Social media allows young people to connect, express themselves, and share content. It has created a new cultural paradigm that is driving technology and businesses and changing how people communicate. Social media is a dual-edged sword. Social media has many positive aspects but can also negatively impact young people.
Social media apps require users to be at least thirteen years old. In a recent survey, parents revealed that 50% of 10-12-year-old children use social media apps, and 33% are 7-9 years old.
If your child is using social media or has been asking, you need to talk to them about social media. What rules do you have? How does it not always reflect the truth of someone’s life?
Dr. Eshleman said that social media “makes it easy to compare yourself to another.” “Most people only want what they want to see on social media. Social media allows us to access infinite information whenever we need it, which can make it very difficult for kids.
Television was the first source of electronic media for children in the past. In the past, research has revealed that there are two critical points to media use.
Now media is everywhere. It is right in your pocket or purse with your smart phone. Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, etc., are becoming increasingly interactive. Education programming. Each of these options has unique risks and benefits.
How often do you watch media? Screen Time refers to how long you spend viewing media. Screen time is linked to poor sleep, obesity, behavioral problems, poor school performance, and poor sleep. An old recommendation was to limit screen time to less than 2hrs per day.
What do you watch? Violent programs and games can cause children to become more sensitive and encourage poor behavior. Some programs can promote alcohol, drugs, or sex use and abuse.
Social Media. Social media can promote learning, networking, and friendships when used correctly. Face Time, Skype, and other social media can be used to help children keep in touch with family and friends and create relationships. Social media can sometimes get in the way when it’s introduced too early. It is crucial to help children use the internet and social media safely. This is digital citizenship.
Education games, programs, and apps. Programming encouraging creativity, music, and art can be an excellent choice for teens and children. Media that encourage family discussion about news events and the news can be beneficial. Kids will enjoy content-appropriate games that encourage real-life turn-taking and social interaction. It would help if you avoided programs that are too fast-paced and violent for your children. They can cause problems in their development and health.
Why Limit Media Use?
Digital media overuse can put your children at high risk.
Too little sleep
Too much media exposure can interrupt sleep. Teens and kids exposed too often to media or have a mobile phone, computer, or TV in their bedroom tend to fall asleep earlier at night and sleep less. Even babies can become over stimulated by screens and may miss the sleep they need. The effects of light exposure (especially blue light) on sleep can cause disruptions or delays.
Obesity
A TV in the bedroom or excessive screen use can increase the chance of obesity. Children 4-9 years of age are more likely to be obese if they spend more than 1.5 hours per day watching television. Teens that spend more than 5 hours a day watching TV are five times more likely overweight than those who care between 0 and 2 hours. Watching TV while eating and snacking can lead to obesity. Children who consume too much media are less likely to be active and play with their bodies.
Learning and social skills are affected by delays. Too much TV can cause learning, attention, thinking, and language delays. They may not interact as often with their parents or family members. Parents who don’t turn off the TV or spend too much time using their digital media miss out on precious opportunities to communicate with their children and help them learn.
Poor school performance
Kids and teens are more likely to use entertainment media while doing homework. Multitasking can affect their performance in school.
Behavior problems
Violent and disturbing TV or screen content can cause children behavior problems.
Problematic Internet Use
Children who spend too much time online may risk developing an additive behavior called inappropriate web use. Internet gaming disorder is possible for heavy video gamers. They spend the most time online and are less interested or able to form relationships with people in real life. Both the high- and low-ends of Internet usage may increase depression risk.
Risqué behaviors
Teens are often seen on social media displaying risky behavior, such as substance abuse, sexual behaviors, and self-injury. This is because teens are exposed to alcohol, smoking, or sexual behaviors through media earlier.
Sexting and predators
Sexting is when you send or receive sexually explicit images or videos using a smartphone. About 19% have sent sexual photos to others. Teens need to be aware of the fact that once content has been shared, they may not have the ability to delete it. Privacy settings are not recommended for children. Online games, chat rooms, and social networking are all ways for sex offenders to contact and exploit children.
Cyberbullying
 Children online may be victims of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying may cause long-term and short-term social, academic, or health problems for both the bully and the victim. Programs to stop bullying can reduce cyberbullying.
There Are Some Options For Parents To Help Reduce The Impact Of These Marketing Campaigns.
Limit your television viewing time, and encourage more physical and hands-on activity.
Children can discuss with their parents the food ads to encourage critical thinking. Children need parents to be present for at least some time they watch.
Parents can reduce the viewing time of their youngest children to pre-recorded content that eliminates ads.
Children should be exposed to programs that encourage healthy lifestyles. The positive influences of media, including television, can positively impact children. The best way to avoid issues is to start young. Here are some tips for quality watches.
Disney Junior’s Tasty Time: ZeFronk
CuttyTV Cooking Show with Cutty
Conclusions
The main effects of media exposure include increased violence and aggressive behavior, increased high-risk behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco consumption, and increased sexual activity. Even though the latest media forms aren’t well studied, the concern can be justified by the apparent extension of previous research on other media forms and the amount of time the average child spends with sophisticated media.