In the technology-driven world people are living in today, it is nearly impossible to isolate yourself from social media.
Nearly everybody is involved in social media and many see its effects on people, some of which feel that it should be eliminated. Are children being harmed by mere exposure to apps such as TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat?
Many individuals feel that young people need to be pushed away from the internet and that they don’t have to be involved in it.
A study from the University of Michigan found that “Youth recommended that early adolescents receive their first phone between 12 and 13 years of age primarily for reasons of necessity”.
Though the reason for receiving a phone may be for necessity, along with that comes entertainment and social media, and that is for people of all ages.
The kinds of things put onto the internet on social media apps are not filtered, if they are, it is for a more mature audience. With that, sensitive content will be shown to people that is not always appropriate, and that needs to be monitored for the safety of children.
Senior Jimmy Olbrich explains, “I feel that children should not have social media because they are not responsible and to be trusted with social media because children can post and see stuff that is inappropriate and it would not be good for children to have”.
Parents providing their children phones may be used for many beneficial reasons, such as safety, and school work. On the other hand, it can be used to expose your children to content not suitable for their age and websites that give sensitive information.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry shows, “Surveys show that ninety percent of teens ages 13-17 have used social media. Seventy-five percent report having at least one active social media profile, and 51% report visiting a social media site at least daily. Two-thirds of teens have their own mobile devices with internet capabilities. On average, teens are online almost nine hours a day, not including time for homework.”
Phone use in schools is a problem that is quite obvious to anybody, there are times when people are not attentive to the teacher whatsoever, even though the reason they’re there is to learn. Phones and entertainment clutch our time, leaving less time for homework and many other crucial tasks.
Social media usage among young children is a looming problem, and it needs to be addressed, or it may be too late to take on this massive issue.
