Social Media and Teens: What Happens to the 8 Percent Who Choose A Life Outside Social Media

While most of the teens are totally indulged and addicted to social media, some teens still prefer an "offline" life. The abstinence from social media has great benefits and very positive effects to these teens.

A report last year by the Pew Research Center said that 92 percent of American teenagers who are between 13 and 17 go online daily and 24 percent of them say that they are on their devices almost constantly. The top three social media websites that teens are addicted to are Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

What happens to the 8 percent of American teens who prefer a more silent life by getting offline? Do they miss a lot in their life since updates on important and unimportant news are being aired in social media? One great answer from a teen when asked about the communication with friends in social media is that, "I'd rather see my friends in person than tweet at them." It is very typical to find teens who have a firm and unique values, yet living a decent and a little bit "unpolluted" life.

Inspite of the peaceful life out of the internet, some teens miss out on things like in school where teachers use facebook or other social media sites as a platform for the projects and assignment. Some cool stuff become viral and turn into an old issue to most teens while an offline kid can be oblivious about it.

Inspite the chances of being left out, some teens find benefits in the abstinence to social media like setting their privacy intact and keeping themselves away from cyberbullying. Some teens just consider being out of social media a great choice and beneficial.

Obsession with social media can have adverse effects. Aside from bringing teens to the danger of meeting up with strangers who can actually do crime, social media can also bring in some lifetime problems like brain damage or some psychological disorders.

Either online of offline, teens should not turn into both extremes. There should be balance in using social media. There is nothing wrong with using it but too much conforming with the world can be dreadful. Limits are easy to set but they are hard to maintain. This is the reason why 8 percent of our teens choose a more silent world.