Have you ever wondered about the effects of social media on students? This is a topic that many parents have pondered. With school back in full force now, it’s a good time to get a refresher on the effects of letting your kids have social media. The term “students” for this particular post is in regards to high school, middle school, and even elementary-age students.
By the time you are finished reading this, you will have a better idea of the impacts of social media on students, both positive and negative. Let’s face it. Social media isn’t all bad or all good. Letting your child be active on social media requires you to make the right decision for your family. Hopefully, you’ll get a better idea of which decision to make based on the information we discuss here.
As a parent, it's important to stay up-to-date on the latest social media trends and how they're impacting your children. Here's what you need to know.Click To TweetIMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON STUDENTS
Before we get into the impacts and pros and cons of social media for students, let’s get down to the facts and statistics related to social media and kids.
How Many Kids Are On Social Media?
Social Media is a big part of life for Generation Z (those born in the mid-1990s to 2010). Over 60 million Gen Z’ers are on social media today. That means that over 94% of people in this age group have at least one social media account.
Generation Alpha (those born 2010 through 2025) is a bit different in their social media use because they are much younger. However, 1 in 10 generation alphas are expected to work in social media as they become adults.
So yes, social media is a huge part of the lives of young people, and we must be prepared to learn
Positive Effects of Social Media on Students
Socialization
As we mentioned before, 94% of generation Z is on social media, which means that a lot of socialization is done online. Social media can be a great way for students to connect with like-minded peers.
Educational Opportunities
The internet is full of information, and much of it can be used for educational purposes. YouTube, for example, offers countless learning and educational videos that students of all ages can benefit from.
Improved Technical Skills
Let’s face it. Our kids live in a technical world. They need technical skills for just about everything these days and more than likely in the future. The use of social media can help to boost these required technical skills.
Negative Effects of Social Media on Students
Risk of Bullying
Social media, unfortunately, can be used as a tool for bullies. Oftentimes, educators state that students will come to school complaining of bullying that is happening from other students, but through social media.
Additionally, students who seek attention and thrive off of drama will often do so online, creating issues for many other students in the process.
It Can Hurt or Cause Issues for Immature Students
Social media requires a certain maturity level, and not all students have developed the appropriate maturity level for using social media.
Impacts Productivity
Social media users of all ages can lose productivity while using social media. Students need to understand that their focus cannot solely be on social media. Rather, it can be a small part of their day.
Socialization
Yes, socialization is on the positive and negative list. The fact is that, yes, kids can socialize online, but many times you’ll see kids using social media socialization as a substitute for regular in-person socialization.
Risk of Predators
We should all understand that social media (as well as other online activity) opens us up to the risk of online predators of all sorts. Whether sexual predators, financial predators, or more, internet users of all ages need to be aware. When it comes to kids and social media, awareness needs to be magnified, and everyone needs to be on board with watching out for these risks.
There is no way for the sites themselves to regulate these risks, and it’s important to monitor your children’s social media usage closely.
Should You Let Your Child Have Social Media?
Whether or not you allow your child to be on social media is absolutely up to you. There are benefits to allowing it, but there are some pretty significant risks too. I think that the best thing that you can do is weigh the pros and cons and decide what is best for your child and for your family.
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