to throw their benefits in bad light today. In the race to become best in academics and non-academic activities, people are losing their grip on how social networks bring people together. They empower individuals with knowledge about various cultures and languages, which might not have been possible otherwise.

Social media sites can be addictive, and students might waste their formative years scrolling through the trivial feed and gain nothing but superficial knowledge. But that is just because neither parents nor the school is encouraging positive social media behavior. If these institutions start offering tips to students to limit and utilize their time on social media , one would be amazed to see their achievements.

Is social media a catalyst for the downfall of student life? Well, social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and more are teeming with inspirational achievers and content creators who go the extra mile to share their stories and inspire students. If the children are taught to see their access to social media as an opportunity to grow rather than a competition for likes and followers, they are bound to work harder and achieve goals that seemed insurmountable earlier.

• Sample of Negative Essay about social media

If you have been asked to highlight the negative aspects of social media, your teacher does not mean that you have to cross all limits to present the use of social media in a bad light. Instead, what they are asking for is some logical and believable arguments that tell us why social media is harmful to society.

Social media is destroying family links by creating a virtual shell for each individual, which dissociates them with their own parents and siblings. The kids are adversely affected by increased access to social media if parents are always indulged in their devices and ignore them. Eventually, even kids start using tools to connect to other people, ignoring their family members.

Since kids and teenagers are the most impressionable age groups, they start believing that everything that glitters on social media platforms is gold, and they become materialistic. Their lives start revolving around likes, comments, and followers/subscribers. No matter whether their minds are prepared for such exposure or not, social media exposes them to the best and the worst about this world, which might turn them into rebels. They start valuing their online friends more than their offline lives and go to unimaginable extents to keep them entertained.

So, parents and elders need to pay attention to their children and limit their social media use so that they can learn to form real relationships and values.

• Weighing the pros and cons

Another way in which you can present your social media essay is by comparing the positive and negative aspects associated with it. In such essays, the conclusion is better left open for the readers to decide their own take on social media.

One cannot argue that social media has taken the world by storm by allowing like-minded individuals to connect and share their experiences with the world. You can use these platforms to make new friends and discover the ones who have lost touch. You can talk to everyone on your friend list and share your content on these channels to become a part of the creators' community. There is no dearth for talent on social media and its admirers.

On the other hand, if you use social media sites for long stretches of time in one go, you run the risk of addiction. Gradually, a social media addict starts to build a cocoon for themselves, which they find hard to step out of. This leads to a disconnect between you and the family you already have and love. One might feel too confined yet comfortable in their space that they have no urge left to step out, pushing them towards social seclusion, or worse – depression.

When you flip the coin again, you will discover that social media has become an incredible platform for small businesses to grow and earn good profits . The grass-root companies do not have to invest much for advertising and promotion or even own an establishment. All they have to do is to create a grassroots marketing strategy for themselves, and their brand will start selling in no time!

In the end, social media is a game-changer on the World Wide Web. It allows people to connect with the virtual world with the risk of disconnecting with the real world. Then again, businesses are doing well on these platforms. There are indeed two sides to social media, one positive and another negative, and it is up to you which one you lean towards more.

• Argumentative social media essay

A challenging but equally exciting type of essay on social media you should know about is an argumentative essay. It is often written when you are tasked with altering the point of view of the reader, which is of a completely opposite belief. Here is a sample for your better understanding.

Social networks have an uncertain future with the string impression they leave on users, especially the younger generations. Parents panic with the first mention of social media sites by their children and learning about their presence on these platforms because they are afraid of cyberbullying. They do not want their children to get cat-fished by some stranger on Reddit when they are not around.

Moreover, social media platforms are the reason why several individuals are losing their confidential data every day to corporate houses. These businesses are using the information to bug users with ads about stuff they do not want to buy.

If such instances carry on, the day is not far when the government will start to keep checks on the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other channels. Massive surveillance will be imposed on these sites to prevent malicious minds from harming innocent teenagers physically or by hacking into their systems. So, before you get a chance to ask " have I been hacked ", know that someone is taking care of it.

Having an attractive topic for your social media essay does not mean using poetic words in it. You should have an issue relevant to the current scenario. In the process of selecting a fascinating topic, do not forget to keep it within the extents of your knowledge. If it becomes too complicated for you to write about, you will be stuck when coming up with arguments and ideas.

The perfect topic would be the one which offers good potential for research and is interesting for the readers too. Even if you present profound arguments about such topics, they should be in a logical, comprehensible, and readable format for people to understand easily.

Writing a social media essay is no cakewalk, whether you are a high-school student or university student. All you need to do is, structuralize it properly, be clear with the ideas and arguments you are planning to present, pick the tone of your essay, and began writing. Do not forget to top your essay up with a catchy topic so that your entire hard work doesn't fall flat.

Published on Sep 03 2020

Gintaras is an experienced marketing professional who is always eager to explore the most up-to-date issues in data marketing. Having worked as an SEO manager at several companies, he's a valuable addition to the Whatagraph writers' pool.

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Essay on Social Media for School Students and Children

500+ words essay on social media.

Social media is a tool that is becoming quite popular these days because of its user-friendly features. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more are giving people a chance to connect with each other across distances. In other words, the whole world is at our fingertips all thanks to social media. The youth is especially one of the most dominant users of social media. All this makes you wonder that something so powerful and with such a massive reach cannot be all good. Like how there are always two sides to a coin, the same goes for social media. Subsequently, different people have different opinions on this debatable topic. So, in this essay on Social Media, we will see the advantages and disadvantages of social media.

Advantages of Social Media

When we look at the positive aspect of social media, we find numerous advantages. The most important being a great device for education . All the information one requires is just a click away. Students can educate themselves on various topics using social media.

Moreover, live lectures are now possible because of social media. You can attend a lecture happening in America while sitting in India.

Furthermore, as more and more people are distancing themselves from newspapers, they are depending on social media for news. You are always updated on the latest happenings of the world through it. A person becomes more socially aware of the issues of the world.

In addition, it strengthens bonds with your loved ones. Distance is not a barrier anymore because of social media. For instance, you can easily communicate with your friends and relatives overseas.

Most importantly, it also provides a great platform for young budding artists to showcase their talent for free. You can get great opportunities for employment through social media too.

Another advantage definitely benefits companies who wish to promote their brands. Social media has become a hub for advertising and offers you great opportunities for connecting with the customer.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Disadvantages of Social Media

Despite having such unique advantages, social media is considered to be one of the most harmful elements of society. If the use of social media is not monitored, it can lead to grave consequences.

Thus, the sharing on social media especially by children must be monitored at all times. Next up is the addition of social media which is quite common amongst the youth.

This addiction hampers with the academic performance of a student as they waste their time on social media instead of studying. Social media also creates communal rifts. Fake news is spread with the use of it, which poisons the mind of peace-loving citizens.

In short, surely social media has both advantages and disadvantages. But, it all depends on the user at the end. The youth must particularly create a balance between their academic performances, physical activities, and social media. Excess use of anything is harmful and the same thing applies to social media. Therefore, we must strive to live a satisfying life with the right balance.

FAQs on Social Media

Q.1 Is social media beneficial? If yes, then how?

A.1 Social media is quite beneficial. Social Media offers information, news, educational material, a platform for talented youth and brands.

Q.2 What is a disadvantage of Social Media?

A.2 Social media invades your privacy. It makes you addicted and causes health problems. It also results in cyberbullying and scams as well as communal hatred.

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Essay on Pros and Cons of Social Media

Students are often asked to write an essay on Pros and Cons of Social Media in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Pros and Cons of Social Media

Introduction.

Social media is a powerful tool used by people worldwide. It has both pros and cons that we will discuss.

Pros of Social Media

Social media allows us to connect with friends and family, share ideas, and learn new things. It’s a great way to stay informed and engaged.

Cons of Social Media

However, it can also lead to cyberbullying, misinformation, and addiction. It can negatively impact mental health and productivity.

It’s important to use social media responsibly, balancing the benefits and drawbacks, to ensure a positive experience.

250 Words Essay on Pros and Cons of Social Media

Social media has become an integral part of modern society, shaping the way we communicate, learn, and engage with the world around us. Yet, it is a double-edged sword, with its advantages and disadvantages intricately linked.

One of the primary benefits of social media is its ability to foster connectivity. It enables individuals to stay in touch with friends and family across the globe, breaking geographic boundaries. Moreover, it serves as a platform for information dissemination and awareness, playing a crucial role in movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo.

Social media also facilitates learning and professional growth. Platforms like LinkedIn, for instance, enable networking and job hunting, while academic forums provide resources for students and researchers.

Despite its benefits, social media has its share of drawbacks. It can lead to an excessive focus on virtual interactions at the expense of real-life relationships. This over-reliance often results in feelings of loneliness and social isolation.

Additionally, the spread of misinformation is a significant concern. Fake news can propagate rapidly, leading to harmful consequences, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In conclusion, while social media provides a platform for connectivity and learning, it also poses risks like social isolation and misinformation. It’s essential to use these platforms judiciously, understanding their potential pitfalls.

500 Words Essay on Pros and Cons of Social Media

Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. It has drastically changed the way we communicate, share information, and even conduct business. While it offers numerous benefits, it also presents several drawbacks. This essay explores the pros and cons of social media, providing a balanced view of this transformative tool.

The Pros of Social Media

Social media has democratized the dissemination of information, making it more accessible than ever. It has become a platform where people can voice their opinions, rally for causes, and effect social change. The Arab Spring is an example of how social media can be used to mobilize and coordinate mass protests.

Another advantage is the connectivity it offers. Social media platforms allow people to stay in touch with friends and family across the globe. It fosters a sense of community and enables the sharing of experiences, ideas, and emotions.

From an educational perspective, social media is a valuable resource. It provides a platform for collaborative learning, academic networking, and knowledge sharing. It also promotes digital literacy, a crucial skill in today’s digital age.

In the business world, social media is a powerful marketing tool. It allows businesses to engage with their customers, gather feedback, and improve their products or services based on consumer preferences.

The Cons of Social Media

Despite its many advantages, social media has its downsides. One of the major concerns is privacy. The vast amount of personal data shared on these platforms can be exploited by malicious entities for identity theft, cyberstalking, or other harmful activities.

Another issue is the spread of misinformation. The ease of sharing information can lead to the rapid dissemination of false or misleading content, which can have serious societal implications, as seen in the ‘fake news’ phenomenon.

The impact on mental health is another significant concern. Excessive use of social media can lead to addiction, decreased productivity, and feelings of inadequacy due to the comparison with others’ lives. Studies have linked heavy social media use to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Moreover, social media can promote echo chambers, where people are exposed only to views similar to their own, leading to polarization and intolerance.

In conclusion, social media is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it democratizes information, fosters global connectivity, aids in learning, and serves as a powerful tool for businesses. On the other hand, it poses significant privacy risks, facilitates the spread of misinformation, can negatively impact mental health, and contribute to societal polarization. As users, we must navigate this digital landscape with caution, leveraging its benefits while being vigilant of its drawbacks.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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• Essay on Importance of Social Media
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The Pros and Cons of Social Media

A look at the ups and downs of being so digitally connected to people

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Social networking has changed the way we communicate, do business, get our daily news fix and so much more. But is it really all it's cracked up to be?

That depends on who you talk to and how you're using it. A site like Facebook could serve as an opportunistic launching pad for a new business owner, or it could be an inescapable source of negative peer pressure for a young teen. There are pros and cons to everything in life—and that includes our social networking habits.

The Pros of Social Networking

There are a lot of upsides to social networking. Ask yourself how you can take more advantage of the following whenever you decide to check out your favorite social networks.

Connect to Other People All Over the World

  One of the most obvious pros of using social networks is the ability to instantly reach people from anywhere. Use Facebook to stay in touch with your old high school friends who've relocated all over the country, use Google Meet to connect with relatives who live halfway around the world, or meet brand new people on social media from cities or regions you've never even heard of before.

Easy and Instant Communication

Now that we're connected wherever we go, we don't have to rely on our landlines, answering machines or snail mail to contact somebody. We can simply open up our laptops or pick up our smartphones and immediately start communicating with anyone on social media or one of the many social messaging apps available.

Real-Time News and Information Discovery

Gone are the days of waiting around for the six o'clock news to come on TV or for the delivery boy to bring the newspaper in the morning. If you want to know what's going on in the world, all you need to do is jump on social media. An added bonus is that you can customize your news and information discovery experiences by choosing to follow exactly what you want.

Great Opportunities for Business Owners

Business owners and other types of professional organizations can connect with current customers, sell their products and expand their reach using social media. There are actually lots of entrepreneurs and businesses out there that thrive almost entirely on social networks and wouldn't even be able to operate without it.

General Fun and Enjoyment

You have to admit that social networking is just plain fun sometimes. A lot of people turn to it when they catch a break at work or just want to relax at home. Since people are naturally social creatures, it's often quite satisfying to see comments and likes show up on our own posts, and it's convenient to be able to see exactly what our friends are up to without having to ask them directly.

The Cons of Social Networking

It's no secret that there's also a dark side to social networking. You may want to ask yourself how you can minimize the following cons of social networking as much and as often as possible.

If social media is your primary source for news and other information, you could end up in a filter bubble, which is when you've isolated yourself from new information and engaging with people who have different perspectives. If you've managed to stay in a bubble of harmful misinformation, it can damage relationships and even be dangerous.

Information Overload and Overwhelm

With so many people now on social media tweeting links and posting selfies and sharing YouTube videos, it sure can get pretty noisy. Becoming overwhelmed by too many Facebook friends to keep up with or too many Instagram photos to browse through isn't all that uncommon. Over time, we tend to rack up a lot of friends and followers, and that can lead to lots of bloated news feeds with too much content we're not all that interested in.

Privacy Issues

So much is shared online these days that issues over privacy are becoming an increasingly big concern. Whether it's a question of social sites owning your content after it's posted, becoming a target after sharing your location online , or even getting in trouble at work after tweeting something inappropriate — sharing too much with the public can open up all sorts of problems that sometimes can't ever be undone.

Social Peer Pressure and Cyber Bullying

For people struggling to fit in with their peers — especially teens and young adults — the pressure to do certain things or act a certain way can be even worse on social media than it is at school or any other offline setting. In some extreme cases, the overwhelming pressure to fit in with everyone posting on social media or becoming the target of a cyberbullying attack can lead to serious stress, anxiety and even depression.

Increased Feelings of Social Isolation

  Since people are now connected all the time and you can pull up a friend's social profile with a click of your mouse or a tap of your smartphone, it's a lot easier to use online interaction as a substitute for face-to-face interaction. Some people argue that social media actually promotes antisocial human behavior.

Distraction and Procrastination 

How often do you see someone look at their phone? People get distracted by all the social apps and news and messages they receive, leading to all sorts of problems like distracted driving or the lack of gaining someone's full attention during a conversation. Browsing social media can also feed procrastination habits and become something people turn to in order to avoid certain tasks or responsibilities.

