Hello everyone It's me again @Oslec08 In this article we will talk about Social media and why is it harmful for kids. I was convinced that it is really harmful for kids when i saw one of my nephew watching something on YouTube which is not appropriate for his age i took the his phone to see what kind of video is that i saw a video of a woman vlogging about sexual matters and so disgusting to watch even the child doesn't understand the words of the lady on the video but the actions of lady in the video is so alarming.
Negative Effects of Social Media on Kids
The most-well known downside of social media is being addictive. This is really true most of people is addictive to social media such as millennials what more with the kids who are not guided by their parents on proper use of social media. Experts think that some features such as ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ activate the reward center in the brain. This reward circuitry is highly sensitive during adolescence and may partly explain why teenagers are more into social media than adults. These features further influence our moods. Being social creatures, we value interaction and connection, both of which determine how we think of ourselves. This drives a lot of our behavior on a day-to-day basis, which is centered around social media.
2. We know that being addicted to social media end up spending hours, each day, watching videos, photos, and other content posted in their accounts of others that they follow. This addiction disrupts other activities, such as school work, sports, study, and other productive routines. They end up wasting a substantial amount of time, every day, resulting in poor grades in school. Some heavy users of social media admit to checking their feeds as many as 100 times a day, and sometimes, during school hours too. Some of the kids also realize that they are wasting a lot of time on social media, which affects their mood negatively. It also builds in them a defeatist attitude. ( And I know this is true as i was experinced it to myself , I became addictive to social media resulting on failing my First take of License examination it destruct me from studying )
Using Facebook- The more they use Facebook, the more they feel dissatisfied with their lives, in general. Teens are also observed to be suffering from “Facebook depression” after spending too much time on it or other social networking sites. Some also become anxious and moody, as they see that the lives of their friends are better than their’s, even though they may know that their representation is idealised. However, vulnerable teens are more prone to this than their confident counterparts. and also check you sons social media because most of kids today doesn't like to be friends with their parents to avoid being caught on their activities on social media ( we parents are worrying if their attitude suddenly change without knowing the reasons why) one of the common reasons why their attitude change is the influence of social media on their lives or maybe they are experiencing Cyber bullying which is common on these days.
Social interaction is critical to developing the skills needed to understand other people’s moods and emotions. Hence, children growing up interacting mostly with social media may turn out non-empathetic and also become poor at communicating verbally and non-verbally.
Obsession with the self and posting endless updates and selfies on social media is increases narcissism in kids or teens. Their moods depend heavily on how appreciated their photos are on social media and they go into anxiety when they don’t get the attention they expect.
Selfies turned into the most popular thing with the advent of camera phones. Taking selfies every hour and posting it on social media is strongly linked to narcissism, and can trigger obsessions with one’s looks. Some selfie addicts have been known to do dangerous things, such as scale skyscrapers, pose with wild animals or weapons, or stand close to moving vehicles, such as trains to get a “cool” selfie, which has ended fatally. Risky behavior is also observed in teens, as they participate in mass social media challenges that involve engaging in absurd or dangerous activities while filming themselves.
Other dangers of social networking sites for children include cyber crime and cyber bullying. Bullying is easier on social media platforms, in the form of threatening messages or subtle posts with offensive content directed at a particular person. Younger children can also become targets of stalking by predatory individuals who intend to cause harm.
Offensive, explicit and violent content is easily accessible on the internet, which impacts young minds. This content can shape their minds in the wrong manner, or cause them to become mentally disturbed, later affecting other avenues of their lives, from education to personal relationships, and more.
How Can A Parents Help Their Kids Be Smart About Social Media?
Parents always want the best for their children, while also protecting them from the worst. Parents try and enable children to handle bad situations, while also advising them to stay away from them in the first place. So here is how parents can be smart about their kids using social media.
Educating them about the pros and cons of Social media. Initially, set boundaries on what sites they can be on and for how long.
this will help you to block the sites that you don't want your kids to open or enter.
Encourage your children to engage in more real-life communication with people, rather than online networking. They need to be taught the importance of spending more time in real-life friendships and activities
Instead of constantly lecturing them about the bad influence of social media on children, encourage other interests or passions they may have. It could be hobbies, sports, social work or anything that is not virtual.
Suggest them to use social media platforms constructively to enhance their learning, or to collaborate with others who have similar interests. Teach them how to differentiate between what has substance and what is not worth spending time on.
Supervise their online activity, so you can teach them to protect themselves from online predators and bullies. Give them enough freedom, but ensure they know you are aware of their online habits.
Join their social networking site so you can be better aware of how it works. If possible, follow them on the site so you can see their posts. However, refrain from commenting or interacting with their posts.
If your child is often upset after looking at their phones or their time online, talk to them about it. They may need guidance on how not to take things that happen online, to their heart so you can give them some advice that will give them a peace of mind.
You may even allow social media time as a reward for good behavior. They will surely love it.
Let them understand that having 500 friends on Facebook doesn’t mean they are cool, social, or popular. and Put in to their minds that be friends only with people you know to avoid “Cyber-predators don’t just see a child online and then look for their address and go take them,” . That’s a predator of opportunity. Internet predators are predators that groom. They cultivate relationships with a child online and then have the child come to them, so they don’t have to take the risky approach of locating the child to abduct them.”
Thank you for reading this article i hope i gave you an Informative article, you can use it as a guide or idea about social media to educate your kids about the bad and good side of it.
You what do you think of the effect of social media to your kids? is it good or bad?
please comment down below i would love to read your answers :)
Yea bro present time social media very harmful young people and children. I am already subscribe you, please subscribe me...