Technology is becoming cheaper and easier to use day by day. It is more widely available than ever, which is one of the biggest factors why a lot of kids and teenagers are now able to access the world of the internet, especially social media.
Social websites and chatting apps have grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, which is both fruitful and harmful at the same time.
Wondering how? We are here to answer this question. In this article, we are going to list down and discuss all the major pros and cons of social media for kids and teenagers, so make sure to read it till the end.
Without any further delay, let’s get into it!
Pro: Social Media Can Be Informative
Considered one of the biggest sources of information and knowledge in today’s world, social media can be extremely useful for the education of teenagers and young children. There may be a variety of different questions that usually arise in young minds, the answers to which aren’t available in any coursebook or school curriculum. However, the information they are looking for could be available on social media and this could help them grow mentally and emotionally. They may also come across advice from professionals of different fields if they are active participants of social media communities and groups.
Con: It Could Put a Bad Influence on Young Minds
While discussing the major pros and cons, it is important to mention here that social media isn’t the real world, which a lot of young children and teenagers fail to realize. They start judging themselves through their own social profiles and how they are interacting on social media or how many likes and followers they have. This often makes them forget about their actual personalities, which often puts a bad influence on young minds. If they don’t get enough likes or comments on their posts, they think people don’t like them, which could be very disturbing for them. However, this is not true, their real personalities can’t be defined by their social media profiles.
Pro: A Good Way to Introduce Them to the World of Online Business
When you are browsing through your social media feed, you get a lot of advertisements and different types of content related to the world of marketing and business. There are some facts even adults aren’t aware of. Knowing about marketing, business, and how people are actually earning money through social media and the internet legitimately isn’t bad for young kids and teenagers. Who knows they may also want to pursue a career on social media by becoming vloggers, bloggers, mentors, or even an influencer. So, keep an eye on their activities, but don’t stop or discourage them if they express their desire of earning money through social media.
Con: Beware of Social Media Addiction
Like every other thing in this technological world, social media has its downsides and some of them could be very harmful if not timely controlled. Social media addiction is one of the biggest things that worry parents, and rightly so. It could become a huge distraction in terms of education and schooling of young children and teenagers, causing them to perform poorly in the classroom and even exams. This could ultimately have a very negative impact on their grades and overall educational growth. Kids may miss some of the most important moments of their lives by getting too much involved in social media. This is where parents need to keep a proper check and balance.
Pro: Could Make Young People More Creative
Talking about the major pros and cons of social media, we couldn’t help but agree that social media is the world of creative and inventive people. There are many different groups and communities on various popular social media platforms like Facebook where people talk about their goals and achievements all the time. They even encourage other people to be a part of the discussion and that is how new ideas come rolling in and help a community grow in various aspects. Teenagers and young kids who actively participate on such platforms tend to be more creative and productive because each day they learn something new about the world around them.
Con: A Major Source of Unwanted Attention
When you put something on social media, people start reacting and commenting on it. There are often times when people disagree with you or with your situation and leave harsh comments on your posts. This type of negativity and unwanted attention is often hard to digest even for adults, so imagine what it could do to the minds of young adults and children. So, it is really important for parents to be aware of what their kids are posting on social media and how they are interacting with others on the platform. This is how you’ll be able to manage and subside even the worst possible situation before things go out of control.
Pro: Increase Their Thinking Capacity
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the internet and social media have made the world a global village. Digital platforms have become some of the biggest sources of knowledge and information in today’s world, which inspire young minds to think and grow. When they go through a lot of different posts, viewpoints, and comments shared by people from different parts of the world, it allows them to think more and usually has a very positive influence on their mental capacity. Social media allows them to be a part of international debates and dialogues, which could also be good for their educational growth.
Con: Makes Kids Vulnerable to Cyber Bullying
One of the most dangerous things and probably the biggest con of using social media is the phenomenon of cyberbullying, which could seriously affect young minds, especially if they are too much involved in the virtual world. People won’t mind spreading cruel lies, blaming and accusing each other when they are behind the keyboard. It could be very disturbing for kids and teenagers. They would start hesitating to be a part of family get-togethers and other types of social gatherings. This is why it is necessary for parents to keep a regular check on their online presence. Don’t hesitate to ask them questions if you notice a sudden change in their behavior. Teens normally bully each other, but you can stop them before someone gets hurt. Social media can also have a negative impact on anyone’s health and wellbeing, so make sure to warn your kids about its addiction and potential dangers.
On the basis of these pros and cons, you can decide whether social media is good for your kids or not. You just don’t have to completely restrict young children and teenagers from using social media as it is beneficial in many ways, instead, limit the time they spend on it to balance the situation.
