Social media has become widely diffused and prevalent, gaining widespread public interest especially among the younger generations. The way we are connected with each other to transmit or receive information is shaped to a great extent by the means of social media. While there are many advantages social media offers, there are also drawbacks that younger generations need to avoid and be aware of.
Due to social media, people gain access to a wide range of facilities and attractions. They connect with their peers, no matter when and where they are, transcending the physical boundaries. They can also get access to trends, entertainment and events that take place elsewhere in the world.
Social media can also serve as a principal tool for people to express themselves, to be creative, and explore their identity. People can share their thoughts, practical knowledge, skill, practice, and creative and artistic aptitude with a wide range of audience within their own country or anywhere else in the world.
In addition, learning opportunities amongst young learners can be enhanced by social media. Students do not only have access to educational content, but they can also be mutually and reciprocally active by interactively connecting with experts with special skills and knowledge and mastery of subjects related to students’ interests.
However, there is also another dark side on the use of social media. The content put forth on social platforms is not always consistent with our values, morals and ethics. What is acceptable in one culture is not necessarily appropriate for another. While mature adults can weigh the information they come across, young children and teenagers could easily slip into bad habits and be influenced by what is shared in social media.
The downturns, which children and teenagers could be subjected to, include electronic posting of mean-spirited messages, mental health issues, lack of freedom from unauthorized intrusion concerns, and the condition of being presented to view inappropriate content.
As children’s brains are still developing, they are more vulnerable and open to online attacks and peer pressure. But children cannot be stopped at this age from navigating social media platforms. What parents and guardians need to do is to direct, supervise, and influence children while searching in these platforms.
Children should be shown how they make use of the advantages of social media, but parents have to set boundaries that indicates and fixes limits on which platforms their children could access and at what age.
Parents should also set limits on the time their children spend on watching or navigating social media daily. It is always important to manage the privacy settings on children’s devices so that limits are also set on the content acceptable to share or engage with, through the use of family accounts or shared devices. By so doing, parents ensure transparency and at same time instill a sense of obligation and willingness amongst their children to accept responsibility and to account for their actions
We need also to teach children that not all news shared online or through social media platforms are correct and should not share information not transmitted through official sources. Online activities of children need to be periodically checked while at the same time teaching children how to recognize fake news and incorrect or misleading information.
Children should be taught how to make informed decisions, as they should be advised to use information or social media activities which are consistent with their interests, values, and personal goals, rather than engaging in negative online interactions such as hurtful comments.
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