Social media has too much impact on our generation. Everybody has a social media account, like literally everyone. It has become like water or food, a necessity. At first, it looked so toxic. Like fake influencers, people often present themselves as if they are living a perfect life, complete with vacations, wealth, and good looks, as if they are living some kind of dream. And the truth is, they are hiding the reality. But later I realised social media is not only about that. It actually heals, too. In my life, it had a very big impact. Social media healed me in so many ways. Before I had an account, I was just like a frog in a well. I had no clue about what was going on outside. My thoughts were so small. I was just living in my own little corner. But once I had my account, I slowly started to grow. I started investing in myself. I got to know so many new things about society, people, different views, and life itself.

But I’m not going to deny it has a negative side too. Like comparison. You see people going abroad, buying iPhones, wearing branded clothes, travelling to Bali, eating in fancy restaurants, and then you look at your own life and feel useless. I did that too. I used to sit and scroll and feel so bad, like Why am I not like them. But then one day, it hit me, they are hiding their worst parts. No one is going to post their crying videos, or when they are broke, or when they are fighting with family. They only post the highlight reel.

But slowly things started to change. Some influencers, even celebs, and small creators, they started being real. Like actually showing their bad days, their anxiety, heartbreaks, and struggles. I once saw this girl post about how she failed her exams, and her whole family was disappointed in her. I don’t even know her, but I felt connected. I thought Wow, even strangers go through the same. That heals you, because you realise you’re not the only one suffering.

And then there are real stories that shake you. Like in 2024, that 18-year-old girl from Trichy, Tamil Nadu, who died because she overdosed on painkillers just to handle her period cramps. That news went viral everywhere. Suddenly, so many girls started talking online about how horrible period pain is and how people don’t take it seriously. I still think about her sometimes. If there were no social media, her story would have just disappeared in silence. But because of social media, people started to listen, people started to share, and it created awareness.

See, that’s the thing, social media makes people speak up. I saw a guy post about being broke and not being able to pay his college fees. The comments were full of people helping him, sending money, and giving advice. Like, where else will you find this kind of support?

And I feel that if someone is only seeing the negative in social media, then partly it’s their problem. Because the algorithm only gives what you watch. You keep watching drama, fights, fake luxury reels, you’ll keep getting that. But if you watch motivational, growth content, skills, healing, then you’ll see more of that. It’s literally like feeding your brain.

For me, social media became like a school. I found internships there, job opportunities, and I learnt skills. I learnt branding, content writing, and even a few hacks for photography. It gave me things my college never taught me. So no, it’s not just timepass. It’s powerful if you know how to use it.

And another thing, relationships. Social media really changed the way men and women think about each other. Earlier, men were told just “be strong”, and women were told “adjust, don’t talk too much.” Now it’s different. Now we talk about red flags and green flags. We talk about respect, mental health, and boundaries. Men are learning how to treat women better, not just wives but also mothers, daughters, and sisters. Women are learning how to demand respect and also how to support men in healthy ways.

Look at our parents or grandparents. Their idea of relationships is completely different. They thought crying men were weak. They thought women had to stay in toxic marriages. But now you see women online openly leaving toxic relationships, starting over, living their own lives. And they inspire thousands of others. Men also share their emotions, and they get support. It’s a big shift, and it happened because people are sharing openly online.

Yeah, social media has trolls, fake news, body shaming, and all those bad sides. But it also has healing, support, growth, and community. At the end, it depends on how you use it. For me, it pulled me out of my frog-in-the-well mindset. It gave me exposure, opportunities, knowledge, and even comfort when I felt alone. It made me realise I am not the only one struggling. And that’s why I’ll always say, no matter what, social media is one of the strongest forces of our generation.

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