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How does Social Media Influence the Lives of Our Children?

Wednesday, 15 June 2011 01:17 Pediatrics
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Social media sites such as Facebook, My Space, Twitter, Club Penguin, the Sims, you tube and blogs are increasingly becoming omnipresent. More and more children are incorporating them in their daily routine. According to a report published in April 2011 issue of Pediatrics, about 22% of teens log on to their favorite site at least 10 times daily. Fifty percent of adolescents visit one of these sites at least once a day. Seventy five percent of teenagers own a cell phone of which 25% use it to visit a social media site, 54% use it for texting while 24% use it for instant messaging. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “a large part of this generation’s social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones”.

 
Not all parents are comfortable with these new forms of social networking, which have become such an important part of their children’s lives. They may be lacking the technological knowledge or the time required to keep pace with these new technologies. This may result in a gap between the way the parents and children connect with each other.
 
A few of these social networking sites may help the children by enhancing communication, social connection, community involvement and even technical skills. But, there are many pitfalls in this form of socialization. Not all of the sites provide healthy environments for children and adolescents. Some of the dangers of this form of social networking include cyberbullying, online harassment, sexting, exposure to targeted advertisements and “Facebook depression”. The children may get addicted to Internet with consequent sleep deprivation. They are at an enhanced risk of falling prey to these dangers because of their susceptibility to peer pressure, lack of understanding of online privacy issues and their limited capacity for self regulation.
 
According to the AAP, it is important for the parents to evaluate the sites which their children are visiting and whether they are appropriate for their age. Certain social media sites have stipulated 13 years as the minimum age for participation, keeping in mind the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. It is important for the parents to ensure that these age policies are respected. Pediatricians can also play an important role in educating families about the complexities of the virtual world and the social and health issues that may arise because of it.
 
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Last Updated on Monday, 20 June 2011 12:14