What impact does social media have on high school students?

Social media usage has increased in recent years across all age levels. The Pew internet and American Life Project found that 73 percent of teenagers between the ages of 12 to 17 use social media. Social media supports collaborative learning, which in turn helps to strengthen the creative learning process. Social media is a great tool as far as introducing kids to the newest technology. Although, technology is a great tool, when used independently it does not necessarily contribute to learning. They found that students who take notes by hand achieve higher test scores when compared to students who use laptops to take his or her notes. Additionally, prior computer knowledge plays a factor in a student's learning through online methods of instruction. However, the internet can provide a healthy environment for hosting the educational and learning activities for students. Students who participate in social media as part of a class fell more connected to their peers than those students who do not participate in social media.