Current Events II - Social Media in Quarantine

The use of social media for children and its benefits has been a long debate. As we have fallen into a time of crisis during the global pandemic, what is allowing children to cope and maintain a strong mental health? Social media. For years, parents and teachers have worried about addiction to social media and overuse of technology and how it will affect the younger generation. For now, that argument is put aside, as social media is one of the only ways children and young people are able to cope and keep positive during such uncertain times. 

USA Today has written an article discussing the issue and how social media is helping children everywhere while stuck in quarantine. In the world of social distancing, these social medias “might end up being the thing that saves them” (USA Today). As children are stuck in their homes, they are still able to stay in touch with their friends, classmates, and keep themselves in high spirits, even as the world seems dreary. Along with the use of apps to keep in touch with friends, entertainment through media is also offered, such as movies on Netflix, or videos on youtube. As a kid, it is super hard to stay inside and not see your friends, especially when they might not understand the current events in the world happening around them. But through media use, it gives them a sense of normalcy, and can help in the increase in positivity in times such as these. 

As far as child development, the improvement in technology, communication, and media use makes it easy to continue on with learning for the school year, even in strange circumstances. Online learning programs, zoom meetings with classes, and educational videos online all allow for a continuation of educational growth.

Though it may be a concerning issue to professionals and teachers, social media use is acting as a saving grace for children of all ages to keep positive attitudes and retain normalcy and structure in their lives.

For more information, click here:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/04/12/coronavirus-kids-cope-pandemic-snapchat-tiktok-instagram/5126302002/

What The Experts Say I - Discussing Advantages and Disadvantages

As social media and internet use increases, experts weigh and measure the effects of media use on children. Now that media and technology have an increasingly important place in our society as it continues to develop, we have to review the benefits and disadvantages of children and what it means for future generations. The Journal of Post Grad Medicine reviews the effects of media and internet use on children in India as a result of internet use becoming public in the article "Internet for child mental health: Boon or bane." 

Because there are so many uses to technology, there are many different media types that allow for different uses. One potential advantage of media for children is the concept of online learning. Online learning has multiple advantages, especially compared to classes in person. Some of the following benefits include “flexibility and time, learning materials, and the pace and place of learning.”(Internet for child mental health) The article discusses how online learning accommodates many different types of learning styles, as well as facilitating different types of learning activities, and improves internet and computer skills. Another advantage mentioned would be the outlet of creativity allowed from the internet and social media platforms. The internet exposes children to "varied ideas and provides us with the means to express our creativity by allowing our potential to engage in a range of experiences" (Internet for child mental health). Means of expression and creativity are incredibly important, especially for young children. Using creativity is an outlet of imagination and can be such a happy experience for a child.

Medical professionals also viewed some of the negative effects of media use. One of the most important things in development for a child is creating relationships that advance their social skills. With technology now, “peer communication among adolescents has been depersonalized in recent times due to the replacement of face-to-face or voice-to-voice communication by writing an electronic medium" (Internet for child mental health). Along with underdeveloped social skills resulting in less face to face communication, children can also fall victim to racism, cyberbullying, or harassment online. “Some studies have shown that excessive use of computers can contribute towards obesity and poorly developed social skills" (Internet for child mental health).

The experts have revealed some potential dangers and benefits from children's use of online media and technology, which are all things that we as a society need to consider for future use of media by children.

For more information, click here to read the article cited:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6066623/

Current Events I - Online Safety during a Pandemic

One issue with the rise of social media is the risk of children's exposure to online predators. With the current pandemic, children are spending more time inside and on technology due to the stay at home orders and schools closing. The San Diego Union-Tribune shed light on the situation with their article titled "FBI warns of increased child-exploitation risks during COVID-19 crisis."

This article brings light to the idea that with schools closing, classes being online, and many families staying indoors to decrease their risk of contracting the deadly COVID-19 virus, many more children will be spending more time online, using social media apps to connect with friends, or to cure boredom. With many sexual predators online, it is important to make sure that young, impressionable children are maintaining online safety rules as the risk of children being preyed upon is now higher. It is important to realize that because of the rise of social medias, children now can expose themselves through profiles and pictures posted if the account is not private and regulated. If an account is not private, anyone, including predators and pedophiles, can view the images and posts of that child. 

The FBI has advised parents of children to take the following steps to increase online safety, listed and directly quoted in the article as followed: "

• Discuss internet safety with children
• Review and approve any games and apps before they are downloaded
• Make sure privacy settings are set to the strictest level possible for online gaming systems and other electronic devices
• Monitor children's use of the internet and keep computers in a non-private room.
• Check youngster's social-media profiles and what they post online
• Explain to children that images posted online most likely will remain on the internet permanently
• Make sure minors know that anyone who asks a child to engage in sexually explicit activity online should be reported to a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult, as well as law enforcement authorities.
• Teach children about personal boundaries and awareness of their surroundings
• Encourage open child-parent communication
• Be mindful of who is watching children during childcare and babysitting situations, and on such occasions as play dates and overnight visits with friends. "

For more information, read The San Diego Union-Tribune's article, linked below.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/story/2020-04-01/fbi-warns-of-increased-child-exploitation-risks-during-covid-19-crisis

The Issue of Children and the Media

As you reflect on your childhood, what do you remember? For me, I remember playing outside with my friends, chalk on the sidewalk, kickball in the street, and riding my bike from sun up to sun down. I used my imagination to keep myself busy, whether it was playing pirates on my swingset, or hunting for fairies in the woods. Technology was a rarity. My parents would monitor how much television I would watch, how much I would play on my Nintendo D.S., and how much time I had to play games on the computer.

As technology is becoming more widely available and children have more access at younger age, we need to consider what types of effects will this have on our current and future youth. Looking at kids growing up now, it seems as if their world revolves around their cellphones, what they are posting on instagram, or how many followers they have. The world has changed, and kids are less involved in the real world. 

In this blog, we will discuss the pros and cons of children and their use of media, and examine how the use of media will shape the future and effect the children using it. As an older sister, I find it interesting to see how different generations are using media, and how much it is shaping the youth, and who they are becoing as a generation. My younger sisters and I definitely grew up differently based on the way times have changed since I was a child. I believe it is important to shed light on the topic of children and media use as it has become such a large influence on the way that children learn and grow as people. The whole social world has shifted, and we need to determine whether or not exposure to media is helping children, or hurting them. 

https://mymusicalenglish.com/cell-phones-and-children/