One of the benefits of using social media is easy access to a broad range of useful information. From book and product reviews to academic advice from individuals who have pursued my desired path and have a lot of insight to share, I personally find a great portion of the content found online extremely helpful. I also try to spread positive words on my own social media accounts, and have been told in the past that such posts really do make a difference. Knowing that I can be a positive impact myself has had positive impacts on my own mental health, and I consider this another—maybe not so visible—benefit of social media.

Another positive aspect of social media is the opportunity it provides for staying close to my loved ones while I am physically not so close to them. As an immigrant, social media platforms have made geographical distance less of a barrier to maintaining relationships over the past seven years for me, and I truly cannot imagine how much more difficult immigration would have been had I not had my daily/weekly video calls with my family and friends in Iran.