29 Aug 2017

Are Social Media Apps for School Kids?

Social media is flooding with all kinds of stories, opinions, and entertainment. We all enjoy it and proactively take part in it.

But it becomes a challenge for parents to address this maturely when it comes to their kids using apps. Parents always wonder 'Whether to let your kids access to all such apps like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube etc.?' and at the same time 'How to keep them away from sexting, cyber bullying or new age syndrome, i.e. FOMO (fear of missing out)?'

Social Media is bringing millions of personalities under one roof, whether they are real or fake. It is a very good medium of staying in touch with your friends or frenemies and peeking into someone's life (at least the social media life) without their knowledge. Doesn't it sound like a magic wand to 90's kids? Our lives would have been a tad bit different if we knew a little more about our old crush or rival.

Let's come back to our conversation. Just try thinking from your little one's point of view. Accept it or not, but we do live in this era where social media apps are a huge part of our daily lives (thanks to good marketing and innovation).

As per Annual Report shared by a creative agency 'We Are Social' from Netherlands, the agency has researched on world's population. The study states that the world population is approximately 7.524 billion and the active social media users are 40% of the total count which is around 3.028 billion users and still counting . The challenge lies in the stats itself. How will you keep your child away from this craze?

Let's make a quick list of pros and cons to make it simpler. Pros:

  • Socially and ethically strong : Spending time online is educating kids. They are aware of the social and technical activities happening related to their interest. They have an opportunity to participate, interact and exchange feedbacks with other. This directly or indirectly makes them stronger and boost their confidence.

  • Kids interact with one another and communicate more than ever.

  • Kids can network around the globe. It has become easier for kids to make friends all over the world, research on different cultures and pick up the best ideas and hobbies without even meeting them.

  • Social media does make kids feelings -oriented , they sympathize, empathize, like, love and comment on various content and posts of their friends and families.

  • A bad mood can transform into a good mood by communicating virtually.

Cons:

  • Social media addiction: Constant peeping in your apps. This could get their focus away from studies and outdoor sports activities.

  • Studies at UCLA's Brain Mapping Center shown that being 'liked' on social media activates the reward centers of the brain. This probably explains the youth inclination towards social media, since their reward center is sensitive during young age.

  • Spending more time on social media can cause teen into depression due to cyber bullying, comparison among peers, less face-to-face activities and no real-life experience.

  • FOMO or Fear of missing out could become a constant feeling which leads to anxiety and stress among teenagers.

I agree with both the sides of the coin. The debate on this could go on and on. If you choose to keep your children away from the web stuff, you need to bound some ground rules for them and give them the knowledge source (books, travel etc) apart from studies and entertainment opportunities as compared to others clinging on social media.

And, if you choose to allow your kids on social media apps, make sure that they use privacy settings, be responsible towards their posts, respectful to everyone and keep private details private from strangers. In the end, the choice is yours depending upon your trust towards your children and their wisdom towards righteousness. Parents should communicate and discuss all these points with their children and take a wise and mutual decision.

BluEnt is a mobile app design company which has a dedicated team of developers, designers, and experienced technology consultants. SameSwag is one of the entertainment app created by us where one can search swaggers with the same hobbies around their locality, socialize and plan events together.  If you have an idea, reach out to us!

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Bluent Tech. "Are Social Media Apps for School Kids?" CAD Evangelist, Aug. 29, 2017, https://www.bluent.net/blog/social-media-apps-for-kids-or-not/.

Bluent Tech. (2017, August 29). Are Social Media Apps for School Kids?. Retrieved from https://www.bluent.net/blog/social-media-apps-for-kids-or-not/

Bluent Tech. "Are Social Media Apps for School Kids?" Bluent Tech https://www.bluent.net/blog/social-media-apps-for-kids-or-not/ (accessed August 29, 2017 ).

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