How Social Media Is Changing The Next Generation

Kids these days have become slaves of their techie devices. Whether it is an iPad, iPhone, tablet PC or laptop, the young ones won’t be able to leave the house without their gadgets. And even if they are at home, they are usually in front of the pc talking to their friends via Skype, playing online games or posting blogs. Looking at this, social media definitely has a big impact amongst the next generation. In fact, it has already become a part of their daily lives.

My niece, who is currently in middle school, cannot end the day without checking her Facebook page. My brother and sister-in-law are actually worried that she might be spending too much time in the internet. Although they have already set rules when it comes to the use of the internet during school days, kids today will always find a way around it.

Social media has certainly changed the way kids, and even adults, meet, socialize, communicate and interact with people. With the accessibility and convenience offered by social networking sites, meeting new people from around the world can now be done wherever you are so long as an internet connection is present. In addition to that, sharing all kinds of information is much faster through social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter. I’m actually amazed by how fast news travels in social networking sites. In fact, most of the shocking news of last year, like the death of Kim Jong-il, spread like virus in Facebook and Twitter. Since I do not watch news on tv much, social media sites have become a great place to get updated news on what’s happening around the world.

In a world dominated by technology, children, especially tweens and teens, now have easy access to almost everything. The birth of social media boosted information accessibility and enhanced social interaction. While social media brings convenience, it also comes with certain dangers and safety risks that parents should be concerned of. Indeed, the birth of social media has provided the next generation a convenient way of communicating and keeping in touch with their friends, boosted their learning opportunities and given them ease of accessibility to information. However, parents should be aware that not everything in the virtual world is good for their children.

The next generation is not the only ones that have been changed by social media. Even predators, who were once confined in online chat rooms, are now lurking around social networking sites. The immediate connection and instant access offered by social media sites have given predators the perfect platform to gain access to teen information which they can use to victimize them. Predators, these days, are not only those with insatiable desire for young bodies (pedophiles). The convenience and accessibility provided by social media sites is now being used as a tool for cyberbullying, cyberstalking and all other kinds of cyber abuse that any teen can be subjected to.

Although teens are very much aware of the dangers of inappropriately using social media and the internet, many of them are willing to take the risk just so they can fit in with the ‘cool kids’. Because of this, kids, nowadays, are widely exposed to harassment, as well as foul comments, which can cause psychological damage to their fragile minds. Knowing this, parents must supervise their children particularly with regards to the use of social media. Too much dependence on technology absolutely has negative effects and so is sharing too much information online. While, not everything about social media can be seen as negative, parents should assume an active role in monitoring their kids’ use of the internet, particularly the different forms of social media. As parents, it is important that you teach your kids how they can protect themselves from the lurking threats online while reaping the positive benefits of using social media.

from Tween Summit http://tweensummit.com/how-social-media-is-changing-the-next-generation/