Sedentary Lifestyle Habits and Sleep Disruption 

Lastly, since social networking is all done on some sort of computer or mobile device, it can sometimes promote too much sitting down in one spot for too long. Likewise, staring into the artificial light from a computer or phone screen at night can negatively affect your ability to get a proper night's sleep.

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Social Media Pros and Cons

Offering a balanced view, This essay will weigh the pros and cons of social media usage, discussing its effects on society, personal relationships, and individual well-being. At PapersOwl too, you can discover numerous free essay illustrations related to Communication.

How it works

Today, social media is one of the greatest elements present in our lives. With the rapid growth of social media platforms, we can send or receive any kind of information and even talk with people all over the world just with the click of a button. Adults and youths alike join platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat (among others) for dialogue with friends and family and even to meet new people. Since the inception of these platforms, the world has changed in many ways, and while there are some negative associations with social media, the positive aspects outnumber the negative.

These will all be discussed as part of this ‘Pros and Cons of social media’ essay.

Social media gives society an opportunity to grow and helps to widen the pathways for businesses. For a business, it expands their horizon to utilize social media marketing and advertising, which can help them to reach out to current and even future clients. I can attest to this as my father owns an auto part business in The Caribbean. He first met some of his suppliers through Facebook, as he advertised his business there. After making that connection, he then took business trips, sometimes twice per year, to have direct communication with these suppliers; he was even granted opportunities to gain more suppliers while on these trips. Those he met via social media went on and advertised his business to others on his behalf, and this brought in more business opportunities. To leave his home country and go out searching for suppliers would have been much harder for my father if it were not for social media. Potential opportunities can be obtained through social media as well, it is a platform where one can go to access information of all sorts. It is also a popular way through which employers can reach out to people seeking jobs in any country, as well as being an awesome platform for raising awareness of social causes.

Social media is now more popular than the newspaper. People find adverts about job openings quicker while browsing through a social media platform because that is where they spend most of their time. One finds it hard to pick up a newspaper these days, especially the youth; they think that this is something for elders and older adults to do to pass time. Social media helps one have good communication with people all around the world, either for business or pleasure. Some people even meet their future soul mates and friends via social platforms.

Although some parents view social media as a distraction to their children, it can also be helpful to them. AJ Agrawal stated, “Teens want to be aware and informed just as much as adults. Using social media allows teens to follow organizations and causes that they believe in. It makes them feel like they are a part of something, even when they feel like an outcast in society.” Children tend to always want to be a part of what adults are doing, which can be unhealthy for them because there are some adult conversations that children should not be a part of. Allowing children access to social media is a good distraction when adults are engaged in their own dialogue so that the children do not feel like parents are neglecting them. There they can find different social groups to become members of, organizations that they can learn from, and even just pass the time by playing a game or socializing with friends. Social media can also help them with news and research for school.

However, this is not just an essay about the Pros and Cons of social media for youth. Social media is often used as a platform to get the news out that is not aired through the traditional media companies. There are many news media companies around the world, but they cannot give coverage of all the news on a daily basis. AJ Agrawal states an important fact when he says, “When natural disasters strike and cause devastating destruction, social media is the ideal vehicle to deliver messages asking for support.” Take, for example, 2017, when Hurricane Maria destroyed the beautiful island of Dominica, along with other beauties that make up the archipelago known as ‘The Caribbean.’ In a situation like this, the companies there would have also been caught in the devastation on the ground. Media companies like CBS, CNN, and NBC are too far away to air what is going on. I can recall my Dominican colleagues here in Wichita Falls trying to contact their families after hearing of houses being damaged, with excess water everywhere and roofs flying off of buildings. With tears in their eyes, some of them got relief when their families were able to use their mobile phones and send them a message via Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat to let them know of their situations, even though it took a few days for some. Also, I remember Facebook being flooded with messages seeking help, even The Prime Minister had to seek help through social media because he was trapped in his house. Those good samaritans who heard his cry got him the necessary assistance to ride out the storm.

Social Media can help people to follow individuals who inspire them via their posts, photos, and even life experiences. Maggie R. Guinta and Rita M. John noted that “The depth of engagement with others on social media, not frequency or duration, is associated with a positive well-being” (198). Words from family and friends can only go so far. ‘I love you, you are beautiful, and have a good day’ amongst others are some words you hear every day from family; some say it just to lighten the mood of an individual, and some just do not mean anything, shown by their tone or even the facial expression portrayed while saying so. Sometimes people need someone outside of their families to tell them these things. Also, there are things that an individual feels more comfortable telling others, putting his/her trust in an outsider based on past experiences, as opposed to telling their family. Having access to social media to view other people’s photos and postings can help with positive well-being and self-esteem as it may motivate them to portray an image like that particular person. It also gives an opportunity to communicate with counselors or other peers at one’s own convenience.

Finally, social media is also helpful in the health care system. Yibai Li and his colleagues noted that “social media not only facilitates health information-seeking activities but also allows users to share health information.” This is an excellent approach as it is helpful; for instance, if a doctor has to refer a patient to another doctor for whatever reason, it is easier to transfer the patient’s file via social media. This is a plus for the environment because less trees are being cut down to get paper to print the information for the doctor. Also, it helps outpatients who sometimes misplace the information that the doctor sends them with. Yibai Li and his colleagues also mentioned, “Using social media, health care providers can post health information not only in text but also in more easily accessible forms, such as images and videos, which can be retrieved at any time of day.” This can relieve institutions of excessive clutter. Also, after having all the information on social media, it can offer some more space to move around or get more needed equipment for better care of patients.

Social media can be helpful and beneficial if it is used in the correct ways. It not only helps in the expansion of one’s business but also in keeping people motivated with other people’s stories as they learn from it. All in all, it requires a good balance for social media to be a good influence in one’s life, and one must carefully weigh the benefits before engaging in it excessively. Being a student, one must be on the ball with one’s studies, find time for exercise, and limit social media for anything that does not pertain to school in order to live a well-proportioned life.

Social media offers numerous benefits. It facilitates social connections, enables individuals to communicate with their loved ones, and stay informed about recent happenings worldwide. Furthermore, it provides a stage for people to showcase their artistic abilities and voice their thoughts on various subjects. Besides, social media platforms can be utilized for commercial and promotional activities.

Social media has several drawbacks, including the potential for addiction and time-wasting, the tendency to create anxiety and fear of missing out, the ability to foster trolls and online bullying, the possibility of diverting attention away from in-person relationships, and the risk of spreading inaccurate information.

There are varying opinions on the impact of social media on mental health. Some individuals contend that social media can be beneficial for mental health as it offers an avenue for individuals to interact and exchange experiences. Conversely, others suggest that social media can be detrimental to mental health as it may contribute to isolation, anxiety, and depression. The reality is that social media can have both favorable and adverse effects on mental health contingent on how it is utilized.

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6 Example Essays on Social Media | Advantages, Effects, and Outlines

Got an essay assignment about the effects of social media we got you covered check out our examples and outlines below.

Social media has become one of our society's most prominent ways of communication and information sharing in a very short time. It has changed how we communicate and has given us a platform to express our views and opinions and connect with others. It keeps us informed about the world around us. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn have brought individuals from all over the world together, breaking down geographical borders and fostering a genuinely global community.

However, social media comes with its difficulties. With the rise of misinformation, cyberbullying, and privacy problems, it's critical to utilize these platforms properly and be aware of the risks. Students in the academic world are frequently assigned essays about the impact of social media on numerous elements of our lives, such as relationships, politics, and culture. These essays necessitate a thorough comprehension of the subject matter, critical thinking, and the ability to synthesize and convey information clearly and succinctly.

But where do you begin? It can be challenging to know where to start with so much information available. Jenni.ai comes in handy here. Jenni.ai is an AI application built exclusively for students to help them write essays more quickly and easily. Jenni.ai provides students with inspiration and assistance on how to approach their essays with its enormous database of sample essays on a variety of themes, including social media. Jenni.ai is the solution you've been looking for if you're experiencing writer's block or need assistance getting started.

So, whether you're a student looking to better your essay writing skills or want to remain up to date on the latest social media advancements, Jenni.ai is here to help. Jenni.ai is the ideal tool for helping you write your finest essay ever, thanks to its simple design, an extensive database of example essays, and cutting-edge AI technology. So, why delay? Sign up for a free trial of Jenni.ai today and begin exploring the worlds of social networking and essay writing!

Want to learn how to write an argumentative essay? Check out these inspiring examples!

We will provide various examples of social media essays so you may get a feel for the genre.

6 Examples of Social Media Essays

Here are 6 examples of Social Media Essays:

The Impact of Social Media on Relationships and Communication

Introduction:.

The way we share information and build relationships has evolved as a direct result of the prevalence of social media in our daily lives. The influence of social media on interpersonal connections and conversation is a hot topic. Although social media has many positive effects, such as bringing people together regardless of physical proximity and making communication quicker and more accessible, it also has a dark side that can affect interpersonal connections and dialogue.

Positive Effects:

Connecting People Across Distances

One of social media's most significant benefits is its ability to connect individuals across long distances. People can use social media platforms to interact and stay in touch with friends and family far away. People can now maintain intimate relationships with those they care about, even when physically separated.

Improved Communication Speed and Efficiency

Additionally, the proliferation of social media sites has accelerated and simplified communication. Thanks to instant messaging, users can have short, timely conversations rather than lengthy ones via email. Furthermore, social media facilitates group communication, such as with classmates or employees, by providing a unified forum for such activities.

Negative Effects:

Decreased Face-to-Face Communication

The decline in in-person interaction is one of social media's most pernicious consequences on interpersonal connections and dialogue. People's reliance on digital communication over in-person contact has increased along with the popularity of social media. Face-to-face interaction has suffered as a result, which has adverse effects on interpersonal relationships and the development of social skills.

Decreased Emotional Intimacy

Another adverse effect of social media on relationships and communication is decreased emotional intimacy. Digital communication lacks the nonverbal cues and facial expressions critical in building emotional connections with others. This can make it more difficult for people to develop close and meaningful relationships, leading to increased loneliness and isolation.

Increased Conflict and Miscommunication

Finally, social media can also lead to increased conflict and miscommunication. The anonymity and distance provided by digital communication can lead to misunderstandings and hurtful comments that might not have been made face-to-face. Additionally, social media can provide a platform for cyberbullying , which can have severe consequences for the victim's mental health and well-being.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the impact of social media on relationships and communication is a complex issue with both positive and negative effects. While social media platforms offer many benefits, such as connecting people across distances and enabling faster and more accessible communication, they also have a dark side that can negatively affect relationships and communication. It is up to individuals to use social media responsibly and to prioritize in-person communication in their relationships and interactions with others.

The Role of Social Media in the Spread of Misinformation and Fake News

Social media has revolutionized the way information is shared and disseminated. However, the ease and speed at which data can be spread on social media also make it a powerful tool for spreading misinformation and fake news. Misinformation and fake news can seriously affect public opinion, influence political decisions, and even cause harm to individuals and communities.

The Pervasiveness of Misinformation and Fake News on Social Media

Misinformation and fake news are prevalent on social media platforms, where they can spread quickly and reach a large audience. This is partly due to the way social media algorithms work, which prioritizes content likely to generate engagement, such as sensational or controversial stories. As a result, false information can spread rapidly and be widely shared before it is fact-checked or debunked.

The Influence of Social Media on Public Opinion

Social media can significantly impact public opinion, as people are likelier to believe the information they see shared by their friends and followers. This can lead to a self-reinforcing cycle, where misinformation and fake news are spread and reinforced, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

The Challenge of Correcting Misinformation and Fake News

Correcting misinformation and fake news on social media can be a challenging task. This is partly due to the speed at which false information can spread and the difficulty of reaching the same audience exposed to the wrong information in the first place. Additionally, some individuals may be resistant to accepting correction, primarily if the incorrect information supports their beliefs or biases.

In conclusion, the function of social media in disseminating misinformation and fake news is complex and urgent. While social media has revolutionized the sharing of information, it has also made it simpler for false information to propagate and be widely believed. Individuals must be accountable for the information they share and consume, and social media firms must take measures to prevent the spread of disinformation and fake news on their platforms.

The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health and Well-Being

Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of people around the world using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay connected with others and access information. However, while social media has many benefits, it can also negatively affect mental health and well-being.

Comparison and Low Self-Esteem

One of the key ways that social media can affect mental health is by promoting feelings of comparison and low self-esteem. People often present a curated version of their lives on social media, highlighting their successes and hiding their struggles. This can lead others to compare themselves unfavorably, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.

Cyberbullying and Online Harassment

Another way that social media can negatively impact mental health is through cyberbullying and online harassment. Social media provides a platform for anonymous individuals to harass and abuse others, leading to feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.

Social Isolation

Despite its name, social media can also contribute to feelings of isolation. At the same time, people may have many online friends but need more meaningful in-person connections and support. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and depression.

Addiction and Overuse

Finally, social media can be addictive, leading to overuse and negatively impacting mental health and well-being. People may spend hours each day scrolling through their feeds, neglecting other important areas of their lives, such as work, family, and self-care.

In sum, social media has positive and negative consequences on one's psychological and emotional well-being. Realizing this, and taking measures like reducing one's social media use, reaching out to loved ones for help, and prioritizing one's well-being, are crucial. In addition, it's vital that social media giants take ownership of their platforms and actively encourage excellent mental health and well-being.

The Use of Social Media in Political Activism and Social Movements

Social media has recently become increasingly crucial in political action and social movements. Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have given people new ways to express themselves, organize protests, and raise awareness about social and political issues.

Raising Awareness and Mobilizing Action

One of the most important uses of social media in political activity and social movements has been to raise awareness about important issues and mobilize action. Hashtags such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, for example, have brought attention to sexual harassment and racial injustice, respectively. Similarly, social media has been used to organize protests and other political actions, allowing people to band together and express themselves on a bigger scale.

Connecting with like-minded individuals

A second method in that social media has been utilized in political activity and social movements is to unite like-minded individuals. Through social media, individuals can join online groups, share knowledge and resources, and work with others to accomplish shared objectives. This has been especially significant for geographically scattered individuals or those without access to traditional means of political organizing.

Challenges and Limitations

As a vehicle for political action and social movements, social media has faced many obstacles and restrictions despite its many advantages. For instance, the propagation of misinformation and fake news on social media can impede attempts to disseminate accurate and reliable information. In addition, social media corporations have been condemned for censorship and insufficient protection of user rights.

In conclusion, social media has emerged as a potent instrument for political activism and social movements, giving voice to previously unheard communities and galvanizing support for change. Social media presents many opportunities for communication and collaboration. Still, users and institutions must be conscious of the risks and limitations of these tools to promote their responsible and productive usage.

The Potential Privacy Concerns Raised by Social Media Use and Data Collection Practices

With billions of users each day on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, social media has ingrained itself into every aspect of our lives. While these platforms offer a straightforward method to communicate with others and exchange information, they also raise significant concerns over data collecting and privacy. This article will examine the possible privacy issues posed by social media use and data-gathering techniques.

Data Collection and Sharing

The gathering and sharing of personal data are significant privacy issues brought up by social media use. Social networking sites gather user data, including details about their relationships, hobbies, and routines. This information is made available to third-party businesses for various uses, such as marketing and advertising. This can lead to serious concerns about who has access to and uses our personal information.

