To the Editor:

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Tumblr are all really bad things to use. They cause mental problems, physical problems, and problems with grades.

People are on these apps 24/7.  Honestly, they should take a walk or do something other than social media.  

Social media can cause mental problems, making people restless, angry, and unsociable.  In some cases, it can even cause suicide.

A story about social-media suicide told how a mother and her daughter were exchanging messages through text and the mom was asking her how things were going and she answered with emojis showing smiles, big smiles and hearts.  But later that night her daughter committed suicide.

It’s very easy to lie in social media. If that girl would have just told her mom how she was feeling then she would probably still be alive.

A lot of cyberbullying happens almost every day in social media, causing people to feel stressed and depressed.  For more information on cyberbullying, go to http://www.stompoutbullying.org/ .  

Social media causes physical problems, too.  It can cause lack of sleep, eye pain, headaches, and in bad situations weight gain.

I do admit that, when I have been addicted to my electronics, I have found myself deprived of sleep, and my eyes hurt and sometimes I have headaches.

Social media can cause your grades to suffer in school.  Since social media is addicting, students with homework to do don’t think that homework is the priority.  When I got my first-ever electronic, the iPod 5, I realized how addicting it was.

In conclusion, social people should spend less time on social media and more time on going outside. Yes, social media can be used to get in touch with far-away friends but you can always call them or even meet them in person.

So I challenge you to go outside, play a game, or just do something other than social media.

Shane O'Brien

Farnsworth Middle School