Nowadays social media is something that everyone uses and enjoys to be on. Even though social media makes our life easier, it can also cause problems. Toxicity of social media is when people act in certain ways with the purpose of making others feel bad or make them look dumb. Currently in New York City we can find many teenagers that are depressed because of social media. 

Social media is a platform where everyone can write their thoughts but nowadays most of the time are negative comments. According to Elias Santa Cruz, a junior in high school,  “In social networks there are many people who give their opinion and make fun of others because it makes them feel good or just for fun.” 

“Social media is a different world than reality.” stated Bladimir Vanderpool, a senior at Liberty High School. Most of the time people only show the good things about themselves in social media because that makes them feel good and forget about their problems but there are always haters that always find a way to make fun and say negative things to make others feel bad. 

Toxicity in social networks is a serious damage that often generates emotional damage towards others but at the end of the day it also affects the bully because if making others feel bad or laughing about others satisfies them, that shows that there is a problem with them. It also increased risk for antisocial personality disorder described as a lack of empathy, lying, and criminal behavior. 

Nowadays social media is the source that bullies use the most to do what they do. For example on Instagram we can see many people laughing and commenting bad things on other people’s pictures and it’s obvious they use this platform because there are no consequences of what they do. Many people don’t put their real information because they don’t want to be identified, therefore it’s hard to know who is doing it. Many of them create fake accounts to criticize others without getting their real self involved. That also allows them to cause damage to others and not get caught.

 In this generation we have seen many people killing themselves or hurting their body because they feel incapable and insecure. A good example is the story of Seonaid Baltimor ( the organizer of South Bronx United afterschool program) who lost his daughter at 18 years old due to a suicide because she was being body shamed and had many insecurities. Ana Bermudez, a senior also at Liberty High School, said that “Toxicity in social networks in the long term can be dangerous. Most of the time that leads people to have insecurities and lead them to commit a suicide.”