PAC Student Media

By Justin Guerrero
Pulse Staff Reporter

Are your selfies more important than Finals Week, or is that tweet just too good to not retweet? I see, it’s the like on Facebook you want; have we become too absorbed with social media?

When you’re walking down the street or at lunch, most people are looking down at a glowing screen, not really socializing. They are too consumed in their cyber life as opposed to actual life.

Katalina Pruneda, a Liberal Arts major, said, “I am always on my phone checking my Insta and my Facebook. Oh, and you can’t forget Snapchat!” she continued. “But I know if I didn’t constantly check my social media accounts, I might actually get my homework done when it’s due.”

The constant desire and need to be connected is a huge part of the everyday college student. Are we now too dependent on knowing what all our friends are doing all of the time? What are the pros and cons of social media?

“I believe that social media is good when it comes to college because that is the best way to get information out to a large audience,” said Tiffany Rico, an Education major. “The negative part of social media is that it distracts people. I know there’s been many times I’m working on homework and I am constantly looking at Facebook.”

Danielle Esquivel a Certified STEM advisor, said, “Social media is, for the most part, a positive resource that has many positive attributes. The most resourceful use of social media is advertising, if you want to spread the word about an event. Unfortunately, some negative outcomes are possible. It can be a distraction. It can attract unwanted attention. As for students, it can keep them from their homework or even attending class.”

Pruneda said, “It’s easier for me and some of my groups in some of my classes to use Facebook to communicate rather than texting or emailing. We can all see the message board, and we all have accounts and usually check it multiple times a day anyway. But when you get on Facebook to check that group message, you end up scrolling and you find yourself an hour later still scrolling that’s the only downfall I see.”

Esquivel said, “Social media has great benefits when used at the right time and place. Students just have to put to use their time management skills.”

Though social media is a huge part of our lives with about one in every five minutes being involved in social media accounts, it does have its pros and cons that do help and hurt the student body. Students need to use these accounts wisely and more efficiently.