Lack of Control Over Personal Information

The absence of user control over personal information is a significant privacy issue brought up by social media usage. Social media makes it challenging to limit who has access to and how data is utilized once it has been posted. Sensitive information may end up being extensively disseminated and may be used maliciously as a result.

Personalized Marketing

Social media companies utilize the information they gather about users to target them with adverts relevant to their interests and usage patterns. Although this could be useful, it might also cause consumers to worry about their privacy since they might feel that their personal information is being used without their permission. Furthermore, there are issues with the integrity of the data being used to target users and the possibility of prejudice based on individual traits.

Government Surveillance

Using social media might spark worries about government surveillance. There are significant concerns regarding privacy and free expression when governments in some nations utilize social media platforms to follow and monitor residents.

In conclusion, social media use raises significant concerns regarding data collecting and privacy. While these platforms make it easy to interact with people and exchange information, they also gather a lot of personal information, which raises questions about who may access it and how it will be used. Users should be aware of these privacy issues and take precautions to safeguard their personal information, such as exercising caution when choosing what details to disclose on social media and keeping their information sharing with other firms to a minimum.

The Ethical and Privacy Concerns Surrounding Social Media Use And Data Collection

Our use of social media to communicate with loved ones, acquire information, and even conduct business has become a crucial part of our everyday lives. The extensive use of social media does, however, raise some ethical and privacy issues that must be resolved. The influence of social media use and data collecting on user rights, the accountability of social media businesses, and the need for improved regulation are all topics that will be covered in this article.

Effect on Individual Privacy:

Social networking sites gather tons of personal data from their users, including delicate information like search history, location data, and even health data. Each user's detailed profile may be created with this data and sold to advertising or used for other reasons. Concerns regarding the privacy of personal information might arise because social media businesses can use this data to target users with customized adverts.

Additionally, individuals might need to know how much their personal information is being gathered and exploited. Data breaches or the unauthorized sharing of personal information with other parties may result in instances where sensitive information is exposed. Users should be aware of the privacy rules of social media firms and take precautions to secure their data.

Responsibility of Social Media Companies:

Social media firms should ensure that they responsibly and ethically gather and use user information. This entails establishing strong security measures to safeguard sensitive information and ensuring users are informed of what information is being collected and how it is used.

Many social media businesses, nevertheless, have come under fire for not upholding these obligations. For instance, the Cambridge Analytica incident highlighted how Facebook users' personal information was exploited for political objectives without their knowledge. This demonstrates the necessity of social media corporations being held responsible for their deeds and ensuring that they are safeguarding the security and privacy of their users.

Better Regulation Is Needed

There is a need for tighter regulation in this field, given the effect, social media has on individual privacy as well as the obligations of social media firms. The creation of laws and regulations that ensure social media companies are gathering and using user information ethically and responsibly, as well as making sure users are aware of their rights and have the ability to control the information that is being collected about them, are all part of this.

Additionally, legislation should ensure that social media businesses are held responsible for their behavior, for example, by levying fines for data breaches or the unauthorized use of personal data. This will provide social media businesses with a significant incentive to prioritize their users' privacy and security and ensure they are upholding their obligations.

In conclusion, social media has fundamentally changed how we engage and communicate with one another, but this increased convenience also raises several ethical and privacy issues. Essential concerns that need to be addressed include the effect of social media on individual privacy, the accountability of social media businesses, and the requirement for greater regulation to safeguard user rights. We can make everyone's online experience safer and more secure by looking more closely at these issues.

In conclusion, social media is a complex and multifaceted topic that has recently captured the world's attention. With its ever-growing influence on our lives, it's no surprise that it has become a popular subject for students to explore in their writing. Whether you are writing an argumentative essay on the impact of social media on privacy, a persuasive essay on the role of social media in politics, or a descriptive essay on the changes social media has brought to the way we communicate, there are countless angles to approach this subject.

However, writing a comprehensive and well-researched essay on social media can be daunting. It requires a thorough understanding of the topic and the ability to articulate your ideas clearly and concisely. This is where Jenni.ai comes in. Our AI-powered tool is designed to help students like you save time and energy and focus on what truly matters - your education. With Jenni.ai , you'll have access to a wealth of examples and receive personalized writing suggestions and feedback.

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• Essay: Elucidating the Pros and Cons of Social Media

40 years ago, the idea of virtually socializing with friends via smartphones would have seemed hard to believe. But today, social media has become an indispensable part of our lives. We are especially talking about teenagers, who could not even imagine going out for a luxurious dinner or clubbing, and not posting updates on their social media accounts.

Table of Contents

Rise of social media, advantages of social media, disadvantages of social media.

• Sample essay

The very first social media site came into existence in 1997 by the name SixDegrees.com. The social site could allow an individual to set up a profile, create connections, and interact via messaging. The same era witnessed the birth of a few other social media sites like Myspace, Facemash, Twitter, and Facebook. From then onwards the trend of social media skyrocketed in a way that it never turned back.

Sixdegrees.com started with the unique idea of allowing people to virtually connect with each other and share their daily updates with each other. Although it started with great hype, due to a lack of people connected to the Internet, networks were limited. However, after the widespread use of the internet, social media also spread like wildfire.

And today, as per statistics, there are more than 4.70 billion users of social media currently around the globe which accounts for almost 60% of the world’s population. It would be no surprise if this percentage further grows in the future as the world continues to be obsessed with social media. Today, even three- to four-year-old kids have a social media account, and that sets a new narrative in the ways of the world.

Today, social media is a one-stop solution for everything. Right from entertaining people, educating the audience, connecting friends, and businesses selling their products and services, social media got it all covered. In fact, today even marketing has become quite synonymous with social media marketing, isn’t it?

Besides, it is interesting to note that the average time spent on social media is 2h 29m daily. In fact, if we talk about millennials, Gen Z or even young kids these days, their daily social media usage may even be in excess of five to six hours. Clearly, the younger generation perceives life as being quite unimaginable without Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.

But it is the ultimate rule of the world, that every story has the other side as well. If social media has helped many of us in connecting with our loved ones, it is also true that social media may be the greatest source of negativity or distraction in our lives. With a large influx of fake news on social media along with bullying and trolling, social media seems like a villain at times.

Hence, it is really essential to look at both sides of social media before declaring it a boon or bane for the globe. That being said, this social media essay will effectively highlight the major pros and cons of social media. Alongside this, a sample essay that will describe the role of social media in providing credible information is also provided by the end of the essay. In fact, as a student, you may be asked to write an argumentative essay on social media as a part of your academic assignments.

Given the significance of this topic in contemporary times, it does make an important topic for academic essays. The sample essay included herein can be a perfect template for writing great argumentative essays on social media. So, let us dive right into the essay without further delay starting with the merits of social media.

We would all agree with the fact that social media has changed our lives for the better. There are some incredible and unbelievable advantages of social media that have added great value to our lives.

In fact, during the unprecedented times of COVID-19, social media played a vital role in amplifying the stress calls, sharing quick information and keeping people updated. People could get most of the information they sought on social media. Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook aided the global response to COVID-19 in quite a responsible way.

The advantages of social media are in abundance if social media is used for the right purposes and responsibly. We have arranged the pros of social media into different categories for greater clarity and better understanding. So, let us get going!

Social media as a tool for business growth

Businesses have been in a constant run in order to stand out in a highly competitive market of every industry. Besides, Jeff Bezos correctly quoted the present situation of the business world stating, “It's hard to find businesses that do not sell online”. And for selling online, there is no medium as affordable and as easily accessible as social media.

Social media is widely used by entrepreneurs, merchants, and business owners and its usage has drastically increased since the 2020 pandemic. Today, many entrepreneurs and marketers leverage social media for different reasons ranging from social media marketing to hiring. Some of the business benefits of social media are listed below.

Business & product marketing: Social media is currently the top marketing channel. Even 73% of digital marketers stress that their social media marketing efforts are beneficial for their businesses. Social media marketing has helped many businesses in establishing their identities and forming better customer relationships. Along with this, it also effectively delivers a business message to its target audience.

Talent search: In contemporary times, social media is also one of the top sources of talent acquisition . It acts as a connecting bridge between employers and job seekers. Many employers post vacancies on several sites like LinkedIn and Indeed. The best part is that It helps businesses in finding perfect candidates for their businesses that will assist companies in successfully attaining their hiring objectives.

Social media can bring a lot of benefits that can assist in enhancing the growth of businesses. Social media has now become a way for businesses to meet their business objectives with greater assurance. The only need is to understand the benefits of social media usage on businesses' performance in the long run (Hanafizadeh et al. , 2021).

Social media as a platform for education & information

With the help of the internet and social media, the world has become a global village. Besides, in this global village, social media is a primary source of information and news about the latest happenings. A study by the Pew Research Center in 2019 found that more than 54% of American adults used social media to get news and latest information.

Thanks to social media, today, people sitting in the US can access news updates from Australia within minutes via social media. This is the kind of power that social media has in the modern day context as a source of information.

To continue, social media is currently a top preferred destination to learn about products, brands, services, and organizations. Today, 79% of shoppers say that they trust online reviews. Additionally, the same stats also validate that more than 54% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase.

Other than that, rather than chasing companies, many job seekers turn to social media sites like Indeed, CareerBuilder, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor. They do so to find information about employment vacancies in the top companies.

The latest statistics indicate that 86% of job seekers use social media during their job hunt and about 73% of them between 18 and 35 years find a job using a social media platform.

Social media as a platform for budding artists

I am sure you follow some highly talented artists on social media and appreciate their art. In a literal sense social media has inspired passionate artists to follow their heart. We see a lot of young and talented artists leave unconventional careers and bank on social media to find recognition for their talent.

It is amusing to know, there are somewhere between 3.2 million and 37.8 million influencers that are successfully earning through social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook . Clearly, social media has offered a platform for many budding artists to showcase their talents. To reiterate, social media platforms like Instagram are giving budding artists the confidence to pursue their artistic dreams.

Today, young artists have confidence that they can earn greater recognition on social media. More importantly, social media is also helping influencers and artists earn money with platforms’ monetizing features.

Social media as a catalyst for globalization

As discussed above, the world is becoming a global village, and the only reason this has been possible is because of the emergence of different technologies and social media is one of them. In fact, social media became a catalyst for globalization.

To elaborate, social media has allowed people to connect from all around the globe. This easy-to-access connectivity has enabled many people to exchange their cultures and learn and adapt to the uniqueness of other cultures.

For example, an American today can easily connect with yoga instructors in India through social media to learn about Yoga which has been a widely popular form of spiritual discipline in India. This way, social media has allowed people to not only exchange information, thoughts, or ideas but also adapt to different cultures.

Now that you have been quite familiar with the advantages of social media, it is essential to flip to the other side of the coin as well. Hence, the below given are the demerits of social media.

Enhancement of cyberbullying

Cyberbullying, child abuse and related aspects are among the major drawbacks of social media usage worldwide. It is when one uses a social media platform to send threatening or harassing messages or videos to another.

Cyberbullying or cyber harassment has increased in the modern era, especially among teenagers. It can impact sleeping habits and researchers think that it may be connected to suicide among youths.

Widespread fake new

Many studies have pointed to the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation worldwide and 50% of Americans stress that fake news has become a big problem. Apart from that, viral information many times causes defamation to brands and businesses. One of the recent happenings was when Elon Musk pulled out of the Twitter deal, citing fake accounts as one of the major reasons.

Frequent cyber frauds

Apart from that, many studies point to Facebook as a top source of illegal businesses and fake accounts. Facebook currently employs thousands of personnel across to combat misinformation and fake accounts however, many criminals end up setting up new accounts. Besides, millions of social media companies like Meta are primary targets for hackers when it comes to accessing private information. With that, millions are exposed to cyber crimes whenever they log into their social media accounts (Drahošová & Balco, 2017).

Increase in mental health issues

Many social media users are victims of hateful comments that leave them anxious, stressed, and depressed. Celebrities and public figures suffer mostly since their lives are like open books.

To substantiate, one study linked social media use to mental health decline. To be specific, stats show that Facebook access led to a 7% in depression among college students worldwide.

Major source of distraction

Millions around the world fail to accomplish tasks timely or get quality sleep due to the excessive duration they spend on social media. Many individuals and professionals usually get distracted from the intended tasks which even results in inefficiency (Koessmeier & Büttner, 2021).

Social media essay: Sample Essay

Having looked at the different dimensions of social media including the latest statistics, now let’s take a look at what your social media sample essay can look like. You can draw a leaf from the provided social media sample essay and craft one with any additional relevant information to render your essay powerful and fact-filled.

Besides, if you want to read essays on other topics, you can visit our sample essays section and go through some meticulously researched essays.

Introduction

The dynamics of the contemporary world are constantly changing and people are openly accepting the trend of social media and are making it an integral part of their lives. With 10.1% of YOU (Year on year) growth, social media users globally grew from 4.2 billion in January 2021 to 4.62 billion in January 2022 (Chaffey, 2022). People across the globe are using social media for multiple reasons. Other than all the benefits that social media brings along, one benefit is that it can be seen as a credible source of information and news in the modern world. As social media is an affordable and widely accessible medium, people are using it to access information and get the latest information in real time. Even the news generators like politicians and political activists often use social media over mainstream media to get a noteworthy share of news attention on social media networks like Twitter (Andı, 2022). This essay will first highlight the role of social media in getting credible sources of information. Secondly, the essay will also present how social media plays a crucial role in providing instant information in real time.

Body paragraph

Many people are now using social media to raise their voices in terms of different noble causes. Social media is currently an active source of information seeking wherein users are tactful in determining the facts. There are multiple applications that can assist users in determining and preventing malicious spam, and statistical analysis of language to detect spam on trending topics (Sanlad,2020). On the other hand, widespread fake news is also much prevalent on social media platforms. People are using social media platforms to create differences in different communities and cause disputes among them. The main role of fake news is to plant a seed in the head of its target audience and create mistrust and exacerbate the existing different social and cultural dynamics by utilizing the different regional, political, and religious current events. It has various impacts on individuals and society.

However, digital literacy and the closeness of the source can enhance people’s trust in the information received. For example, people tend to easily trust information from their close ones, and relatives. Other than that, if the information comes from people that have a big influence on the related community can also prove the credibility of the news. A person’s popularity can be measured by the number of followers and engagement on social media. Hence, modern news social media users are digitally literate to understand the fact that whether the information is coming from a credible source or not. Hence, social media remains a credible source of information for many users (Nathalia and Kristiana, 2019).

