(submitted by Intern Shayla – August 2018)
According to dictionary.com social media are websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. Social
media has its pros and cons when it comes to development of teens. Statistics
say that 75% of American teens have social media profiles. 51% of teens visit
social media sites on a daily.
Using social media can be a good experience. However, some aspects may not be beneficial while our teenagers are developing. Even as an adult we can experience the negative influences of social media, so we can only imagine the impact that can have for teenagers. We should find ways to discuss the effects of social media with our teens. They will begin to understand the pros and cons and find a proper balance for the use of social media.
**For additional information on apps, follow this link:
https://smartsocial.com/app-guide-parents-teachers
(Social media changes daily so this link could change details.)
Pros
Social networking helps with connections and learning valuable technical skills.
Having people listen to you through your post. Getting retweets andmaking statuses can raise in confidence and self esteem.
When someone shares positive things such as working out and eating well, that can influence and motivate others
to follow trends.
Special talents and skills can be discovered through
social media. Teens may also gain access to valuable local information like job postings.
Study shows that four hours per day of online time is more beneficial than no screen time.
Provides unlimited information to keep informed on different things going on in the world.
Cons
Too many hours spent scrolling through social media
can lead to losing valuable sleep.
This can lead to grades dropping and over eating.
Can cause envy when dwelling on what someone else has possessed or has experienced that they, themselves have not. Remind teens that people tend to post only the
positive things they experienced.
When writing online you can not see facial expressions or hear tones of voice.These can cause problems with people being misunderstood.
UCLA’s brain mapping center states that teen’s brains become activated from getting “likes”. It releases dopamine in the brain, which is equivalent to winning
the lottery.This causes a craving for more and more
access to social media.
Makes teens vulnerable to sexting, cyberbullying and
peer pressure.
Can take a toll on mental health! For some teenagers it can become addicting. Depression, anxiety and loneliness are negative behavioral symptoms due to decrease
in social activities and social pressures.
Try to have a healthy conversation with your child about the different apps they are exploring. Also ask them to keep a log of how much time they are actually using while exploring social media. We encourage you to make your own pros and cons list with your child to help them better understand both the positive and negative impact social media can have, and how to use social media responsibly.
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