In today’s time, technology is essential in today’s society. Kids as young as 5 years old walk around with their cell phones. At what age is it too young to have social media? Even though social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram are very well-used apps it is not healthy for the growth of students’ minds. These platforms are changing the way a child’s brain is developing in such a negative manner that these apps should not be being accessed by young children.
According to research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 95% of teenagers from 13 to 17 along with 40% of kids ages 8 to 12 use social media. The content to which students are being exposed states that 2 out of 3 of the posts these kids are seeing are hate-based and/or negative.
Many people are using social media to view other people’s profiles and keep up with what they are doing, but in reality, that’s not what they end up doing. Viewing a psychologist’s statement Kate Eshleman says, “Social media makes it easy to compare oneself to another.” There’s no doubt that these platforms are making it easy for young kids to view other people’s lives and what they have and then to want it for themselves. This is very unhealthy for kids’ growth, as youth should be growing into their individuals and not feeling like they need to look or be a certain way.
Cleveland Clinic digs deeper and it finds that 11 to 15 kids, specifically girls, are relaying that they are addicted to social media. As girls naturally show their emotions on the outside more than boys they are more likely to care what others are saying. Their own opinion of what they are wearing or saying comes from what other people think and it pushes them from thinking what they want to always comparing themselves. On another factor, 6 out of 10 girls have recorded that they have been contacted by strangers. At the middle school age kids are not sure of what to do if this were to happen.
Looking at social media as a whole and combining middle schoolers; the changes in kids are astonishing. It states that medically it increases irritability, anxiety, depression, and sleep issues, along with a lack of self-esteem, and concentration. The largest time of growth for a person is in their middle school years because they are trying to figure out who they are and when they have social media persuading their opinion it is not who they are but who they want to be.
Taking a peek in another effect, it has increased the number of people who have committed or attempted suicide. According to the National Library of Medicine, increased social media use can be connected to an increase in self-harm, with 79% of adolescents having considered suicide or self-harm in 2018.
Students in middle school should be having fun and focusing on their friends. Kids should not have to worry about themselves but instead, try to figure out who they are. Keeping Social Media away from middle schoolers will allow kids to continue to be kids.