Social media also played a major role in being a mediator of providing instant information to its users. The pace of delivering information in social media is so high that it often happens that social media circulated new information hours before mainstream media gets their hand on the same piece of information. For example, when the pandemic hit the globe, recent updates on medicines or fatalities were circulated on social media a long time before the traditional media streamed the same information. Researches show that the spread of the virus in Italy became apparent significantly earlier on social media than in mainstream media. Similarly, looming stock market crashes or hot topics like BlackMonday were trending on Twitter long before being reported in traditional outlets (Das & Ahmed, 2020). In the meantime, social media has also been one of the biggest distractions in people’s lives. This has not only impacted the concentration power of the people but is also impacting the productivity of the users severely. The Internet and smartphones have allowed people to stay permanently online and permanently connected. As a result, users are constantly distracted from their other work. Earlier studies have clearly shown that multitasking has consistently been associated with poor performance and negative effects due to constant distraction(Koessmeier & Büttner, 2021). However, in spite of being a distraction, social media has been a great way for users to explore different career opportunities or create a career on social media itself like many influencers or content creators did. Other than that, social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Reddit, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram have played a major role in helping people find and connect with their dream employers. Survey also depicts that 91% of employers use social media for recruiting (CareerArc, 2021). This validates that it depends on the intent of the user to use social media as a distractor or as a place for grabbing the latest opportunities and information.

To conclude, the rapid and constant growth of social media can not be denied in the future as well. The need for people is to effectively understand the merits and demerits of social media meticulously and utilize it for their betterment. Social media has now become a major contributor to providing the latest information to users and people are also relying on social media for getting information and staying connected and updated on the latest information around the world.

Now that you have read this sample essay, you have a clear idea of how to write an essay that gets you great grades. We are sure that you would now be able to excel in all your academic essays.

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Chaffey, D., 2022. Global social media statistics research summary 2022 [June 2022]. [online] Smart Insights. Available at: https://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/new-global-social-media-research/#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20social%20media,of%20global%20social%20media%20usage. [Accessed 29 September 2022].

Andı, D., 2022. How and why do consumers access news on social media?. [online] Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Available at: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2021/how-and-why-do-consumers-access-news-social-media [Accessed 29 September 2022].

Nathalia, T. and Kristiana, Y., 2019. The Source Credibility in Social Media. Proceedings of the Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Economics, Management, Accounting and Business, ICEMAB 2018, 8-9 October 2018, Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia,

Hanafizadeh, P., Shafia, S., & Bohlin, E. (2021). Exploring the consequence of social media usage on firm performance. Digital Business, 1(2), 100013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.digbus.2021.100013

Koessmeier, C., & Büttner, O. (2021). Why Are We Distracted by Social Media? Distraction Situations and Strategies, Reasons for Distraction, and Individual Differences. Frontiers In Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.711416

Drahošová, M., & Balco, P. (2017). The analysis of advantages and disadvantages of use of social media in European Union. Procedia Computer Science, 109, 1005-1009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.446

Louie Sanlad (2020), Roles of Social Media on Information Sites, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/516534

Das, R., & Ahmed, W. (2020, June 11). Despite concerns, COVID-19 shows how social media has become an essential tool in the democratization of knowledge. Impact of Social Sciences. Retrieved October 26, 2022, from https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2020/06/05/despite-concerns-covid-19-shows-how-social-media-has-become-an-essential-tool-in-the-democratisation-of-knowledge/

Koessmeier, C., & Büttner, O. B. (2021). Why are we distracted by social media? distraction situations and strategies, reasons for distraction, and individual differences. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.711416

CareerArc. (2021, December 14). Recruiting in the new age: Social Media and recruitment statistics -. CareerArc social recruiting. Retrieved October 26, 2022, from https://www.careerarc.com/blog/social-media-and-recruitment-statistics-for-today/

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The Pros and Cons of Social Media for Youth

A new review article looks at how social media affects well-being in youth...

Posted October 16, 2021 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

• Social media has both positive and negative effects on well-being in youth.
• Social media impacts four distinct areas for youth: connections, identity, learning, and emotions.

More than 90 percent of teenagers in the U.S. have a smartphone. Access to this type of technology and social networking changes the playing field for young people who are simultaneously developing a sense of identity and new social relationships.

We have certainly heard about the downside of teens and smartphones: cyberbullying, anxiety , and a misrepresented sense of body image . Research demonstrates there are some benefits too, including the ability to keep in touch with friends and loved ones – especially when the COVID-19 pandemic limited in-person social interactions.

A new systematic review published in the journal Adolescent Research Review combines the evidence from qualitative studies that investigate adolescent social media use.

The authors found, in short, that the links between adolescent well-being and social media are complicated and depend on a broad range of factors.

“Adults have always been concerned about how the latest technology will harm children,” said Amanda Purington, director of evaluation and research for ACT for Youth in the BCTR and a doctoral candidate in Cornell’s Social Media Lab. “This goes back to radio programs, comic books, novels – you name it, adults were worried about it. The same is now true for social media. And yes, there are concerns – there are many potential risks and harms. But there are potential benefits, too.”

Reviewing 19 studies of young people ages 11 to 20, the authors identified four major themes related to social media and well-being that ultimately affected aspects of young people’s mental health and sense of self.

The first theme, connections, describes how social media either supports or hinders young people’s relationships with their peers, friends, and family. The studies in the review provided plenty of examples of ways that social media helped youth build connections with others. Participants reported that social media helped to create intimacy with friends and could improve popularity. Youth who said they were shy reported having an easier time making friends through social media. Studies also found social media was useful in keeping in touch with family and friends who live far away and allowing groups to communicate in masse. In seven papers, participants identified social media as a source of support and reassurance.

In 13 of the papers, youth reported that social media also harmed their connections with others. They provided examples of bullying and threats and an atmosphere of criticism and negativity during social media interactions. Youth cited the anonymity of social media as part of the problem, as well as miscommunication that can occur online.

Study participants also reported a feeling of disconnection associated with relationships on social media. Some youth felt rejected or left out when their social media posts did not receive the feedback they expected. Others reported feeling frustrated, lonely , or paranoid about being left out.

The second theme, identity, describes how adolescents are supported or frustrated on social media in trying to develop their identities.

Youth in many of the studies described how social media helped them to “come out of their shells” and express their true identities. They reported liking the ability to write and edit their thoughts and use images to express themselves. They reported that feedback they received on social media helped to bolster their self-confidence and they reported enjoying the ability to look back on memories to keep track of how their identity changed over time.

In eight studies, youth described ways that social media led to inauthentic representations of themselves. They felt suspicious that others would use photo editing to disguise their identities and complained about how easy it was to deliver communications slyly, rather than with the honesty required in face-to-face communication. They also felt self-conscious about posting selfies, and reported that the feedback they received would affect their feelings of self-worth .

The third theme, learning, describes how social media use supports or hinders education . In many studies, participants reported how social media helped to broaden their perspectives and expose them to new ideas and topics. Many youths specifically cited exposure to political and social movements, such as Black Lives Matter.

On the flip side, youth in five studies reported that social media interfered with their education. They said that phone notifications and the pressure to constantly check in on social media distracted them from their studies. Participants reported that they found it difficult to spend quiet time alone without checking their phones. Others said the 24-7 nature of social media kept them up too late at night, making it difficult to get up for school the next day.

The fourth theme, emotions, describes the ways that social media impacts young people’s emotional experiences in both positive and negative ways. In 11 papers, participants reported that social media had a positive effect on their emotions. Some reported it improved their mood, helped them to feel excited, and often prompted laughter . (Think funny animal videos.) Others reported that social media helped to alleviate negative moods, including annoyance, anger , and boredom . They described logging onto social media as a form of stress management .

But in nearly all of the papers included in the review, participants said social media was a source of worry and pressure. Participants expressed concern about judgment from their peers. They often felt embarrassed about how they looked in images. Many participants expressed worry that they were addicted to social media. Others fretted about leaving a digital footprint that would affect them later in life. Many participants reported experiencing pressure to constantly respond and stay connected on social media. And a smaller number of participants reported feeling disturbed by encountering troubling content, such as self-harm and seeing former partners in new relationships.

“As this review article highlights, social media provides spaces for adolescents to work on some of the central developmental tasks of their age, such as forming deeper connections with peers and exploring identity,” Purington said. “I believe the key is to help youth maximize these benefits while minimizing risks, and we can do this by educating youth about how to use social media in ways that are positive, safe, and prosocial.”

The take-home message: The body of evidence on social media and well-being paints a complicated picture of how this new technology is affecting youth. While there are certainly benefits when young people use social media, there is also a broad range of pressures and negative consequences.

The Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell University is focused on using research findings to improve health and well-being of people at all stages of life.

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The contemporary world is overloaded with various information. Its impact on humans is huge and can be either positive or negative. There are many informative online sites which allow communication thanks to comments, picture sharing, dialoguing, and even the statistics of likes and dislikes shows people’s attitude towards many things. Social media essay usually can touch upon advantages and disadvantages of things. For example, using of the Internet for communication and information exchange. Today people use social media not only for personal communication and to share some information but also for business and propaganda. The communications network plays a great role in a person’s self-development and self-realization. Networking helps people improve communicative skills and have abilities to solve a great number of life problems. The most popular services are:  

• Facebook (more than 2 billion users)
• WhatsApp, YouTube, and Messenger in Facebook (more than 1 billion users)
• QZone, QQ, WeChat, and Instagram (more than 500 million users)
• Twitter, Tumblr, Skype, Baidu Tieba, and Sina Weibo (more than 300 million users)
• Pinterest, Viber, Line, SnapChat, and Reddit (more than 175 million users).

These services make communication and news learning easier. They help users find new friends and connect people from different corners of the globe. It’s a well-known fact that those who control information can control the world. People find major data on various networks, share it, interact discussing it, and even change it. That’s why a lot of academic papers are devoted to social media, its benefits, and negative influence.  

Social Media Essay Topics to Keep in Mind

One of the most important things in social media essay writing is to find a good and popular among website users topic and to reflect it in the paper. During the last years (since 1970), an Internet user’s preferences in social media essay topics have changed (Trending Topics on Technology). Social media orients to data that most individuals search. These are 15 most significant topics:  

• The role of networking in the life of contemporary society.
• How social media assists in business development.
• Social media : the best platform for cyberbullying.
• Advantages and disadvantages of using social media at school/college/university, etc.
• Is it possible to cope with social media addiction?
• Are social networks effective in solving human health or life problems?
• How people use social networking during calamities.
• Is online purchasing on various trading websites safe? How to find a proper online store?
• Does a social site provoke “live” communication problems in people?
• Are influential people, celebrities, and politicians recommended holding public accounts? Why?
• Highlight the point of a user’s privacy on social networks. Is it risky to post individual and intimate information or not?
• In what way can the government monitor a user’s information given in social accounts.
• Does social media improve or spoil family relationship?
• Does social networking increase the number of employed people and decrease the level of unemployment?
• Analyze and compare the life before and after social media.

Best Social Media Essay Titles for Students

The next step after choosing a topic is creating a proper title. It must be catchy because a student’s aim is to attract the reader’s attention. It is not difficult to choose social media essay titles. There are several tricks on academic paper title writing:

• Think of catchy words for your introduction (keywords, citations, wordplay, etc).
• Make it more specific (not “Social Media Essay” but “Social Media Essay in Creating International Image of the USA”).
• Consider your essay type (argumentative, persuasive, narrative essay , etc.) and use the words which correspond to it, like “facts”, “proving” in case it’s a persuasive one.
• Title equals short summing up (it means that your title must describe your whole paper with the help of a few words).
• The title should consist of not less than 4 but not more than 9 words.

Here are 5 examples of good titles:

• “NetDrugged”: Reasons and Treatment of Social Media Addiction
• “Blue Whale” or Social Media Killer
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Facebook
• Impact of Social Networks Remonstrance Organization on Human Consciousness
• The Role of Social Media in War and Peace Creation

Persuasive Essay about Social Media

The main point of a persuasive essay is to persuade the reader that your idea or belief is logical and worthy. Some samples of writing a persuasive essay about social media can help to succeed. See the example below:  

I consider social media to be harmful to schoolchildren under 17. Kids’ consciousness is unstable and unverified or controversial data can lead to poor consequences. Today online games full of cruelty and violence occupy networks. First of all, let’s remember the world-famous game “Blue Whale” that was created in 2016; its creators looked for depressive kids and sent them tasks during 50 days. On the last day, a child was to commit a suicide. The worst thing is that everybody knew about the danger of the game but still went on playing it. One more negative result of social media impact is that more and more people become addicted. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social networks take most of people’s time. In addition, a great number of Internet users create their own channels on YouTube trying to get virtual friends and subscribers and forgetting about real communication. According to an American psychologist Aric Sigman, kids degrade when spending much time online. A virtual life can make a person socially isolated, lonely, and depressed. Such way of life may negatively impact a person’s health condition and lead to cardiovascular diseases, memory loss, and cancer, in the future.

Negative Effects of Social Media Essay

Check out this example of essay on negtaive effects of social media. Remeber that you can order academic papers of great quality at our website and receive sublime essay writing service from StudyCrumb .

Despite the fact that networking is very helpful in communication, psychologists and sociologists claim that there are many negative effects which one can describe in a social media essay. Some of them even lead to the lethal end. Using social sites can be threatening nowadays. People can visit various sites via tablet, phone, or computer that has access to the Internet. Some websites have no age limitations and any child can watch “adult movies” or videos with violent content with one click. One more negative factor is that children note their address, telephone number, and other private information. Such data looks very attractive to pedophiles and maniacs. According to the statistics provided by R. Murray of NY Daily News, approximately ten percent of all children’s virtual friends are fakes. These networks are open to hackers and the government can monitor them as well. Cyberbullying is also a serious problem that doesn’t have its end. Earlier people were bullied at places like schools, colleges, and work. Today they become victims even at their own home. Contemporary digital devices allow making videos which a person can post on a blog or on YouTube. A lot of such videos humiliate an individual’s dignity and provoke suicides after becoming public. Unfortunately, neither the so-called best friends nor internet users inform the victim’s relatives about the bullying.

Pros and Cons of Social Media Essay

Writing a pros and cons of social media essay one should give some convincing examples. Read an extract from 8 pages of a pros and cons of social media essay below:

If a person uses social media responsibly, then they are not dangerous and even beneficial. On the one hand, Facebook, WeChat, Viber, or WhatsApp let people communicate with each other, share information, distribute news, and avoid loneliness or even save lives and relationship. Today a great number of volunteers create accounts trying to help sick people or those who suffer because of poverty and weather disasters like earthquakes, volcanic eruption, tsunami, and tornado. There are also online communities which give psychological and informative support. Social media helps to find missing people. NY police have created nearly 150 Twitter and Facebook communities since 2014. Such searching is effective due to more than 2 billion of active users. The existing number of users turned out to be excellent tools for business development due to analyzing clients’ feedbacks and searching items. On the other hand, cyberbullying, kidnapping, victimization, and hacking cases increase daily. Those who monitor our personal data can make a virtual bomb and use it to create a default, war, and other political and social disputes (Nissenbaum, 1998).

Social Media Argumentative Essay

A social media argumentative essay on technology allows you to participate in the existing debate. The only thing you need is to support this or that idea.

