Social media is quickly evolving in front of our eyes and it is almost impossible to reject

and hide from this new form of media. Not only is it an important part of socialization
within peer groups but now it is used to market and motivate people to become a part of
a larger community. It is undeniably changing the way one communicates and how one
finds and shares information. Most websites offer communication through the use of
Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and many various blog formats. With
new apps on smartphones and photography and video made digital, media can be
created, edited and shared quickly and once it is in this new digital cloud it is not yours
anymore. Through these new advances in technology one can share things about
themselves to the world to view, and prior to social media one would have to communicate
and share physically. These social media site offer adolescence new ways to access
communication and entertainment and the long-term effects are still unknown. For this
reason, it is imperative for parents to be more aware of this new media and what it offers
both good and bad for our children.

Five aspects of the use of social media:

 not many restrictions on creatively expressing oneself

 easy way to share information
 informal support of other’s work
 general understanding and respect of other people’s forms of expression
 an alternative way of socializing (Chau, 2010)

Positive Effects of Social Media on Children and Adolescents:

There are many ways social media can be used by youth in a positive way. It is not just
an avenue for socializing; kids and adolescents can be creative, interact, and learn (Chau,
2010). Social networking provides an alternative way to get students interested in
learning with a new and previously unconventional medium (Rosen, 2011). It can also
help with “homework and group projects” (Clark-Pearson, O’Keeffe, 2011).
Even though social media isn’t only used for social interaction, it is an important aspect
of adolescents’ lives. Social media provides an avenue for them to stay connected with
peers they have met through school, sports teams, church, etc. (Ito, 2008). Social
networking can also help shy adolescents have a more non-threatening way to interact
with peers because they aren’t interacting face-to-face (Rosen, 2011).

It also provides an opportunity for teens to connect with others who share a similar interest
(Ito, 2008). Social media sites can provide a place for adolescents to share their interests
in art, music, games and blogs with others (Clark-Pearson, O’Keeffe, 2011).

The teen years can be a challenging time, and social networks can be places for teens to
turn to for support and advice when going through challenging experiences (Nielsen,
2009). Adolescents who use Facebook have been shown to demonstrate more “virtual
empathy” (Rosen, 2011). Social networking can be a positive and somewhat easier way
for adolescents to get to know and become accepting of others from “diverse
backgrounds” (Clark-Pearson, O’Keeffe, 2011). As well as providing social support,
social media sites can also provide medical support. Adolescents can easily and
anonymously seek medical advice (Clark-Pearson, O’Keeffe, 2011).

Children and adolescents can impact their communities and even the world in amazing
ways. Social media provides them a variety of ways to go about making positive
change. Some examples are implementing fundraising campaigns and getting involved
in “political events” (Clark-Pearson, O’Keeffe, 2011).

Negative Effects of Social Media on Children and Adolescents:

Although there are many positive aspects of social media, the negative effects on children
and adolescents are also numerous. Social media can affect the mental health of
teens. The level of effect, according to research, seems to go up as teens’ use goes
up. Their level of contentment can decrease, and their likelihood of getting into trouble
or being depressed can increase (Rideout, 2010). Also, teens who use Facebook tend
to be more narcissistic, antisocial, and aggressive (Rosen, 2011).
Many forms of cyberbullying are also a problem and can lead to the victims experiencing
depression and anxiety. Cyberbullying has also been the cause of many suicides in
young people (Kowalski, 2009).

It is bad enough that there are adolescents who are victims of negative comments by
peers, but many are victimized by strangers as well. Many young online users are lured
by online sexual predators (Ybarra, 2007).

Because of adolescents and their parents being concerned about the above-mentioned
risks, more teens care about privacy issues (Youn, 2009). One problem concerning
privacy issues is that many adolescents are unaware of the privacy policies on the social
media websites they use (Cox, 2007).

Many adolescents are influenced by the powerful advertising they see on social media
sites, and it strongly influences their buying habits. Many of them are not aware that they
are individually targeted because the sites keep track of their habits and
demographics. These young people and their parents need to be aware of how they are
targeted so smarter choices can be made around their spending habits (Clark-Pearson,
O’Keeffe, 2011).

As with just about everything, social media should be used in moderation. Studies have
shown that adolescents and even college students who are on Facebook too much have
lower grades (Rosen, 2011).

However, I also agree that social media pervades all aspects of modern society, and it
has become an imperative for us as educators -- and parents -- to model appropriate
digital citizenship to even our youngest learners. Do I really believe that toddlers should
have Twitter handles? Not really. But we do need to introduce children to the virtual, social
world around them in appropriate and meaningful ways.

Why?
I have worked with and spoken to dozens of educators who strongly feel that engaging in
social media is irrelevant for them because of their students' age. These are wonderful
elementary school teachers who value effective technology integration, yet when it comes
to social media, concerns include:

 Students already have enough screen time.

 Students need to be able to communicate in person.

 Students don't need to know about social media at this point -- it isn't age
appropriate.

If we honestly think about it, we were all taught the "social media" of our time in early
elementary school. Remember the friendly letter? How about thank you notes?
Telephone etiquette? In early grades, none of us were expected to master these skills
independently, but they were integrated into our curriculum so that effective social
behavior could be modeled at a young age.

As I said, I agree. However, if used effectively, social media can transform a student's
learning experience. Here are three examples from classrooms that also agree, but who
also leverage social media to extend the learning context, model effective communication,
and empower young students to develop their voice.
1.The Effects of Social Media on
Children
JUNE 6, 2012 ANGELAB LEAVE A COMMENT

The Effects of Social Media on Children

By Angela Barnes and Christine Laird

2.TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

Introducing Social Media to Elementary

Students
By Beth Holland
June 18, 2013

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/introducing-social-media-lower-elementary-beth-holland