Kids & Social Media: The Good and the Bad

Facebook/Think, Grow, Create

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat.  The list goes on.  Social media is everywhere.  Kids today seemed to be consumed by it. My thoughts about kids of all ages using social media is mixed. 

On one hand, it's not going away and I think it is a losing battle to try and limit kids viewing and posting about their lives online.  I understand that it is their way of hanging out with their friends. It's how they learn about and explore the world around them.  On the flip, side I believe social media negatively affects kids ability to focus and attend to school work and life in general.  As a parent, I find it much more difficult to engage with my teens at home. Their noses are constantly pointed at their phone or laptop. 

I just read an article called "The Pros & Cons of Children on Social Media" and I want to share some interesting tidbits the article points out. Here is the run down:

The Cons

• kids are exposed to a lot stuff like bullying, and potential predators.
• kids and often with the help of their parents lie about age to get an account

The Pros

• proficient social media users are able to discern between the fake stuff and what is fact
• they are more passionate about social issues
• they are more likely to engage in politics
• they are able to more easily connect with others that share similar beliefs and opinions
• allows those that are more introverted by nature to engage with others in a safe way

When you think about it, the pros and cons of kids and social media balance out like in most things.   The article states, and I agree, that the difference is in giving kids healthy boundaries and supervision.  I would also add that teaching our kids about media literacy (how to discern what is safe and accurate info opposed to what are scams, and "fake news") and how to protect their online reputation ensure their having life long beneficial social media experiences.