Social media has taken over the current generation, from Snapchat to Twitter, Facebook to Tumblr, all these networks are what the current young adults use on a daily basis. Of course, this doesn’t include every young adult, but research shows around 90% of the teen-adult population in Britain have some form of social media whether it is on a tablet or smart phone. 68% of all women across the globe are part of social media, whilst for men it is only 62%.

With new mobile phones and tablets being created and put out quicker and more advanced than ever, the Technology and software are having to develop just as fast, with new updates and fixes coming in every few months. Snapchat have begun adding animated filters and live stories (a compilation of snapchats sent by users.)

Dating has also become a large part of social media matching your personality to the closest match of your favoured gender. However, this can also be risky as some sites include vague personality tests and some sketchy users.

The age range of people using social media is steadily expanding with children around 9-10 having Instagram accounts. There are age restrictions on these apps but they are not fool proof!

Social media is also an easy way to talk to friends or look at what your favourite celebrities are getting up too. It is also a place for people to express themselves and show their artwork or new products as well s short stories and fan fiction.

Social media also played a part in the US election with Hillary Clinton reaching out to young Americans to support her. It has also been used as an outreach for people with depression as they can express themselves in 180 characters on twitter or on Tumblr with as much space as they wish.

It is important to remember to follow e-safety guidelines whenever using social media or the internet to keep yourself safe! For more information you can look at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/curations/stay-safe

By Martha, age 13.