The hype with social media has been active since the late 1990s and early 2000s. Ever since that time the pool of social media apps has grown exponentially in size. This means hundreds of apps are used every day by our growing generation.

Some of the top apps used by today’s generation are Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Spotify.

The history of social media started in 1997 when the first social media site called Six Degrees was created.  This site allowed users to create a profile and make friends with other users. Soon after Six Degrees became known to the public, The creation of newer social media websites was on the rise soon after.  A few examples of these sites would be MySpace created in 2003, Facebook in 2004, and Instagram in 2010.

So, what is the most popular among Air Academy students?

Through the use of polls, results were determined. As for the results, Instagram beat Tiktok by 90%,  Twitter beating Snapchat by 55%, Pinterest beating Tumblr by 78%, and Spotify beating Apple music by 75%.

As for more specific opinions from students at Air Academy on whether or not social media is good or bad;

“I like social media in the aspect that you can reach out and get to know different people and be inspired,” junior Heidi Johnson stated. “However I do not like how it can be addictive and detrimental to mental health if it is used excessively.”

Junior Sarah Huynh commented, “Social media can be a good way to meet new people, stay in touch with others, and grow closer to others.”

In this day and age, online friendships have been fairly popular because of social media. This could help teenagers expand their social pool which may be limited to their school or town. Not only can social media be used to make more friendships from all across the world, but it can also be used to stay in touch with family.

“My favorite social media is probably Snapchat because it allows me to connect with friends and family that live further away,” claimed junior Liberty Zavorka.

Generation Z is no the only generation indulged in social media. Each generation has its preferences towards which one is the best.

Huynh gives an example when she mentions how Facebook is usually used by older generations and can be quite controversial at times. This proved that the best social media can differ between generations and will likely continue that way.

With the history that social media has, there are multiple opinions on it and which one is the best. As the years continue those statistics will continuously change and so will the new generation’s opinions.