Janeille Edwards, 16, from Boston Latin Academy, believes that social networks affect people’s confidence levels in a positive way. She says that Twitter increased her self-assurance from a six to a seven on a scale of one to 10. On Twitter, it is easy to find people from all over the world and begin talking to them from behind a screen. Users are bound to find people with common interests and therefore can form a group of friends that makes them feel less alone. “They can find people who are just like them,” says Edwards. The lives of teenagers often seem to revolve around social networks and this may be affecting the way they view themselves -- for better or for worse. Andriana Harris, 17, from BLA, says that there are posts that can push teens to become the best they can be. “The Internet is not all bad,” says Harris. “There are some inspirational sayings and motivational quotes that can help boost someone’s self-esteem.” On the other hand, creating pages on social media may take a toll on one’s confidence. Teens like to post pictures of themselves on sites such as Instagram and Facebook -- for all to see. While some come off looking impeccably beautiful, others feel their looks are not up to par. Another factor is the number of “likes” one receives, since getting them seems to be associated with being attractive. Maddie Montgomery, 17, from Boston Latin School, says that Facebook has put a dent in her confidence. “It was seeing other people’s pictures,” says Montgomery, “and comparing myself.”

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vine, YouTube, Snapchat. People are able to share every moment of their lives through these social media tools. Interacting with others has never been this easy, and we should praise social media for providing this opportunity. However, I believe that social media is detrimental to the growth of our society. Our youth are addicted to social media and lack focus on important matters such as school. It has turned privacy into an almost mythical creature, something we’ve heard of but aren’t really sure exists. And lastly, it will soon strip from us our social and communication skills. We live in a smartphone era. Cellphones are our calendars, clocks, personal assistants, as well as our centers of entertainment. We constantly check on our devices to see if we have notifications. Youth find it hard to study because of the constant distractions social media causes. Meanwhile, privacy is something that should remain sacred. But the Internet makes our personal business available to anyone with online access. In addition, social media may soon become the only way people communicate. Social media is destroying our social skills. Interacting with others is so important. Ideas and emotions can be exchanged accurately when physically having a conversation with another individual; text messaging and Facebook statuses can’t replace that. Words on a screen will never have the power of dialogue. If we continue to abuse social media, people will no longer be capable of eloquently saying what is on their mind.

Facebook should have an age limit for users, 18 and older. Most of the statuses, pictures, and videos are for adults. Too many young people are on Facebook 24/7 instead of doing something productive. Instead of facing the notebook at school, too many teens are on Facebook. When they miss an explanation about a topic, they blame it on the teacher. If Facebook was just made for you to communicate with others, why are there numerous advertisements on the site? When I am using Facebook, I deactivate it immediately if my mother or father are there because I don’t want them to see inappropriate things. I pretend like I wasn’t doing anything. I manifest hypocrisy just by using Facebook. Do you see how Facebook is affecting us negatively?

When I was in Cape Verde, I was a bilingual child who spoke Portuguese and Creole. Mostly everywhere in my community I used Portuguese, so my parents made sure that I spoke Creole at home so I wouldn’t forget the language. Now I live in Dorchester, which has a very diverse population. I have seen parents who are bilingual but their children can speak only English. I want to persuade parents who are bilingual to teach their children their first language. When you teach your heritage language, your children will keep your native culture alive. They will be able to explore your customs and traditions. In addition, they will be able to maintain a better relationship with family members who live in your native country. Also, being bilingual makes your children stand out in a positive way. They will be unique from others. A monolingual person will be wondering about their background. Your children will have many things to say about themselves and have different experiences and lifestyles. Lastly, being bilingual, your children will have wider choices of jobs in various fields. My sister and my cousin both applied to work at Boston Medical Center. My sister was bilingual but my cousin wasn’t. So the hospital hired my sister. She worked as a medical assistant and also translated for those Cape Verdeans who couldn’t speak English.