Social media tends to have a stronger impact than most of us realize at times. If there’s difficulty in adults imagine the difficulty children have dealing with the adverse effects of social media. There are some pros and cons of using social media among children and adolescence which I will cover in this blog post. Highlighting specific diagnoses that may be developed through the use of social media in a harmful way.
Some pros of using social media among children and adolescents is being able to engage with each other outside of a school setting (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). This would also involve an opportunity of enhancing individual and collective creativity among each other (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). There are some risks of using social media among children and adolescents which include, online harassment, and cyberbullying (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). “Facebook depression,” has also been introduced by researchers and is defined by depression that develops from being on social media too often (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Facebook depression may happen because during adolescence acceptance is very important and social media may play a role in triggering these events (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011).
To prevent a lot of the cons that come with using social media in a harmful way, families must actively be involved and a part of the process. The authors suggest that pediatricians play an active role in advising families on specific issues kids may face during day-to-day activities (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011) . Keeping in mind that everything should not be taken at face value that we see on social media because as stated in our reading this week things may be misinterpreted (Kruger et al., 2005).
In conclusion, there are many impacts that social media has on all of us depending on the way that we use it. If we overuse social media and take things that we see on there from others the wrong way from misinterpretation it can really have a damaging effect on our mental health. Social media is one of those things that’s never going to go away so we must learn coping skills to help us and take a break when needed.
Kruger, J., Epley, N., Parker, J., & Ng, Z. (2005). Egocentrism over e-mail: Can we communicate as well as we think? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(6), 925-936. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.89.6.925
O’Keeffe, G. S., & Clarke-Pearson, K. (2011). The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. Pediatrics, 127(4), 800–804. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-0054
I really enjoyed reading your post and the similarities and differences between yours and mine since I discussed social media as well. I think the information you included about the cons dealing with children and the media is very important information that needs to be spread in order to get a handle on these issues. I think your communication between sources and your own opinion made for a very well written piece by showing multiple sides of this topic. In my post I also included information about how families need to get involved and be more aware of these problems since it can lead to issues down the road that are difficult to fix. Social media is great when it is used the correct way but can be harmful if used incorrectly as there are many instances of this daily.
Social media has become an addiction for many teens, adults and even children. There are numerous social media platforms such as instagram, snapchat, twitter, and tiktok which are used by every age group. In fact many people have also made social media their primary source of income. Altogether, social media can be seen to have both positive and negative affects.
For instance, since October, “more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip” (More Than 29,000 Palestinians Have Been Killed in Gaza Since War’s Start, Health Ministry Says, 2024). Mothers are losing their children and children are losing their families one by one. We have heard the cries of children losing their parents everyday. We have heard the cries of parents losing their children everyday due to this genocide. Many countries including America have been funding Israel to support this on-going genocide. However, in these dark times, social media has shown Falestinians a bit of hope. It has allowed people to raise awareness about the genocide in Palestine and even boycott many products.
Clearly, social media has the ability to unite groups of people. It allows individuals to be a voice for those who are helpless and unable to stand up for themselves. It allows individuals to make a difference by raising awareness and standing up for whats right. Falestinians have been suffering since October of 2023. Over 2 million of them have already been displaced. Food, water, clothing, shelter, and hospitals have all been taken away from them. If this is not enough to question our humanity, then what is?
How many more Falestinians have to die before this genocide ends? How many more innocent children both born and unborn have to die for this genocide to end? Are Falestinians not entitled to human rights? Social media does have its negative affects but it has been the only voice for Falestinians.
Resources :More than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since war’s start, health ministry says. (2024, February 19). PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/more-than-29000-palestinians-have-been-killed-in-gaza-since-wars-start-health-ministry-says