Blog Post #7 – “How does continuous engagement with social media platforms, without regular breaks, influence the mental health and academic performance of high school students?”

Why I chose this question:

Social media is absolutely fascinating. The ever-changing nature of each platform makes the consumer hooked to their phone. With social media growing at rapid rates, I was always curious about how it could affect a high schoolers mental health specifically. In addition, I chose to dive deep within this topic to better understand my mental health and how fast-paced online media could possibly alter my behavior.

What challenges did you overcome throughout this inquiry project? How did you go about overcoming these challenges?

Over the course of the semester, I was forced to overcome the challenge of finding common patterns between high school students regarding changed behaviours due to a continuous usage of social media. While providing statistics relating to students and mental health implications, I had to filter through numerous websites to find the most accurate information based on relevance and reliability. The majority of studies that were conducted were based in the United States, one factor that could modify my results. This would be possible as my main focus was on Canada, and how students who lived here found themselves affected by extensive social media use. I overcame this challenge by spending a little bit more time sifting through all of the websites available, and finding the closest location of a study conducted, in order to ensure that my work was providing accurate facts.

How did this inquiry change the way you think?

This inquiry project has been extremely educational; providing me with quite a bit of beneficial information. Before I started doing my research about this substantial topic, I thought social media was the only enemy. What I have learned is that social media can be useful if used in a proper fashion. The amount of content created on a variety of platforms is endless, it comes down to personal self-control when trying to maintain optimal grades as a student. Being in a situation where you have three pages of math homework, and a constant buzzing phone being flooded with notifications, picking up the phone is the easy way out. Although, the next day when you will have to write a math test, you will soon regret the decision of procrastinating when you realize you cannot answer half of the questions. So, when faced in a situation where you feel tempted to delay and procrastinate something that requires some effort, think ahead to which option will better you as a person altogether. Will it be scrolling through Instagram or completing the math pages, educating yourself with valuable information? The choice is yours.

How did this investigation impact your future decisions?

This investigation opened my mind into viewing situations through a new perspective. Whenever I feel unmotivated, I think about what will make me a better person, as my ultimate goal in life is to be the best that I can possibly be. So, if I’m debating whether I should finish my math homework or continue scrolling through social media, I now circulate back to one question. “What will make me grow as a person.” I know that its definitely not scrolling my way out of reality, so I pick up my pencil and start my work. This single question has strongly impacted the decisions I make as I feel like I’m earning something out of choosing the hard option. I’m earning the most valuable thing that is offered at my age; an education. A wise man said a few words that always come to mind when I’m faced with two choices.

“Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life” — Jerzy Gregorek

What impact will this investigation have on others locally and/or globally?

This investigation will have a positive impact on others locally and globally by simply adjusting the mindset. The question above is applicable to every circumstance. The only way people will change their bad habits is by being open to new perspectives and ideas. The key takeaway from the quote I provided above is to enforce discipline when unmotivated in order to successfully get things done. The difficult choice now will make the future easier, but when choosing the easy way out, down the road it will be significantly more difficult to navigate your way through life. Once people understand this, they will realize that time is precious, and will be more mindful as to where they dedicate their time. Spending one hour on social media can be considered a waste of time, while spending an hour working out is an investment for your future self.

Thank you very much for reading. I hope you learned something new!

— Vanessa Vukovic