Children’s culture is very important and understand it is even more imperative. In this essay we will focus on the aspect of social media in the way children use it. The way children use social media is very different than the way adults use it. Adults may use it for networking, to find old friends or for many other purposes. Children use it to post pictures of pets or other interesting things they see.
There are those that argue that some kids are way too young to use social media and there can be a lot of pitfalls to using this type of media. We all know that social media has become a big influence in all of our lives. Sometimes it can be seen in so many aspects of what we do on a day to day basis. It is hard to have kids not use social media when schools are using laptops and IPads on a daily basis. Social Media is also a way to learn things and stand up for what they believe in.
According to an article in the Huffington Post, “Children love social media, because it gives them access to their peers and allows them to perform many standard developmental tasks such as identity development” (Reads). This is how kids keep up with the times so to speak. A lot of the important events in their lives are announced through social media. Conversations in school involve what kids talked about on the internet the night before. Not being privy to this information may make children feel left out or be outcast by other kids.
Although the author of the Huffington Post article sees a lot of positive aspects of social media she also warns that there are pitfalls. She writes, today's children are living through adolescence both online and offline, and in essence, they need to learn about the social world both in the real and virtual world. That means the potential for making mistakes is bigger than ever. Adults make mistakes all the time and post inappropriate content. But with teens' developing brains and early social learning, it's nearly a perfect storm” (Reads). What the author is trying to say here is that kids have to learn about what goes on online and offline. It is hard no to have the virtual and real world blend together but as parents we have to be able to teach our children right from wrong.
In this digital age nothing is kept secret anymore and that is something these children need to understand. Once you post something online it is out there for everyone to see. No matter how private you think your page is someone can take a screen shot of what you post and then send around to hundreds of people. It takes patience to show kids that they should be vigilant about what they post and that they should think twice before putting their business out in the internet. The Journal of pediatrics writes, “the main risk to preadolescents and adolescents online today are risks from each other, risks of improper use of technology, lack of privacy, sharing too much information, or posting false information about themselves or others” (Clarke-Pearson and O’Keefe). It is it the job of parents and adult to show the children what can happen if the post too much information on the internet.
Why has the internet and social media become such a part of children’s culture? According to the Journal of Pediatrics it states that “Engaging in various forms of social media is a routine activity that research has shown to benefit children and adolescents by enhancing communication social connection, and even technical skills. Social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace offer multiple daily opportunities for connecting with friends, classmates, and people with shared interests” (Clarke-Pearson and O’Keefe). Basically, this has become a way of communicating and of learning how to use the new technology. This is important because technology is at the forefront of the business world these days and children need to be prepared in adolscense to enter the working world. Whether we like it or not they need to be talking about the advancement of technology because it is here to stay and in order to stay informed about the newest technologies you have to be adept in using social media.
Of course, the socialization, technology and access to tons of information are all benefits of children using social media. But what are the pitfalls? This is something no onw really talks about and should be brought to light before we all jump on the bandwagon. The Journal of Pediatrics talks about some of the more negative aspects of social media which are
Sexting
Facebook depression
What do these negative aspects mean? Today schools are taking any online bullying or harassment as serious as they would any bullying that would occur inside the brick and mortar building. “Cyberbullying is quite common, can occur to any young person online, and can cause profound psychosocial outcomes including depression, anxiety, severe isolation, and, tragically, suicide” (Clarke-Pearson and O’Keefe). Cyberbullying can be detrimental to development of students. Another, negative outcome can be sending sexually explicit messages and pictures through social media. This comes back to what I mentioned before that once something is posted online it is on there for everyone to see.
The final negative outcome that can come out from using social media is something called Facebook depression. What is this? According to the Journal of Pediatrics, “Facebook depression,” defined as depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression” (Clarke-Pearson and O’Keefe). This is important because children are looking at social media as form of validation and this is something that is not positive culture.
As parents we have to build a positive culture for our children and have them grow up in a positive atmosphere. This is the only way that they can overcome the negativity that occurs all over social media. I think that social media can also be very positive as well. Everyday there are positive message spread across social media and we should make it a point to share positive message with our children.
No matter how much we warn children social media is a part of their culture from a very young age. As time goes on they learn to use social media more and more. In time, this is how they will make friends and be social. For example, a family member of mine and his children moved to a new town. Before school even started he joined a Facebook group and was able to introduce his kids to new friends so they would not be lonely once the school year began.
This is the kind of culture we live in. We may meet people virtually before we meet them digitally. Children use the internet and their electronic devices on a daily basis. Eventually, this is how they will make sense of what is happening in the world which is through social media.
Another aspect of social media and internet use is playing online games. Many people (adults including) play online games. This is considered a form of social media because there are online chatrooms and people can communicate via headsets. This can be a more controlled form social media usage. Some may argue that these video games are too violent for kids or make them too sedentary but that it not necessarily true. It is up to the individual parents to determine what is too violent for their children.
Video games like social media can provide intellectual stimulation to kids. They also teach kids to think critically. Games like Clash of Clans can be played on your mobile devices and you are able to invite friends from Facebook to play. Game console games like Call of Duty of Grand Theft Auto are also involved in social media because players can communicate with each other. In any case these all of methods of communicating with people are virtually are the new form of social interaction. There are video games that can make you exercise as well such as Just Dance and Wii Fit which promote physical fitness and kids are known to break a sweat while playing these games. Therfore, it can be argued that social media does stimulate minds and promote growth. Still, there are those who argue that children are not enjoying their childhood are just letting the world around them pass them by as they spend hours glued to their mobile devices or computers.
One thing parents today should is make sure that their kids still go outside and play every once in a while, perhaps a couple of days a week. It is important to go to the park and meet and interact with other kids in person and not just in a virtual way. There are some who say kids will get all the skills they need form the virtual world because we are heading towards learning and schooling that will be 100% online. However, I disagree and I think children need to have face to face interaction. There is nothing like feeling a connection with another human being and children need to have the human connection in order to form long lasting friendships and relationships. Also through meeting and talking to people you build a reputation for yourself. You do not want children to come off as anti-social or having poor interpersonal skills.
In conclusion, there are many ways kids and children can be social with each other. Social media and internet are not the only ways in which kids can socialize. Although the use of this technology is very prevalent today there are just some things that a computer, cell phone or tablet cannot teach us. We have to teach kids how to be social on a face to face basis otherwise they will not learn important social skills.
Bibliography
Clarke-Pearson, Kathleen, and Gween O’Keefe. “Clinical Report—The Impact of Social Media on Children,
Adolescents, and Families Abstract.” Pediatrics: Official Journal of the Academy of Pediatrics (28 Mar. 2011): n.pag. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.
Reads, Hippo. “What Does It Mean to Be a Kid in the Digital Age?” Huffington PostThe Huffington Post, 20 Oct. 2015. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.
