The Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media on Children
Technology has allowed for social media to become a big platform not only for adults but for children as well. It’s a way for them to communicate, learn, express themselves, and share content as well. YouTube is one of the main media platforms that children love to use and it is interesting to see how well they navigate through social media at such a young age. Although social media and technology has changed the world and can be a positive tool for children, it can also influence and affect them in negative ways.
YouTube is a platform that is well known for its ability to share many different types of content along with being a place where people can go to learn how to do pretty much anything. Many children are starting their journey with social media on YouTube watching shows, gamers, other YouTubers, or even creating their own channel. It can be seen as a fun way for children to learn different things or a simple way to keep them occupied.
Although this may be true, it can negatively influence children because you just never know what kind of videos your child may come across. There’s different companies out there that are making videos that appear to be for children but incorporate inappropriate things into their videos and some parents may never know. Also, it is said that a lot of children are being raised by YouTube and not getting the personal one-on-one time with parents and other children their age because they sit with a tablet, phone or TV in their face all day.
Children spending time on social media allows for them to learn at an early age how to navigate and properly work different media platforms. It exposes them to what their future will look like as they get older and show them how to communicate with others on social media. We are in a digital age now so it’s vital that children know how to use it correctly and responsibly.
On the other hand, this can cause children to become addicted to social media and technology as whole. Some children may even become dependent on it to even do daily tasks and thats not necessarily the intended purpose. Constantly checking social media to see new update or videos is a sign of an addiction because of not being able to spend time off of technology as a whole. Young kids who are addicted can spend hours each day watching videos, games, etc. It also can take away from the childhood experience of playing outside, hanging with friends, etc.
Social media has also changed the way kids learn. It has introduced new ways to help kids grasp the early concepts of learning the alphabet, shapes etc. It has also introduced a more peer-based learning method where kids can see and learn from others. Learning can now come form multiple sources and not the just old traditional way of teachers and parents.
Technology and social media can also be detrimental when it comes to bullying and most importantly cyberbullying. Children are on social media saying hurtful and negative things to others and at that age it can take a toll on them. Bullying is easier on social media because of being able to hide behind a screen and not having to actually face someone. As a child, bullying in general is never okay but on social media it seems to affect them differently.
The digital age has made some very positive advancements for the world and while these advancements have enhanced our lives in some way, it has also caused a lot of negative things to occur as well. Children are really starting to adapt and participate in technology and social media and it affects them. It’s important to monitor and protect children who are actively on social media and allow them to enjoy all the positives, but steer them away from the negatives.
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