Austin McCann says that the social media service supplies every Internet user with virtual interaction and impacts negatively the real life. He states that common website users often don’t differentiate between the real and virtual world. An average teen spends approximately 4 hours networking every day. Negative messages, comments, dislikes, pictures, videos, and news lead to teens’ stress and depression. In addition, teens spend more time indoors and acquire health problems. By the way, teenagers get body injuries staying online and crossing the road or riding a vehicle at the same time. Some of them don’t survive. So, to write an essay on this topic can be really challenging for a student. It requires both personal and general data to be reflected in the paper. Such academic paper helps students realize the positive and negative role of networking in the human life and even prevent addiction to it.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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Social Media Advantages and Disadvantages IELTS Essay

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Updated on 15 April, 2024

Akansha Semwal

Study abroad expert.

If you are planning to move outside the country for higher education, better career prospects, and PR, then taking the IELTS exam is necessary. The test is aimed at checking the English language proficiency of a candidate through four different sections, Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Here are samples of an essay from the writing section on the topic ‘Social Media Advantages and Disadvantages’.

Table of Contents

Essay 1 on advantages and disadvantages of social media, essay 2 on social media advantages and disadvantages, download e-books for ielts preparation, more resources to read about essays:, frequently asked questions.

This generation's language is undoubtedly social media – we all live and breathe our online presence, and these social platforms are its foundation. With multiple social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Snapchat in the running, there is no end to what social media can do. However, this statement holds for both positive and negative effects of the medium. 

Social Media definitely has a positive side as well for the people using it. One of the most significant advantages, or probably the reason why the concept was created, was to communicate. Social media helps us contact/stay in touch with people we love, celebrities who we admire, or connect with new individuals. Another advantage of social media is that it can be used as a powerful tool to educate others. Nowadays, every piece of information or detail you may need is a click away, and social media promotes the same availability of knowledge. Additionally, you can use social media as a tool to market your brand or company as the platforms are quickly turning into a massive hub for advertisements. 

With these advantages, social media also poses many cons/disadvantages. Despite it being the perfect medium for sharing information – your moods and whereabouts to people–you are also susceptible to privacy issues and hackers. Many social media users also face the ill effects of these platforms through cyberbullying, which leads to mental health issues and even greater cases of suicides in the present generation. Furthermore, various reports also entail that overusing social media can even hamper students' academic performance since they waste their precious time on these applications.

Thus, these set of advantages and disadvantages together highlight it is best to use social media in moderation and avail its benefits in a balanced manner.

Word Count: 296

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Yes, social media has many advantages and disadvantages in the present world. Even though social media was created for the betterment of the social relationships in the world, it is the cause of many people ruining their health and others. The best way to deal with social media is to understand its pros and cons and look at your relationship with these applications.

Talking about the positives of using social media, it is the best way to get the latest updates and news about the world. Whether it is about entertainment, politics, or economics, you can get all types of news through social media. If you spend your time on appropriate accounts and platforms, you will also be able to gain knowledge on several topics. The best part of using social media is that you can enjoy the ability to connect with people remotely even if you can't meet them. This was a big benefit in the pandemic era.

Social media has also become a home for fake ids and anonymous accounts that spread hate and negativity. People also hack into other people's accounts, which can cause loss of personal data and identity thefts. Not just that, social media has also lowered human interactions and changed the way we perceive modern human relations. What was thought to be a great way to connect with others has left people lonely and sad.

Social media is both a curse and a boon depending on your use. If you are vigilant enough to maintain a balance, these social media channels should not cause many problems and negative impacts. All in all, it is all about keeping usage in moderation and having a life beyond social media.

Word Count: 283

Important IELTS Exam Resources

Ielts exam overview.

IELTS is required to be taken by international students and workers who wish to study or work in a country where English is the primary language of communication. Know the complete details.

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Writing Task 1 IELTS

In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 starts with a diagram, a visual representation of information. It can be a table, map, graph, process, diagram, or picture.

IELTS Essay Samples

The essay for IELTS is part of Writing Task 2. It is the same for the General Training and Academic of the IELTS. You will get a topic and have to write an essay on the same.

IELTS Cue Cards

The IELTS speaking cue cards come into play for the second part when the candidate will be choosing cue cards and then speaking on a topic for two minutes at least.

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What are the advantages of using social media?

The most significant advantage of using social media is global connectivity. The online networks have allowed users to connect and communicate with family, friends, acquaintances, etc. instantly. In today's world, it has also become an important tool for business expansion, social awareness, recruitment, and shopping.

What is advantage and disadvantage essay in IELTS?

The IELTS advantage and disadvantage essays require you to convey positive and negative sides of the given subject while providing a balanced argument. You must ensure not to skip any of the sides, i.e., you should not focus on solely exhibiting the advantages or disadvantages. Also, remember to conclude your essay with a judgement.

What are different types of IELTS essay?

You can expect the following types of essay in IELTS Writing task:

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• Advantage/disadvantage essays
• Multi-part essay
• Multi-part and opinion essay
• Cause/solution essay

Akansha Semwal is a content marketer at upGrad and has also worked as a social media marketer & sub-editor. Experienced in creating impressive Statement of Purpose, Essays, and LOR, she knows how to captivate the attention of Admissions Committee. Her research-driven;study-abroad articles helps aspirants to make the prudent decision. She holds a bachelor's & master's degree in Literature from the University of Delhi.

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Social media harms teens’ mental health, mounting evidence shows. what now.

Understanding what is going on in teens’ minds is necessary for targeted policy suggestions

Most teens use social media, often for hours on end. Some social scientists are confident that such use is harming their mental health. Now they want to pinpoint what explains the link.

Carol Yepes/Getty Images

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By Sujata Gupta

February 20, 2024 at 7:30 am

In January, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta, appeared at a congressional hearing to answer questions about how social media potentially harms children. Zuckerberg opened by saying: “The existing body of scientific work has not shown a causal link between using social media and young people having worse mental health.”

But many social scientists would disagree with that statement. In recent years, studies have started to show a causal link between teen social media use and reduced well-being or mood disorders, chiefly depression and anxiety.

Ironically, one of the most cited studies into this link focused on Facebook.

Researchers delved into whether the platform’s introduction across college campuses in the mid 2000s increased symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. The answer was a clear yes , says MIT economist Alexey Makarin, a coauthor of the study, which appeared in the November 2022 American Economic Review . “There is still a lot to be explored,” Makarin says, but “[to say] there is no causal evidence that social media causes mental health issues, to that I definitely object.”

The concern, and the studies, come from statistics showing that social media use in teens ages 13 to 17 is now almost ubiquitous. Two-thirds of teens report using TikTok, and some 60 percent of teens report using Instagram or Snapchat, a 2022 survey found. (Only 30 percent said they used Facebook.) Another survey showed that girls, on average, allot roughly 3.4 hours per day to TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, compared with roughly 2.1 hours among boys. At the same time, more teens are showing signs of depression than ever, especially girls ( SN: 6/30/23 ).

As more studies show a strong link between these phenomena, some researchers are starting to shift their attention to possible mechanisms. Why does social media use seem to trigger mental health problems? Why are those effects unevenly distributed among different groups, such as girls or young adults? And can the positives of social media be teased out from the negatives to provide more targeted guidance to teens, their caregivers and policymakers?

“You can’t design good public policy if you don’t know why things are happening,” says Scott Cunningham, an economist at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Increasing rigor

Concerns over the effects of social media use in children have been circulating for years, resulting in a massive body of scientific literature. But those mostly correlational studies could not show if teen social media use was harming mental health or if teens with mental health problems were using more social media.

Moreover, the findings from such studies were often inconclusive, or the effects on mental health so small as to be inconsequential. In one study that received considerable media attention, psychologists Amy Orben and Andrew Przybylski combined data from three surveys to see if they could find a link between technology use, including social media, and reduced well-being. The duo gauged the well-being of over 355,000 teenagers by focusing on questions around depression, suicidal thinking and self-esteem.

Digital technology use was associated with a slight decrease in adolescent well-being , Orben, now of the University of Cambridge, and Przybylski, of the University of Oxford, reported in 2019 in Nature Human Behaviour . But the duo downplayed that finding, noting that researchers have observed similar drops in adolescent well-being associated with drinking milk, going to the movies or eating potatoes.

Holes have begun to appear in that narrative thanks to newer, more rigorous studies.

In one longitudinal study, researchers — including Orben and Przybylski — used survey data on social media use and well-being from over 17,400 teens and young adults to look at how individuals’ responses to a question gauging life satisfaction changed between 2011 and 2018. And they dug into how the responses varied by gender, age and time spent on social media.

Social media use was associated with a drop in well-being among teens during certain developmental periods, chiefly puberty and young adulthood, the team reported in 2022 in Nature Communications . That translated to lower well-being scores around ages 11 to 13 for girls and ages 14 to 15 for boys. Both groups also reported a drop in well-being around age 19. Moreover, among the older teens, the team found evidence for the Goldilocks Hypothesis: the idea that both too much and too little time spent on social media can harm mental health.

“There’s hardly any effect if you look over everybody. But if you look at specific age groups, at particularly what [Orben] calls ‘windows of sensitivity’ … you see these clear effects,” says L.J. Shrum, a consumer psychologist at HEC Paris who was not involved with this research. His review of studies related to teen social media use and mental health is forthcoming in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

Cause and effect

That longitudinal study hints at causation, researchers say. But one of the clearest ways to pin down cause and effect is through natural or quasi-experiments. For these in-the-wild experiments, researchers must identify situations where the rollout of a societal “treatment” is staggered across space and time. They can then compare outcomes among members of the group who received the treatment to those still in the queue — the control group.

That was the approach Makarin and his team used in their study of Facebook. The researchers homed in on the staggered rollout of Facebook across 775 college campuses from 2004 to 2006. They combined that rollout data with student responses to the National College Health Assessment, a widely used survey of college students’ mental and physical health.

The team then sought to understand if those survey questions captured diagnosable mental health problems. Specifically, they had roughly 500 undergraduate students respond to questions both in the National College Health Assessment and in validated screening tools for depression and anxiety. They found that mental health scores on the assessment predicted scores on the screenings. That suggested that a drop in well-being on the college survey was a good proxy for a corresponding increase in diagnosable mental health disorders. 

Compared with campuses that had not yet gained access to Facebook, college campuses with Facebook experienced a 2 percentage point increase in the number of students who met the diagnostic criteria for anxiety or depression, the team found.

When it comes to showing a causal link between social media use in teens and worse mental health, “that study really is the crown jewel right now,” says Cunningham, who was not involved in that research.

A need for nuance

The social media landscape today is vastly different than the landscape of 20 years ago. Facebook is now optimized for maximum addiction, Shrum says, and other newer platforms, such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, have since copied and built on those features. Paired with the ubiquity of social media in general, the negative effects on mental health may well be larger now.

Moreover, social media research tends to focus on young adults — an easier cohort to study than minors. That needs to change, Cunningham says. “Most of us are worried about our high school kids and younger.” 

And so, researchers must pivot accordingly. Crucially, simple comparisons of social media users and nonusers no longer make sense. As Orben and Przybylski’s 2022 work suggested, a teen not on social media might well feel worse than one who briefly logs on. 

Researchers must also dig into why, and under what circumstances, social media use can harm mental health, Cunningham says. Explanations for this link abound. For instance, social media is thought to crowd out other activities or increase people’s likelihood of comparing themselves unfavorably with others. But big data studies, with their reliance on existing surveys and statistical analyses, cannot address those deeper questions. “These kinds of papers, there’s nothing you can really ask … to find these plausible mechanisms,” Cunningham says.

One ongoing effort to understand social media use from this more nuanced vantage point is the SMART Schools project out of the University of Birmingham in England. Pedagogical expert Victoria Goodyear and her team are comparing mental and physical health outcomes among children who attend schools that have restricted cell phone use to those attending schools without such a policy. The researchers described the protocol of that study of 30 schools and over 1,000 students in the July BMJ Open.

Goodyear and colleagues are also combining that natural experiment with qualitative research. They met with 36 five-person focus groups each consisting of all students, all parents or all educators at six of those schools. The team hopes to learn how students use their phones during the day, how usage practices make students feel, and what the various parties think of restrictions on cell phone use during the school day.

Talking to teens and those in their orbit is the best way to get at the mechanisms by which social media influences well-being — for better or worse, Goodyear says. Moving beyond big data to this more personal approach, however, takes considerable time and effort. “Social media has increased in pace and momentum very, very quickly,” she says. “And research takes a long time to catch up with that process.”

Until that catch-up occurs, though, researchers cannot dole out much advice. “What guidance could we provide to young people, parents and schools to help maintain the positives of social media use?” Goodyear asks. “There’s not concrete evidence yet.”

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•    Essay on Social Media: Top 5 pros and cons of social media

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Essay on social media: top 5 pros and cons of social media.

• Chloe Daniel
• Published On: June 24 ,2021

Pros of Social Media:

1. communication/connectivity:, 2. education:, 3. awareness:, 4. information and updates:, 5. business promotions:, cons of social media:, 1. cyberbullying:, 2. hacking:, 3. health issues:, 4. addiction:, 5. time consuming:, find top tutors in your area.

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• Tween and teen health

Teens and social media use: What's the impact?

Social media is a term for internet sites and apps that you can use to share content you've created. Social media also lets you respond to content that others post. That can include pictures, text, reactions or comments on posts by others, and links to information.

Online sharing within social media sites helps many people stay in touch with friends or connect with new ones. And that may be more important for teenagers than other age groups. Friendships help teens feel supported and play a role in forming their identities. So, it's only natural to wonder how social media use might affect teens.

Social media is a big part of daily life for lots of teenagers.

How big? A 2022 survey of 13- to 17-year-olds offers a clue. Based on about 1,300 responses, the survey found that 35% of teens use at least one of five social media platforms more than several times a day. The five social media platforms are: YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

Social media doesn't affect all teens the same way. Use of social media is linked with healthy and unhealthy effects on mental health. These effects vary from one teenager to another. Social media effects on mental health depend on things such as:

• What a teen sees and does online.
• The amount of time spent online.
• Psychological factors, such as maturity level and any preexisting mental health conditions.
• Personal life circumstances, including cultural, social and economic factors.

Here are the general pros and cons of teen social media use, along with tips for parents.

Healthy social media

Social media lets teens create online identities, chat with others and build social networks. These networks can provide teens with support from other people who have hobbies or experiences in common. This type of support especially may help teens who:

• Lack social support offline or are lonely.
• Are going through a stressful time.
• Belong to groups that often get marginalized, such as racial minorities, the LGBTQ community and those who are differently abled.
• Have long-term medical conditions.

Sometimes, social media platforms help teens:

• Express themselves.
• Connect with other teens locally and across long distances.
• Learn how other teens cope with challenging life situations and mental health conditions.
• View or take part in moderated chat forums that encourage talking openly about topics such as mental health.
• Ask for help or seek healthcare for symptoms of mental health conditions.

These healthy effects of social media can help teens in general. They also may help teens who are prone to depression stay connected to others. And social media that's humorous or distracting may help a struggling teen cope with a challenging day.

