{"id":1390,"date":"2019-07-19T04:42:11","date_gmt":"2019-07-19T04:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techmagazines.net\/?p=1390"},"modified":"2019-07-19T05:01:59","modified_gmt":"2019-07-19T05:01:59","slug":"positive-and-negative-effects-of-social-media-on-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.techmagazines.net\/positive-and-negative-effects-of-social-media-on-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media on Children"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

If you can\u2019t beat it, join it<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media<\/a> (SM) management skills are key to harness its positive power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author: Subbarayan R Pochi Ph.D. Director, Full Potential Learning Academy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology is a double-edged sword.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Technology is a powerful tool, that demands deft handling. The multiple social media channels<\/a> are the outcome of the 21st<\/sup> century\u2019s technological revolution. The easy access to technology (read SM) has handed over the communicative power from the hands of a few to all. Time and again, we have witnessed the power of SM that is credited with ushering in hitherto unimaginable societal changes. The latest case in point is, the student led movement by the Parkland high schoolers, following the Valentine\u2019s day massacre at their school.At a lightning speed, they mobilized students across the ideological spectrum from within and outside of the US to raise awareness against gun violence, urging them to actively participate in the government. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a systematic study, a group of 593 middle schoolers was polled for their SM activity. It was reported that 17% of the children, nine years or younger, had their own SM account. 40% reported the absence of adult supervision, and 40% befriended strangers on the web (Martin et. Al. 2018). The last two data call for the need of cyber-security education. The above reported numbers are distinct from the cellphone ownership among the K-12 students, which is upwards 89<\/a>%. The student participants further reported using social media to connect with their friends, share pictures, and find out about their social life. They indicated that Instagram (27%), SnapChat (25%) and YouTube (25%) as the preferred social media tools<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 2012 and 2018, the social media user base among the teenagers has more than doubled and a demographic shift is noticed among the various SM platforms. However unbelievable it might sound, 19% of the teens do not use SM and additional 19% are immune to SM influence (don\u2019t care).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a survey, about 73% of the teens check their SM more than once, while 43% of them constantly online. SM has reduced face to face (f2f) communication, but at the same time more than doubled SM communication. Below is a summary of a research report conducted by Common Sense<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Table 1: Demographic change in SM use profile between 2012 and 2018
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td>		Description<\/strong><\/td>2012<\/strong><\/td>2018<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
1<\/td>Social Media Users<\/td>34%<\/td>70%<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Smartphone\/mobile devices ownership<\/td>41%<\/td>93%<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>Snapchat users<\/td>No data<\/td>41%<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>Instagram users<\/td>No data<\/td>22%<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>Facebook users<\/td>No data<\/td>15%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n