Within the 21st century the idea of social networking has evolved into a multi billion dollar industry and it’s taken the world by storm. People have become dependent on their devices and fixated by social media and all that it brings but how much control is too much control?
According to Amanda J. Pooley and Dr Kristy Goodwin with the Research Institute For Children and Adolescents, some studies have shown that social media can cause mental health issues and has more negative impacts than positives but it’s not directly social media but the way that you use it.
Seniors Rooney Huynh and Matthew McGrath are concerned with how much time people spend on social media and their devices. As a result they have started a DECA Community Awareness Project called The Social Safety Net dedicated to spreading social media awareness. Their sole mission is to get people to look at social media and how it affects their mental health as a whole.
“Matthew and I started this project because it was something we actually knew was an issue and was relevant to our peers. I have been through and experienced a lot of the issues we preach about and honestly the project is not only a great learning opportunity for others but an even greater experience for myself, said Huynh.
As a team they have a lot of optimism for the future of the project and they hope that they can bring some beneficial change to the way people look at screen time.
“Rooney and I are using this DECA project as an opportunity to bring awareness about social media and the effects of addiction on mental health” said McGrath.
“At this point I would love to see the page blow up of course, even though it’s a bit nerve racking talking to a camera and posting it online for ten people to see. At the end of the day I would just love for people to learn and take the page as an opportunity to remember the importance of having awareness on social media” said Huynh
As the project begins to come out of early stages, the team hopes to be able to keep growing their ideas and their business in order to make big changes some day.
