Why Do People Who Made Social Media Don’t Let Their Children Use It?
Technology has enabled the world to change more in the last two decades than in the previous century. We live in a digital age where almost everything is online and connected. Thanks to social media, people can keep in touch with their friends and family and keep in touch with information around the world. While social media can be useful we are also becoming aware of negative effects of social media, especially on young children. Did you know that parents who work for the top tech firms in Silicon Valley restrict social media usage or even forbid their children from using those apps and devices? Being a parent that is invested in my and other children’s future I decided to explore this.
Tech Executives that Ban Or Limit Social Media
Did you know that Waldorf Schools, schools that ban technology until grade 8, are more popular in Silicon Valley than anywhere else in US? CNBC reported that 2/3 of the parents whose children attend Waldorf schools in California are employed by the tech industry.
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs didn’t allow their kids to use technology until later in their teens and this was before YouTube shorts and TikTok existed.
Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, has banned his son from having a cell phone or watching TV.
Snapchat cofounder and CEO Evan Spiegel himself grew up not watching TV as a kid, and has said it forced him to read, build things, and think for himself. He told the Financial Times that he wants to pass on the same benefits to his daughter. He limited her screen time to 1.5 hours a week when she was 8 years old.
The list goes on and on, but what is important to conclude is that these parents have access to a lot of information about the impact of social media on young grains.
What Are the Negative Effects of Social Media on children?
Social media can be an amazing tool for connecting with friends and family and entertainment, but it can also have negative effects on children’s behaviour. There has been a lot of reported evidence that young people who spend a lot of time on social media are more likely to have low self-esteem, poorer mental health, and more difficulties making friends in the real world. This can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.
Social Media is Isolating
One way that social media affects children is by making them feel lonely. American Journal of Preventative Medicine published research that shows that kids are more likely to experience feelings of loneliness when they spend a lot of time online. They may also feel disconnected from their friends, family, and community because they don’t see them in person as often as they would like.
Social media makes us less motivated to be physically and mentally active.
Social media is designed to be addictive, the more time we spend on it the more money the platforms make from advertisers. I can spend hours scrolling through my version of cat videos. Too much time spent scrolling leads to neglecting other tasks like eating healthy meals or exercising. Physical activity is incredibly important because it releases endorphins, chemicals that are linked to lowering the perception of pain and feeling positive and energized. I’ve noticed firsthand how my children’s mood changes when I give them too much screen time compared to when we spend time being active.
Online Pressure and Bullying
Another problem with social media is that it can make kids feel pressured to look a certain way. They may feel insecure about their appearance if they see all of the “perfect” people posting pictures of themselves all the time. This pressure can lead to poor self-image and body-image issues.
One of my kids favourite shows on YouTube is a family that travels the world and has epic adventures every day of their life. It’s not a possibility for every mom and dad to quit their jobs to become YouTubers and take their kids on a round-the-world road trip. Unfortunately, kids may not fully understand that and our family life can seem quite boring and frustrating compared to their favourite YouTubers.
Social media also has the potential to cause cyberbullying and depression and even suicide among young people. This is because it allows bullies to target their victims without fear of getting caught or being held accountable for their behaviour.
Social Know about negative effect They Have on Our children.
In 2021 we found out about the internal research conducted at Instagram that confirms the negative effects it has especially on teenage girls. However, instead of dealing with the issue Instagram planned the launch of Instagram for Kids until the US Congress got involved.
Can Social Media be Beneficial to Children?
I think that there are benefits to social media, especially when it comes to education and communication. I often use YouTube to find answers to my kids’ endless questions. My daughter uses Messenger for Kids to keep in touch with her cousins and school friends. Scratch, the coding platform we use to teach coding, has a social media component where students can share their code and get inspired by the creations of others. I think this aspect of collaboration is a beneficial tool and inspires students to stretch their learning.
What are Some strategies for managing your child’s social media usage?
My wife and I believe that there are benefits to our children using technology. Admittedly, sometimes we just need a 30 min break from endless questions or siblings rivalry. Also, just like us our kids have needs for mindless entertainment and there is no harm in that if managed well. So in our household we try to strike a balance and here are some strategies we utilize.
Create limits on how much screen time your child has. In addition to making it age dependant, tie it to their goals. At our home our kids can earn 30 min of Disney+ or Minecraft by doing chores, practicing music, reading, or other educational activities.
Monitor their social media usage. I wouldn’t leave my kids out of sight downtown similarly I monitor what they do on their devices. There is no shame in that but it may get challenging when they are older. By then the rules will change for going downtown and social media.
Educate your kids about the dangers of social media usage so that they can fully understand your rules around them. I believe that my kids appreciate that I keep them safe and that boundaries are an important aspect of it. While we often negotiate abut how much screen time they are allowed on a particular day this also teaches us to debate and come up with a solution that is good for all of us.
We don’t don’t strive for perfection and our rules are evolving with our children. Some days we are winning and then we get humble fast. Parenting is hard and and that is fine. We know that over the course of our parenting lives everything will balance just fine and our kids will be well rounded humans.