Time on social media versus time off social media: which makes socializing harder? There isn’t any clear answer. Being connected with others online could make socializing easier for some; people say things online that they’d never say to you in person, but for others, it may stunt their growth. Some people aren’t as interested in social media and prefer to spend time with their hobbies. But how does social media really affect us?

Most of a teen’s summer is spent on social media, with every swipe or tap, they dive deeper and deeper into the addiction. The majority of people can not remember the last TikTok they watched or the last Reel they liked. So if you spend your entire summer, or free time, doom scrolling, then forgetting those videos, what exactly would you remember of your summer?

Social media, like TikTok, has videos that bring you straight to the point. If the videos don’t grab attention fast, most of the time you will just swipe away. Short attention spans make conversations difficult, and they can be caused or contributed to by social media; being constantly entertained by quick videos makes longer conversations harder to keep your attention on. The same goes for hobbies that take time; with a short attention span, you lose focus or interest fast.

Time on social media destroying social skills isn’t a fact, nor proven. In fact, it can go the opposite way as well. An average number of people are social media addicts, and still have amazing social skills. Some people just prefer to spend time with their hobbies. 

Freshman Dylan Schmidt enjoys spending his time playing piano and guitar, rather than being on his phone. 

“People who obsess over social media do have less social skills because they don’t spend as much time face-to-face with other people,” said Schmidt. 

The answer to the question of if increased time on social media decreases your social skills is purely up to your own opinion. Spending a lot of time on social media may cause less time spent face-to-face, and difficulty catching social cues. However, the effects of social media aren’t the same for everyone.