Unhealthy social media

Social media use may have negative effects on some teens. It might:

• Distract from homework, exercise and family activities.
• Disrupt sleep.
• Lead to information that is biased or not correct.
• Become a means to spread rumors or share too much personal information.
• Lead some teens to form views about other people's lives or bodies that aren't realistic.
• Expose some teens to online predators, who might try to exploit or extort them.
• Expose some teens to cyberbullying, which can raise the risk of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

What's more, certain content related to risk-taking, and negative posts or interactions on social media, have been linked with self-harm and rarely, death.

The risks of social media use are linked with various factors. One may be how much time teens spend on these platforms.

In a study focusing on 12- to 15-year-olds in the United States, spending three hours a day using social media was linked to a higher risk of mental health concerns. That study was based on data collected in 2013 and 2014 from more than 6,500 participants.

Another study looked at data on more than 12,000 teens in England between the ages of 13 to 16. The researchers found that using social media more than three times a day predicted poor mental health and well-being in teens.

But not all research has found a link between time spent on social media and mental health risks in teens.

How teens use social media also might determine its impact. For instance, viewing certain types of content may raise some teens' mental health risks. This could include content that depicts:

• Illegal acts.
• Self-harm or harm to other people.
• Encouragement of habits tied to eating disorders, such as purging or restrictive eating.

These types of content may be even more risky for teens who already have a mental health condition. Being exposed to discrimination, hate or cyberbullying on social media also can raise the risk of anxiety or depression.

What teens share about themselves on social media also matters.

With the teenage brain, it's common to make a choice before thinking it through. So, teens might post something when they're angry or upset, and regret it later. That's known as stress posting.

Teens who post content also are at risk of sharing sexual photos or highly personal stories. This can lead to teens being bullied, harassed or even blackmailed.

Protecting your teen

You can take steps to help your teens use social media responsibly and limit some of the possible negative effects.

Use these tips:

Set rules and limits as needed. This helps prevent social media from getting in the way of activities, sleep, meals or homework.

For example, you could make a rule about not using social media until homework is done. Or you could set a daily time limit for social media use.

You also could choose to keep social media off-limits during certain times. These times might include during family meals and an hour before bed.

Set an example by following these rules yourself. And let your teen know what the consequences will be if your rules aren't followed.

• Manage any challenging behaviors. If your teen's social media use starts to challenge your rules or your sense of what's appropriate, talk with your teen about it. You also could connect with parents of your teen's friends or take a look at your teen's internet history.
• Turn on privacy settings. This can help keep your teen from sharing personal information or data that your teen didn't mean to share. Each of your teen's social media accounts likely has privacy setting that can be changed.

Monitor your teen's accounts. The American Psychological Association recommends you regularly review your child's social media use during the early teen years.

One way to monitor is to follow or "friend" your child's social accounts. As your teen gets older, you can choose to monitor your teen's social media less. Your teen's maturity level can help guide your decision.

Have regular talks with your teen about social media. These talks give you chances to ask how social media has been making your teen feel. Encourage your teen to let you know if something online worries or bothers your teen.

Regular talks offer you chances to give your child advice about social media too. For example, you can teach your teen to question whether content is accurate. You also can explain that social media is full of images about beauty and lifestyle that are not realistic.

• Be a role model for your teen. You might want to tell your child about your own social media habits. That can help you set a good example and keep your regular talks from being one-sided.

Explain what's not OK. Remind your teen that it's hurtful to gossip, spread rumors, bully or harm someone's reputation — online or otherwise.

Also remind your teen not to share personal information with strangers online. This includes people's addresses, telephone numbers, passwords, and bank or credit card numbers.

• Encourage face-to-face contact with friends. This is even more important for teens prone to social anxiety.

Talk to your child's healthcare professional if you think your teen has symptoms of anxiety, depression or other mental health concerns related to social media use. Also talk with your child's care professional if your teen has any of the following symptoms:

• Uses social media even when wanting to stop.
• Uses it so much that school, sleep, activities or relationships suffer.
• Often spends more time on social platforms than you intended.
• Lies in order to use social media.

Your teen might be referred to a mental healthcare professional who can help.

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• Hagan JF, et al., eds. Promoting the healthy and safe use of social media. In: Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents. 4th ed. https://publications.aap.org/pediatriccare. American Academy of Pediatrics; 2017. Accessed Oct. 3, 2023.
• Social media can help connect: Research-based tips from pediatricians for families. Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/center-of-excellence-on-social-media-and-youth-mental-health/. Accessed Oct. 3, 2023.
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• Social media and youth mental health: The U.S. surgeon general's advisory. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/youth-mental-health/social-media/index.html. Accessed Oct. 3, 2023.
• Teens, social media and technology 2022. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/. Accessed Oct. 3, 2023.
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• Valkenburg PM, et al. Social media use and its impact on adolescent mental health: An umbrella review of the evidence. Current Opinion in Psychology. 2022; doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.08.017.
• Berger MN, et al. Social media use and health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth: Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2022; doi:10.2196/38449.
• Self-Harm. Pediatric Patient Education. https://publications.aap.org/patiented. Accessed Oct. 3, 2023.
• Liu M, et al. Time spent on social media and risk of depression in adolescents: A dose-response meta-analysis. 2022; doi:10.3390/ijerph19095164.
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NPR editor Uri Berliner resigns after bombshell expose reveals network’s pervasive left-wing bias

U ri Berliner, the veteran editor and reporter for National Public Radio who was suspended without pay after publishing a lengthy essay denouncing the outlet’s liberal bias, has resigned from the broadcaster.

“I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years,” Berliner wrote on his X social media account on Wednesday.

“I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism.”

Berliner wrote that he “cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay.”

Berliner was referring to Katherine Maher, the chief executive at NPR who has come under fire for a series of “woke” social media posts in which she criticized Hillary Clinton for using the term “boy” and “girl” because it was “erasing language for non-binary people.”

Maher also appeared to justify looting In 2020 during the Black Lives Matter protests, saying it was “hard to be mad” about the destruction. In 2018, she wrote a post denouncing then-President Donald Trump as a “racist” before deleting it.

On Tuesday, NPR spokeswoman Isabel Lara said in a statement that Maher “was not working in journalism at the time and was exercising her First Amendment right to express herself like any other American citizen.”

Berliner, a Peabody Award-winning journalist, called out journalistic blind spots around major news events, including the origins of COVID-19, the war in Gaza and the Hunter Biden laptop, in an essay published last Tuesday on Bari Weiss’ online news site the Free Press.

In Berliner’s essay — titled “I’ve Been at NPR for 25 years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust” — Berliner said that among editorial staff at NPR’s Washington, DC, headquarters,  he counted 87 registered Democrats and no Republicans.

He wrote that he presented these findings to his colleagues at a May 2021 all-hands editorial staff meeting.

“When I suggested we had a diversity problem with a score of 87 Democrats and zero Republicans, the response wasn’t hostile,” Berliner wrote. “It was worse. It was met with profound indifference.”

Maher, who took up the role as CEO of NPR in late March, responded to Berliner’s essay by claiming that the veteran journalist was being “profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning” to his colleagues.

She accused Berliner of “questioning whether our people are serving our mission with integrity … based on little more than the recognition of their identity.”

Berliner also called out his bosses at NPR for their refusal to seriously cover the laptop story — which was exclusively broken by The Post.

The laptop contained emails showing that the son of President Biden was engaged in influence-peddling overseas — though NPR and other media outlets declined to aggressively cover the story in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election.

According to Berliner, senior editors at NPR feared that devoting airtime to the story would help Trump’s re-election chances just weeks before voters cast their ballots.

Berliner wrote that NPR had deteriorated into “an openly polemical news outlet serving a niche audience.”

“The laptop was newsworthy,” Berliner wrote. “But the timeless journalistic instinct of following a hot story lead was being squelched.”

Berliner also accused NPR of giving disproportionately more attention to allegations that Trump was colluding with the Russian government to win the 2016 presidential election — only to devote far less resources to Robert Mueller’s findings that there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges.

After the contents of the laptop proved to be authentic, NPR “could have fessed up to our misjudgment,” Berliner wrote.

“But, like Russia collusion [allegations against Trump that were debunked], we didn’t make the hard choice of transparency.”

Berliner also called out NPR for pushing other left-leaning causes, such as subjecting staffers to “unconscious bias training sessions” in the wake of the May 2020 death of George Floyd.

Employees were ordered to “start talking about race,” he said.

NPR journalists were also told to “keep up to date with current language and style guidance from journalism affinity groups” that were based on racial and ethnic identity, including “Marginalized Genders and Intersex People of Color” (MGIPOC), “NPR Noir” (black employees at NPR) and “Women, Gender-Expansive, and Transgender People in Technology Throughout Public Media.”

According to Berliner, if an NPR journalist’s language “differs from the diktats of those groups,” a “DEI Accountability Committee” would settle the dispute.

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An NPR editor who wrote a critical essay on the company has resigned after being suspended

FILE - The headquarters for National Public Radio (NPR) stands on North Capitol Street on April 15, 2013, in Washington. A National Public Radio editor who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal reviews resigned on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, a day after it was revealed that he had been suspended. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — A National Public Radio editor who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal views resigned on Wednesday, attacking NPR’s new CEO on the way out.

Uri Berliner, a senior editor on NPR’s business desk, posted his resignation letter on X, formerly Twitter, a day after it was revealed that he had been suspended for five days for violating company rules about outside work done without permission.

“I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems” written about in his essay, Berliner said in his resignation letter.

Katherine Maher, a former tech executive appointed in January as NPR’s chief executive, has been criticized by conservative activists for social media messages that disparaged former President Donald Trump. The messages predated her hiring at NPR.

NPR’s public relations chief said the organization does not comment on individual personnel matters.

The suspension and subsequent resignation highlight the delicate balance that many U.S. news organizations and their editorial employees face. On one hand, as journalists striving to produce unbiased news, they’re not supposed to comment on contentious public issues; on the other, many journalists consider it their duty to critique their own organizations’ approaches to journalism when needed.

In his essay , written for the online Free Press site, Berliner said NPR is dominated by liberals and no longer has an open-minded spirit. He traced the change to coverage of Trump’s presidency.

“There’s an unspoken consensus about the stories we should pursue and how they should be framed,” he wrote. “It’s frictionless — one story after another about instances of supposed racism, transphobia, signs of the climate apocalypse, Israel doing something bad and the dire threat of Republican policies. It’s almost like an assembly line.”

He said he’d brought up his concerns internally and no changes had been made, making him “a visible wrong-thinker at a place I love.”

In the essay’s wake, NPR top editorial executive, Edith Chapin, said leadership strongly disagreed with Berliner’s assessment of the outlet’s journalism and the way it went about its work.

It’s not clear what Berliner was referring to when he talked about disparagement by Maher. In a lengthy memo to staff members last week, she wrote: “Asking a question about whether we’re living up to our mission should always be fair game: after all, journalism is nothing if not hard questions. Questioning whether our people are serving their mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful and demeaning.”

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo revealed some of Maher’s past tweets after the essay was published. In one tweet, dated January 2018, Maher wrote that “Donald Trump is a racist.” A post just before the 2020 election pictured her in a Biden campaign hat.

In response, an NPR spokeswoman said Maher, years before she joined the radio network, was exercising her right to express herself. She is not involved in editorial decisions at NPR, the network said.

The issue is an example of what can happen when business executives, instead of journalists, are appointed to roles overseeing news organizations: they find themselves scrutinized for signs of bias in ways they hadn’t been before. Recently, NBC Universal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde has been criticized for service on paid corporate boards.

Maher is the former head of the Wikimedia Foundation. NPR’s own story about the 40-year-old executive’s appointment in January noted that she “has never worked directly in journalism or at a news organization.”

In his resignation letter, Berliner said that he did not support any efforts to strip NPR of public funding. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism,” he wrote.

David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder

Watch CBS News

Viral claims about Donald Trump's hush money trial, fact checked

By Laura Doan , Rhona Tarrant

Updated on: April 17, 2024 / 9:35 AM EDT / CBS News

As former President Donald Trump's historic criminal trial gets underway in New York this week, the CBS News Confirmed team has been tracking potentially misleading narratives that have gained some traction on social media. Here are three of the viral claims that have emerged during the trial so far and what to know about them. 

Claim 1: Judge Juan Merchan won't let Trump go to his son's graduation

On Monday, Trump posted to his nearly 7 million followers on Truth Social that Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the trial, likely will not allow him to go to his 18-year-old son Barron's graduation in May.

"Who will explain for me, to my wonderful son, Barron, who is a GREAT Student at a fantastic School, that his Dad will likely not be allowed to attend his Graduation Ceremony, something that we have been talking about for years," Trump wrote in  a post  that had garnered over 18,000 likes by Tuesday. 

The claim was echoed by others online, including his son Eric Trump, who posted on X that "Judge Merchan is truly heartless in not letting a father attend his son's graduation." 

Merchan has not yet made any decision about whether Trump can attend his son's graduation. But on Monday, he signaled that he's open to it, although it is also possible that if the trial is behind schedule, he will not allow it. In an excerpt from the court transcript obtained by CBS News' Graham Kates, Merchan said this:

Regarding counsel's request that the Court adjourn on Friday, May 17th for Mr. Trump to attend his son's high school graduation and Friday June 3rd to allow a member of the defense team to attend their son's graduation, I cannot rule on those two requests at this time. It really depends on how we are doing on time and where we are in the trial. If everything is going according to schedule without unnecessary delays, then I am sure we will be able to adjourn for one or both of those days, but if we are running behind schedule, we will not be able to.

Claim 2: Stormy Daniels denies having an affair with Trump

In a tweet from April 10 flagged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Monday as a potential violation of Trump's gag order, Trump  wrote  on Truth Social: "Look what was just found! Will the fake news report it?" The post included a picture of a 2018 letter written by adult film star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, which included the statement, "I am denying this affair because it never happened." 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican operative Roger Stone, and others shared the same picture in posts on X that attracted over 60,000 "likes."

Although it was presented by Trump as being new, this letter from Daniels has been public knowledge since January 2018 — and she has since recanted it. A few months after she signed her name to it, in March 2018, Daniels went on " 60 Minutes " to say she had been pressured into signing and releasing the letter by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and others. Daniels said that she did have an affair with Trump. 

Here's what she said on "60 Minutes" to correspondent Anderson Cooper:

Anderson Cooper: So you signed and released — a statement that said, 'I am not denying this affair because I was paid in hush money. I'm denying it because it never happened.' That's a lie?  Stormy Daniels: Yes.  Anderson Cooper: If it was untruthful, why did you sign it?  Stormy Daniels: Because they made it sound like I had no choice. 

She went on to tell Cooper that she felt there might be legal repercussions for not signing the letter.

"The exact sentence used was, 'They can make your life hell in many different ways,'" she said. She believed "they" in that case was Michael Cohen.

Claim 3: Trump's gag order is unconstitutional 

Trump posted on  Truth Social  Monday, "This Crooked Judge has GAGGED me. Unconstitutional! The other side can talk about me, but I am not allowed to talk about them!" The claim was later echoed by others on social media. 

Merchan's  April 1 gag order  prohibits Trump from speaking about witnesses, court staff, the family members of court staff, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's family, or Merchan's family. The judge said the order was necessary because some of Trump's rhetoric might keep jurors, lawyers and court employees from performing their duties in the court. 

