Social MediaThis Is How Social Media Affects Children

Social media surrounds us. For many people, social media has many positive advantages. However, it also presents many negatives in how it can impact the lives of children and teenagers. In this article, we will take a closer look at how social media affects children and offer some solutions to ease that impact.

By The Numbers

There is no getting away from it. Social media has crept into everyone’s lives. Considering how the internet has changed how we communicate with others, seek information, and conduct business, it should be no surprise that one of social media’s largest population is adolescents and teenagers. And one of the most common activities among this demographic is social media interaction. A survey by Kids Health in 2014 indicated that 90% of teens had used some form of social media. Further to that, a clinical report composed by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2011stated that a poll conducted at that time revealed that teens logged onto their preferred social media platform more than ten times a day. That figure will be much higher today.

The Issues That Come From Constant Social Media Exposure

What’s wrong with spending so much time on social media? Isn’t it supposed to be a place for social connections and interaction? Well, that tends to be the root of the problem mostly because the internet consists of a huge community beyond daycare services full of unknown strangers. Many of these strangers pose dangers to young people, who are extremely vulnerable online.

The list of potential issues that can result is long and includes such things as privacy issues, internet addiction, cyberbullying, sleep deprivation, and sexual exposures, just to name a few. Parents should be involved and regularly engage with their children about social media and their kids’ use of it—hopefully to prevent issues from arising. However, tackling your child’s social media use is not as easy as it may seem.

Why Parents Struggle With Social Media

The simple fact is that some parents are not equipped to understand the complexity of social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok, and others. They are often not as tech-savvy as their children, putting them at a huge disadvantage. Plus, with so many different types of social media platforms available, it would take a great deal of time for the average parent to learn the details of what having an account on each could potentially present.

Finally, a lot of parents are unaware of the lack of privacy afforded account holders on many of these platforms and do not understand the potential risks to children from online interactions. Certainly, this is true of the children themselves. They interact online without fear of consequences as they do not understand the larger issues they’re embroiled in.

More Stats Outlining the Problem

Surveys conducted on the subject have found that teens will wake up during the night just to check what is going on with their social media feeds, including Facebook and Snapchat. The occasional check is not uncommon, but when it becomes obsessive, additional issues can develop. These include greater fatigue at school, a drop in school grades, and harm to the student’s emotional well-being. The 2015 survey shows that 22% of 12 to 13-year-olds and 23% of 14 to 15-year-olds “almost always” wake up during the middle of the night to check on social media with their phones.

Another survey reveals that nine out of ten teens regularly post photos of themselves online, eight out of ten have posted their birthdates, and seven out of ten have posted where they live. Sharing this information potentially makes these teens targets for various online scams as well as of con artists and sexual predators.

How Parents Can Control Their Child’s Social Media Activity

So, how can parents get a handle on their child’s social media habits? First, get in the habit of monitoring the activity. There are parental controls that can be utilized on desktop and laptop computers. Another way to limit the exposure a child gets while online is through privacy tools. Learn which are available on the social media platforms your child frequents and mandate their use. Have a frank discussion about the dangers that exist online and require your child to remove personal information they have included in their online profiles.

Place a “no phones in the bedroom after dark” rule. Another good rule to have your child follow is “if I don’t know you, I won’t friend you.” Or have your child filter friend requests through you so you can see who is trying to contact your child. Make sure you are your child’s friend or follower on different apps.

For devices with location services, disable that function. Doing so removes the possibility of someone tracking the phone user. Finally, assure your child that if they encounter someone online who makes them feel uneasy, that they can come to you for feedback.

Final Thoughts

Social media enables children to easily keep in touch with family and friends. These connections are particularly important if these people live far away. During pandemic lockdowns and self-isolation, social media made maintaining friendships a little easier. However, it has also put many children at risk. Many issues can develop from careless use of the internet.

Parents need to be involved in their children’s internet activities. Have your children follow some simple guidelines, so they get the most out of social media interaction while you are aware of their usage. Build a trusting relationship with your child about social media use. Explain why you are interested in their online activities, so that you and your child can work together to keep them safe when they use the internet.

Sandra Chiu works as Director at LadyBug & Friends Daycare and Preschool.

This post has been sponsored by Digital Authority Partners