"This pattern of attacking family members of presiding jurists and attorneys assigned to [Trump's] cases serves no legitmate purpose," Merchan wrote of Trump in the gag order. "It merely injects fear in those assigned or called to participate in the proceedings, that not only they, but their family members as well, are 'fair game' for Defendant's vitriol."

Trump is still allowed to criticize Merchan and Bragg. And the former president may talk about the case publicly and call the trial political if he wishes.

Many legal experts argue Merchan's gag order is lawful and doesn't interfere with Trump's First Amendment rights. Duncan Levin, who worked in the district attorney's office before Bragg, told  Politifact  that gag orders "with very limited exceptions have long been found not to violate the First Amendment… [Trump] is free to discuss the criminal justice system but not to make ad hominem attacks on particular people associated with the case."

However, Trump's lawyers have challenged the order and said it is unconstitutional because it curbs his free speech rights. Trump's request to lift the order will now go to a five-judge panel for consideration. 

• Donald Trump

Laura Doan is a reporter and associate producer for "Prime Time with John Dickerson." She covers the climate crisis, science and technology, and U.S. politics.

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NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism

David Folkenflik

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument. Uri Berliner hide caption

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument.

NPR has formally punished Uri Berliner, the senior editor who publicly argued a week ago that the network had "lost America's trust" by approaching news stories with a rigidly progressive mindset.

Berliner's five-day suspension without pay, which began last Friday, has not been previously reported.

Yet the public radio network is grappling in other ways with the fallout from Berliner's essay for the online news site The Free Press . It angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network's coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump.

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo is among those now targeting NPR's new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the network. Among others, those posts include a 2020 tweet that called Trump racist and another that appeared to minimize rioting during social justice protests that year. Maher took the job at NPR last month — her first at a news organization .

In a statement Monday about the messages she had posted, Maher praised the integrity of NPR's journalists and underscored the independence of their reporting.

"In America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen," she said. "What matters is NPR's work and my commitment as its CEO: public service, editorial independence, and the mission to serve all of the American public. NPR is independent, beholden to no party, and without commercial interests."

The network noted that "the CEO is not involved in editorial decisions."

In an interview with me later on Monday, Berliner said the social media posts demonstrated Maher was all but incapable of being the person best poised to direct the organization.

"We're looking for a leader right now who's going to be unifying and bring more people into the tent and have a broader perspective on, sort of, what America is all about," Berliner said. "And this seems to be the opposite of that."

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month. Stephen Voss/Stephen Voss hide caption

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month.

He said that he tried repeatedly to make his concerns over NPR's coverage known to news leaders and to Maher's predecessor as chief executive before publishing his essay.

Berliner has singled out coverage of several issues dominating the 2020s for criticism, including trans rights, the Israel-Hamas war and COVID. Berliner says he sees the same problems at other news organizations, but argues NPR, as a mission-driven institution, has a greater obligation to fairness.

"I love NPR and feel it's a national trust," Berliner says. "We have great journalists here. If they shed their opinions and did the great journalism they're capable of, this would be a much more interesting and fulfilling organization for our listeners."

A "final warning"

The circumstances surrounding the interview were singular.

Berliner provided me with a copy of the formal rebuke to review. NPR did not confirm or comment upon his suspension for this article.

In presenting Berliner's suspension Thursday afternoon, the organization told the editor he had failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists. It called the letter a "final warning," saying Berliner would be fired if he violated NPR's policy again. Berliner is a dues-paying member of NPR's newsroom union but says he is not appealing the punishment.

The Free Press is a site that has become a haven for journalists who believe that mainstream media outlets have become too liberal. In addition to his essay, Berliner appeared in an episode of its podcast Honestly with Bari Weiss.

A few hours after the essay appeared online, NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi reminded Berliner of the requirement that he secure approval before appearing in outside press, according to a copy of the note provided by Berliner.

In its formal rebuke, NPR did not cite Berliner's appearance on Chris Cuomo's NewsNation program last Tuesday night, for which NPR gave him the green light. (NPR's chief communications officer told Berliner to focus on his own experience and not share proprietary information.) The NPR letter also did not cite his remarks to The New York Times , which ran its article mid-afternoon Thursday, shortly before the reprimand was sent. Berliner says he did not seek approval before talking with the Times .

NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

Berliner says he did not get permission from NPR to speak with me for this story but that he was not worried about the consequences: "Talking to an NPR journalist and being fired for that would be extraordinary, I think."

Berliner is a member of NPR's business desk, as am I, and he has helped to edit many of my stories. He had no involvement in the preparation of this article and did not see it before it was posted publicly.

In rebuking Berliner, NPR said he had also publicly released proprietary information about audience demographics, which it considers confidential. He said those figures "were essentially marketing material. If they had been really good, they probably would have distributed them and sent them out to the world."

Feelings of anger and betrayal inside the newsroom

His essay and subsequent public remarks stirred deep anger and dismay within NPR. Colleagues contend Berliner cherry-picked examples to fit his arguments and challenge the accuracy of his accounts. They also note he did not seek comment from the journalists involved in the work he cited.

Morning Edition host Michel Martin told me some colleagues at the network share Berliner's concerns that coverage is frequently presented through an ideological or idealistic prism that can alienate listeners.

"The way to address that is through training and mentorship," says Martin, herself a veteran of nearly two decades at the network who has also reported for The Wall Street Journal and ABC News. "It's not by blowing the place up, by trashing your colleagues, in full view of people who don't really care about it anyway."

Several NPR journalists told me they are no longer willing to work with Berliner as they no longer have confidence that he will keep private their internal musings about stories as they work through coverage.

"Newsrooms run on trust," NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben tweeted last week, without mentioning Berliner by name. "If you violate everyone's trust by going to another outlet and sh--ing on your colleagues (while doing a bad job journalistically, for that matter), I don't know how you do your job now."

Berliner rejected that critique, saying nothing in his essay or subsequent remarks betrayed private observations or arguments about coverage.

Other newsrooms are also grappling with questions over news judgment and confidentiality. On Monday, New York Times Executive Editor Joseph Kahn announced to his staff that the newspaper's inquiry into who leaked internal dissent over a planned episode of its podcast The Daily to another news outlet proved inconclusive. The episode was to focus on a December report on the use of sexual assault as part of the Hamas attack on Israel in October. Audio staffers aired doubts over how well the reporting stood up to scrutiny.

"We work together with trust and collegiality everyday on everything we produce, and I have every expectation that this incident will prove to be a singular exception to an important rule," Kahn wrote to Times staffers.

At NPR, some of Berliner's colleagues have weighed in online against his claim that the network has focused on diversifying its workforce without a concomitant commitment to diversity of viewpoint. Recently retired Chief Executive John Lansing has referred to this pursuit of diversity within NPR's workforce as its " North Star ," a moral imperative and chief business strategy.

In his essay, Berliner tagged the strategy as a failure, citing the drop in NPR's broadcast audiences and its struggle to attract more Black and Latino listeners in particular.

"During most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding," Berliner writes. "In recent years, however, that has changed."

Berliner writes, "For NPR, which purports to consider all things, it's devastating both for its journalism and its business model."

NPR investigative reporter Chiara Eisner wrote in a comment for this story: "Minorities do not all think the same and do not report the same. Good reporters and editors should know that by now. It's embarrassing to me as a reporter at NPR that a senior editor here missed that point in 2024."

Some colleagues drafted a letter to Maher and NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, seeking greater clarity on NPR's standards for its coverage and the behavior of its journalists — clearly pointed at Berliner.

A plan for "healthy discussion"

On Friday, CEO Maher stood up for the network's mission and the journalism, taking issue with Berliner's critique, though never mentioning him by name. Among her chief issues, she said Berliner's essay offered "a criticism of our people on the basis of who we are."

Berliner took great exception to that, saying she had denigrated him. He said that he supported diversifying NPR's workforce to look more like the U.S. population at large. She did not address that in a subsequent private exchange he shared with me for this story. (An NPR spokesperson declined further comment.)

Late Monday afternoon, Chapin announced to the newsroom that Executive Editor Eva Rodriguez would lead monthly meetings to review coverage.

"Among the questions we'll ask of ourselves each month: Did we capture the diversity of this country — racial, ethnic, religious, economic, political geographic, etc — in all of its complexity and in a way that helped listeners and readers recognize themselves and their communities?" Chapin wrote in the memo. "Did we offer coverage that helped them understand — even if just a bit better — those neighbors with whom they share little in common?"

Berliner said he welcomed the announcement but would withhold judgment until those meetings played out.

In a text for this story, Chapin said such sessions had been discussed since Lansing unified the news and programming divisions under her acting leadership last year.

"Now seemed [the] time to deliver if we were going to do it," Chapin said. "Healthy discussion is something we need more of."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

• Katherine Maher
• uri berliner

Judge in Trump’s hush money case allows prosecutors to discuss 'Access Hollywood' tape and affairs as watershed trial begins

Donald Trump made history Monday as the first former president to stand trial on criminal charges — and the official start of jury selection quickly highlighted his polarizing impact on the public.

After the first 96 prospective jurors were brought into a New York courtroom, Judge Juan Merchan asked whether any of those assembled could not be "fair and impartial." More than half raised their hands and were excused from serving on the jury.

The watershed moment for American politics, the presidential election and Trump himself comes as Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for president. He has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records, a low-level felony punishable by up to four years in prison.

“The name of this case is the People of the State of New York versus Donald Trump,” Merchan told the initial pool of jurors in the afternoon. Trump stood and turned around when he was introduced as the defendant and gave the prospective jurors — some of whom were staring at him intently — a little tight-lipped smirk. 

Trump had his eyes closed for a period of time as the judge was reading the potential jurors his instructions, and his eyes looked red and bloodshot when he opened them and peered at the judge.

After the court day concluded, Trump told reporters in a hallway the case is "a scam. It’s a political witch hunt. It continues, and it continues forever, and we’re not going to be given a fair job. It’s a very, very sad thing."

The jury selection process started slowly — the pool wasn't brought in until the afternoon, and after the initial group of those who said they couldn't be fair were excused, another nine were excused after saying they couldn't serve for other reasons. By the end of the day, nine other jurors had answered preliminary questions — although one wound up being excused — and were scheduled to face follow-up questions on Tuesday morning.

The process also got off to a slow start because lawyers from both sides argued over some of the more sensational evidence that prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office hope to use to show why Trump was eager to bury negative stories about him during the 2016 presidential election.

Prosecutors allege then-candidate Trump took part in a scheme with his then-lawyer Michael Cohen and the publisher of the National Enquirer to suppress scandalous stories about him in the run-up to Election Day.

One of those stories involved porn star Stormy Daniels , who alleged she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump has denied the claim, and Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 in October 2016 to keep quiet about the allegation. After he was elected, Trump repaid Cohen in payments recorded as legal fees at his company —documents the DA alleges were falsified to keep the hush money payments secret.

The trial is an opportunity for the former president to face off with Merchan, whom Trump has frequently attacked publicly in the run-up to the trial. The judge addressed Trump directly at one point, issuing him standard court warnings that were made more dramatic by Trump's status as a former president, his frequent public attacks on the judge and his many disruptions in his civil trials last year. "If you disrupt the proceedings we can proceed with the trial in your absence. … Do you understand?" the judge asked. "I do," Trump replied.

Merchan also warned Trump that if he fails to show up in court without any explanation, a warrant would be issued for his arrest. 

The back and forth came after Merchan had heard arguments about the alleged “catch and kill” scheme, the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape and the allegations of sexual assault from various women that came out during the campaign — all while Trump sat at counsel table with little visible reaction.

Merchan greenlighted a request from prosecutor Joshua Steinglass to show jurors during the trial some headlines from the Enquirer from the 2016 Republican presidential primary campaign that they contend were part of the overall scheme to boost Trump, including stories trashing then-Trump rivals Ben Carson and Sens. Marco Rubio, of Florida, and Ted Cruz, of Texas.

The prosecutor said he also hoped to elicit information about the timing of Trump's alleged affair with another woman whom the Enquirer paid to keep quiet ahead of the election, former Playboy model Karen McDougal . Steinglass said they didn't plan to elicit "salacious details," but did want to note that the timing of the alleged affair was while Melania Trump was pregnant with Trump's child and the baby was a newborn. He said the information was relevant because it showed why Trump wanted to suppress it ahead of the election.

The judge said he'd allow testimony about the alleged affair, but not the information about Melania Trump.

Steinglass also asked Merchan to reconsider his earlier ruling that the jury not hear the notorious " Access Hollywood " tape, on which Trump was caught on a hot mic saying he can grope women without their consent because "when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything."

Audio from the 2005 hot mic moment became public in October 2016, and prosecutors contend that's why Trump was eager to silence Daniels. Steinglass also asked the judge to allow in a snippet from Trump's deposition in writer E. Jean Carroll's defamation case against him, where he defended the comment, saying, "Historically, that's true with stars."

Merchan said he still believes the tape itself is "prejudicial" and "should not come in" to evidence, but he said he would allow prosecutors to use a transcript of the tape. “The testimony from the E. Jean Carroll deposition should not come in either,” the judge added. 

The judge also shot down prosecutors' suggestion that they may try to mention other women who came forward after the "Access Hollywood" tape became public to accuse Trump of assault, calling it "complete hearsay."

Later, prosecutors asked the judge to sanction Trump for posts they said violated a gag order barring him from publicly attacking witnesses. Prosecutor Christopher Conroy argued Trump should be fined $3,000 for three social media posts that were critical of Cohen and Daniels. “Not included is another post from this morning,” Conroy said, asking the judge to “remind” Trump that “he is a criminal defendant, and like all criminal defendants he is subject to court supervision.” 

Blanche argued that the posts did not violate the gag order, and said Trump was “responding to salacious, repeated, vehement attacks by these witnesses.” 

The judge did not immediately issue a ruling, and said he’d hear arguments on the issue on April 23.

Cohen told NBC News in a statement afterward that the proposed penalty was not severe enough. “Donald knows the damage his posts inflict on targeted individuals. A $1,000 per post fine will do nothing to curtail future violations,” he said.

In a ruling later in the day, the judge sided with the prosecution by giving Trump's lawyers 24 hours to produce the exhibits and evidence they plan to use at trial. “You have 24 hours. Whatever you don’t identify in the next 24 hours, you will be precluded from using,” the judge told Blanche. 

Trump maintains the DA's case is part of a Democratic conspiracy against him, a claim he has used to galvanize his supporters and rake in millions of dollars in fundraising for his campaign. Bragg, the Manhattan DA, is a Democrat, and Trump has falsely claimed that he's doing the bidding of President Joe Biden.

The criminal case was the f irst o f fo ur brought against Trump in four different jurisdictions and is the only case definitively set to go to trial before the election.

Because Trump is required to be in court four days a week (the trial does not take place on Wednesdays), his ability to campaign in person is limited to times the court is not in session.

The jury selection process is expected to take one to two weeks. Two sources with direct knowledge of the situation told NBC News that 6,000 jurors have been called to the Manhattan criminal courts this week — 2,000 more than in a typical week.

During jury selection, eighteen jurors are put in the jury box at a time, and each one in succession reads out loud his or her answers to a series of 42 questions.  The questions include inquiries about what news sources they follow, whether they’ve ever attended any Trump rallies or anti-Trump protests and whether they’ve ever supported the QAnon movement or antifa.

The form does not ask about party affiliation, political contributions or voting history, but the judge said answers to those questions “may easily be gleaned from the responses to other questions.” After the 42 questions are answered, prosecutors can ask the jurors a series of follow-up questions, and then Trump’s attorneys can ask their own follow-ups.

In court Monday, the judge told both sides the list of questions is “by far the most exhaustive questionnaire this court has ever used.”

“There will be no doubt how a prospective juror feels about Mr. Trump, the district attorney or the court” when the jurors are done answering, he added.

The trial will have an anonymous jury , meaning the jurors’ identities and addresses will not be made public. The judge said the move was necessary because of “a likelihood of bribery, jury tampering, or of physical injury or harassment of juror(s).”

While the trial is the first criminal trial involving a former president, it’s the fourth trial in New York involving Trump as a defendant since he left office. He was sued twice by writer E. Jean Carroll for sexual abuse and defamation and he and his company were accused of fraud in a civil case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The verdicts against him in the three cases — all of which he is appealing — total about $550 million.

Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Lisa Rubin is an MSNBC legal correspondent and a former litigator.

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Fact-Checking Trump’s Defenses in His Court Cases

The former president has trotted out a host of false and misleading claims to defend his conduct, attack judges and prosecutors and portray himself as a victim of political persecution.

• Share full article

By Linda Qiu

Reporting from Washington

• April 17, 2024

As former President Donald J. Trump battles a series of criminal and civil actions while he runs to reclaim the White House, he has put his legal woes at center stage, making them a rallying cry for his re-election.

It is a tactic that is likely to be on full display this week as his trial in Manhattan over his role in a hush money payment in the 2016 race gets underway. Just as he has done with his other legal troubles, Mr. Trump has dismissed the charges in that case as part of an “election interference” scheme orchestrated by President Biden.

He has described the cases against him with colorful hyperbole, defended his conduct with faulty comparisons and lobbed false attacks and baseless accusations at opponents and adjudicators alike.

Asked for evidence of Mr. Trump’s claims, the campaign did not directly address the matter but continued to insist, with no evidence, that Mr. Trump was the target of a “witch hunt” led by the Democratic Party.

Here’s a fact-check of some of his most repeated claims.

How Mr. Trump has sought to undercut the cases against him:

Baseless accusations of a biden-orchestrated conspiracy, hyperbolic claims of persecution, faulty and irrelevant comparisons, inaccurate attacks on judges.

What Mr. Trump Said

“Biden said it. He said — you know what their whole plan is? It was just released the other day. It didn’t — it was leaked by one of the many people that probably thought it was wrong. Their whole plan is to go after Trump in every way possible, especially criminally and legally.” — at a rally in Georgia in March

This lacks evidence. Of the four criminal cases against Mr. Trump, two were brought by state or local prosecutors, meaning that the Justice Department itself has no control over them. His two other criminal cases are overseen by a special counsel, whom Attorney General Merrick B. Garland appointed to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

It is unclear what leak Mr. Trump was referring to, and The New York Times was unable to find an instance of such a plan to target Mr. Trump “criminally and legally.” False posts circulating on social media have used deceptively edited clips to suggest that Mr. Biden or his aides have admitted to weaponizing the legal system.

Still, there is no evidence that Mr. Biden is personally directing the cases against his political opponent. Mr. Biden has publicly emphasized the independence of the Justice Department. Moreover, The Times and other news outlets have reported that Mr. Biden’s campaign strategy is to say nothing about Mr. Trump’s legal woes .

“Jack Smith just admitted what the American People already know, namely, that his case is being directed and supervised by the Biden Administration. So, although he denies it, Garland is carrying out the orders from his boss to prosecute me, and to interfere in the 2024 Election.” — in a Truth Social post in March

This is misleading. Mr. Trump was referring to — and wildly distorting — a court filing from prosecutors in the classified documents case.

The document was responding to a motion by Mr. Trump’s lawyer to dismiss the case, claiming that Attorney General Merrick B. Garland had no authority to appoint Jack Smith, the special counsel in the case. Prosecutors argued that the Supreme Court had affirmed such an authority 50 years ago in the Watergate case, and that many special counsels had been appointed since then, including by the Justice Department under Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump was apparently referring to a description in the filing of the special counsel’s role, although he used it out of context: “The special counsel was retained from outside of the department to ‘ensure a full and thorough investigation’ of certain sensitive matters. While he remains subject to attorney general direction and supervision, he also retains ‘a substantial degree of independent decision making.’”

“Look, the Manhattan D.A. has a man named Colangelo in there. He was Merrick Garland’s top person. They put him into the Manhattan D.A.’s office. Fani Willis and her lover spent a lot of time in Washington talking about my case. They came out during the hearings talking about my case. The A.G. of New York, Letitia James, deals with Washington all the time.” — in an interview with Fox News in March

This is exaggerated. Asked for proof of his claim that Mr. Biden was personally directing the local cases against him, Mr. Trump pointed to purported ties between prosecutors and “Washington,” but provided no evidence that Mr. Biden had been involved in any of the hiring decisions, conversations or meetings that Mr. Trump cited.

The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, hired Matthew Colangelo as a senior counsel in December 2022 . Mr. Colangelo previously worked at the New York attorney general’s office and at the Justice Department as acting associate attorney general — the third highest-ranking, not “top,” official — before that position was filled permanently. There is no proof that the appointment of Mr. Colangelo was directed by Mr. Biden or the Justice Department. The two men previously worked together at the New York attorney general’s office under Ms. James’s predecessor, and Mr. Colangelo’s appointment came as Mr. Bragg ramped up his investigation into Mr. Trump’s role in hush money payments made in the 2016 election.

The Times earlier reported that Fani T. Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, Ga., and her office had been consulting with the bipartisan House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack as part of her election interference case. An outside lawyer hired by Ms. Willis — Nathan J. Wade, her former romantic partner who resigned from the case in March — to lead the prosecution met twice with the White House Counsel’s Office in 2022. It is not clear what the purpose of those meetings was, but a former White House counsel told The Times that the office can become involved when prosecutors seek the testimony of former officials.

Mr. Trump often points out that Letitia James, the New York attorney general who brought a civil fraud case accusing him of inflating the value of his properties, has visited the White House three times. According to visitor logs , her first visit was in April 2022 at the South Lawn, where a crowd had gathered to celebrate the confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. She again visited in July 2023 to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and other state attorneys general about efforts to stop fentanyl trafficking . And she visited in August 2023 to attend an event Ms. Harris hosted recognizing Black women serving in public office. The White House has said Mr. Biden did not speak to individual guests at the first event and did not attend the latter two.

“Why didn’t they bring these Fake Biden inspired cases against me 3 years ago? Because Crooked Joe Biden wanted them to be brought right in the middle of my 2024 Presidential Election Campaign, strictly Third World Country ‘stuff!’” — in a post on Truth Social in March

False. Of the multiple cases Mr. Trump has been embroiled in, at least three began before Mr. Biden took office while another three center on Mr. Trump’s post-election and post-presidency conduct. There is no evidence that Mr. Biden has sought to drag out the cases. Investigations and prosecutions generally take time , and Mr. Trump himself has repeatedly sought to delay proceedings.

The inquiry over hush money payments began while Mr. Trump was still in office in 2018. Ms. James began her investigation into the Trump Organization over its financial dealings in March 2019. The writer E. Jean Carroll filed her first lawsuit against Mr. Trump in November 2019, accusing him of defamation.

Ms. Willis opened her investigation into Mr. Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn the election in Georgia in February 2021. A top Justice Department official said in January 2022 that it had opened an investigation into a plan by Mr. Trump and his allies to reverse the results of the 2020 election; the investigation was widened in March 2022 . Mr. Smith was appointed the special prosecutor in the documents case in November 2022.

“It is a form of Navalny. It is a form of communism or fascism.” — in a town hall on Fox News in February

False. Asked about the ruling in his civil fraud case, Mr. Trump compared himself to Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who had died days earlier in prison . The two cases are not at all similar.

Mr. Navalny had been behind bars since early 2021, sometimes in solitary confinement, and serving multiple prison sentences. He had also been poisoned in 2020, and survived earlier physical attacks. At the time of his death, he was being held in a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle. In contrast, Mr. Trump was ordered to pay a fine, which was reduced and which he has appealed.

“A bond of the size set by the Democrat Club-controlled Judge, in Corrupt, Racist Letitia James’ unlawful Witch Hunt, is unConstitutional, un-American, unprecedented, and practically impossible for ANY Company, including one as successful as mine. The Bonding Companies have never heard of such a bond, of this size, before, nor do they have the ability to post such a bond, even if they wanted to. The statute used to attack me has never been used for such a purpose before.” — in posts on Truth Social in March

False. A New York State Supreme Court judge ruled in February that Mr. Trump must pay $355 million, in addition to interest — or about $454 million — in his civil fraud case. Mr. Trump initially had trouble securing a bond and argued, wrongly, that both the bond amount and Ms. James’s use of the New York state law were unprecedented.

As PolitiFact has reported, some companies have posted bonds as large as $1 billion. The state statute Mr. Trump cited was enacted in 1956, and has been used by New York attorneys general in lawsuits and actions against the oil giant Exxon Mobil, the tobacco company Juul, and two other entities belonging to Mr. Trump: his family charity, the Trump Foundation, and his for-profit Trump University.

“I got indicted more than Al Capone.” — in a rally in Ohio in March

False. Mr. Trump has been indicted four times. Mr. Capone, the famous gangster, was indicted at least six times, according to A. Brad Schwartz, a historian who has written a biography of him .

“Well, nobody else has been over the years, because, you know, Hillary took a lot and Bill took a lot. Bill took them out in his socks, they call it the socks case, which he won with a very tough judge, which he won. Bush took them. Everybody. Reagan took them out. Everybody took them out. It only became a big subject when I took things out.” — in the Fox News town hall

False. The examples Mr. Trump cites as comparable to the federal criminal case in which he is accused of mishandling classified documents, obstructing justice and making false statements to officials in fact have little in common with it.

Prosecutors say Mr. Trump took hundreds of classified documents from the White House at the end of his term, ignored a subpoena to return them to the National Archives and Records Administration, stored them in locations accessible to resort employees and shared military secrets with visitors to his properties.

Hillary Clinton set up a private email server during her time as secretary of state. While it did store emails that contained classified information, several official inquiries have concluded that Mrs. Clinton did not systematically or deliberately mishandle classified material.

Former President Bill Clinton’s case is even less relevant. A conservative legal group sued the National Archives for access to audiotapes of interviews between Mr. Clinton and the author and historian Taylor Branch . Mr. Branch has said that Mr. Clinton stored the recordings in his sock drawer. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in 2012 , reasoning that the National Archives did not have the tapes in its possession and had no obligation or authority to seize them.

And there is no evidence that any presidents before Mr. Trump took classified documents with them upon leaving office, despite Mr. Trump’s repeated insistence that there was a precedent. The National Archives has said that it “assumed physical and legal custody of the presidential records from the administrations of Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, when those presidents left office.”

“Reports that indicate or imply that those presidential records were in the possession of the former presidents or their representatives, after they left office, or that the records were housed in substandard conditions, are false and misleading,” the agency has said.

“The special counsel’s report tries to let Biden off by claiming that he is too mentally incompetent to convict at a trial.” — in a rally in South Carolina in February

This is misleading. Mr. Trump was referring to the report released by Robert K. Hur , the special counsel who investigated Mr. Biden’s handling of classified material. Mr. Hur described Mr. Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” who had “diminished faculties and faulty memory.” He did not declare Mr. Biden mentally incompetent to stand trial.

Mr. Hur wrote that while he believed Mr. Biden knew he was not allowed to keep classified notebooks, there was not sufficient evidence “to prove his willfulness beyond a reasonable doubt.” He added that Mr. Biden’s “diminished faculties in advancing age and his sympathetic demeanor” would make it difficult to persuade a jury to convict him.

“Judge Juan Merchan is totally compromised, and should be removed from this TRUMP Non-Case immediately. His Daughter, Loren, is a Rabid Trump Hater, who has admitted to having conversations with her father about me, and yet he gagged me.” — in a Truth Social post in March

This is exaggerated. Loren Merchan, the daughter of the judge presiding over the hush money case, served as the president of a digital campaign strategy agency that has done work for many prominent Democrats, including Mr. Biden’s 2020 campaign.

The “conversations” Mr. Trump mentioned refer to an anecdote from a podcast interview Ms. Merchan did in 2019 about campaign strategy. In the episode, Ms. Merchan recounted that her father had said in recent conversations: “I hate that politicians use Twitter. It’s so unprofessional.” She said she had argued that there are improper uses of social media, like posts by Mr. Trump sharing “anything that he thinks,” but that social media allows candidates to bypass traditional media.

Experts in judicial ethics have said Ms. Merchan’s work is not sufficient grounds for recusal. When Mr. Trump’s legal team sought his recusal based on his daughter, Justice Merchan sought counsel from the New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics, which said it did not see any conflict of interest .

“This judge, he levels a fine for $355 million on a loan that’s a fraction of that size because he’s a corrupt Democrat clubhouse judge. He wouldn’t allow a jury. There was no jury.” — at a rally in Georgia in March

False. Mr. Trump’s civil fraud trial did not go to a jury, but not because Justice Arthur F. Engoron, the judge presiding over the case, refused one. There was no jury because it was brought by Ms. James under a New York state law that provides the attorney general with broad authority to investigate corporate fraud and requires adjudication at what is known as a bench trial, which is conducted by a judge alone.

Justice Engoron addressed the unusual setting at the beginning of the trial in October : “You have probably noticed or already read that this case has no jury. Neither side asked for one and, in any event, the remedies sought are all equitable in nature, mandating that the trial be a bench trial, one that a judge alone decides. I promise to do my best, despite my lame attempts at humor.”

“Engoron’s fraudulent valuation of Mar-a-Lago for $18,000,000, when it is worth 50 to 100 times that amount, is another piece of the Election Interference HOAX.” — in a post on Truth Social in March

This is misleading. Justice Engoron did not himself value Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s Florida club and residence, at $18 million.

“From 2011-2021, the Palm Beach County assessor appraised the market value of Mar-a-Lago at between $18 million and $27.6 million,” Justice Engoron wrote in his September ruling against Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump, for his part, valued the property at $426 million to $612 million, an overvaluation that Justice Engoron said was at least 2,300 percent of the assessor’s appraisal.

(Mar-a-Lago has a current market value of $37 million, according to the Palm Beach County appraiser. )

Linda Qiu is a reporter who specializes in fact-checking statements made by politicians and public figures. She has been reporting and fact-checking public figures for nearly a decade. More about Linda Qiu