I don’t even have much to say for this topic…. It is common sense…
I don’t see how it is not ruining childhood. I for sure think it is easy for those of us who grew up without, or with very simple technology to agree on this. There were social influences for sure, but there was not pressure to do something, be someone, or act a certain way. It was easIER to avoid the societal impacts.
Today kids are constantly on social media… scrolling… posting… comparing
Lets take a look at the negative impacts and how it is affecting (ruining) childhood
- kids scroll social media more than connecting in person – gone are the days where you invent games at recess or playing outside with neighbourhood friends until the street. lights come on or someone calls you for dinner.
- kids are constantly comparing themselves to others (looks, trips, relationships, money, etc) – children are exposed to these idealized situations and standards that they are constantly searching for validation.
- kids are becoming addicted to phones – not having their phones causes a sense of uneasy or even anxiety
- it is causing mental illness like anxiety and depression
- it is easy to bully people – being behind a screen devalues human emotion
- being exposed to adult content at a young age
- affects parent-child relationships – this article specifically mentions talking about adolescents partaking in high-risk behaviour. There is such a fine line between appropriate use and the benefits of technology while navigating the scary side of social media
- affecting how we learn– this article had some great ideas about how to “re-train” our brains. There is no doubt that attention spans are lessoning. Kids can scroll tik-tok, for example, for an hour and retain absolutely nothing. I think that it is next to impossible for kids to get through a movie without checking their phones….can you imagine a full day?!
There are endless negative impacts and the agree team did a great job trying to summarize everything that is affecting children and their lively hood. The opposing team tried their best to argue and there were just no points made were I had even thought about changing my mind. I think there is enough research done now where not only do we know that is is affecting children but also their mental health, study and work habits, and relationships. The agree team picked out some great articles that really spoke to a variety of different issues.
I love tik-tok, it is my favourite app. I do not post but I scroll. I have facebook, snapchat, instagram. I spend a lot of time scrolling aimlessly – I do not post much but I like to just scroll. I challenged myself the other day and had a “phone free” day. It was hard. I am a grown woman, with a family and responsibilities and I still really struggled. I went from 9-3:30 (ish). I was beyond productive. Being lazy and sitting on the couch was less temping without my phone. I cannot imagine how hard it would be for kids, who’s brains are still developing, to go without their phones.
I think about what it will be like 10 years from now, when I have pre-teens and want them to experience all the things. I wonder what will be different. Will social media be a thing of the past in our fast-pace, ever changing world.
Hello Chloe,
Thanks for your post, I enjoyed reading your perspective on this debate. It was great to read about your trial with going without your phone! I am a little inspired to want to try it. If I pick a day before the end of next week to do it, I will reach out and let you know how it goes!
Yes!! Do it and reach out. I would love to hear how you found it! It really is something I want to try doing more of. I think I am going to start picking one day, maybe Saturdays where I just am completely tech free. It really does take some time to get used to it but I am sure as we got comfortable it is something my family would appreciate!
Very interesting to hear about your “no phone day”!
I had mentioned on someone else’s blog comment that I often wonder the type of person I would be today if I had never joined social media. I wonder how many hours accumulated in the past 15 or so years I have spent scrolling. And interestingly enough.. I am not sure if I could really say that a single minute of it was beneficial…..
I think about that all the time too. I am not one who posts much but I am a casual scroller. So many of my family and friends have deleted, facebook specifically, social media and I wonder what I would do. I also wonder what is holding me back from doing it. It isn’t the connections because I feel like those I like to keep in touch with I do in other ways. Maybe its the fact that I feel like so much of my life is on there (photos, memories). I’m not sure. But I highly recommend doing a tech-free day. It seems easy, especially if its a beach day, but completely tech free is hard… but also so liberating.
Thanks for your post! Researching for this debate was for sure an eye-opener. The question I am left with is, how do we get away from social media? How do we make a change? It was discussed in class how social media is not going anywhere, do we just get our future children to not go on it, or do we begin the shift to start teaching our children how to use it appropriately? How do we get all parents to be on the same page? I think this battle will be seen for many years to come.
I am hoping it is a fad. I mean, I know there will be something that is always bigger and more grand but I mean there is hope right? I don’t know how I will handle it when the time comes with my kids but I am just hoping that we find hobbies (sports, arts, nature) things that better consume them. They can have social media but I dont want it to consume them!
Thank you for this impactful post, Chloe! Your exploration of the detrimental effects of social media on childhood is thought-provoking. The examples of how social media influences behaviour, mental health, and personal interactions are very compelling. I also appreciated your personal experiment of a “phone-free” day; it highlights the challenge and potential benefits of reducing screen time. Your insights are a powerful reminder of the need for mindful social media use. Keep sharing your important perspectives!
“It is common sense…” but common sense isn’t common. Of course, we argued academically, but we all know the havoc social media is causing both for kids and adults. As Allysia mentioned, “mindful use” of social media is important.
I love your thoughts on this topic. You have organized the blogpost so emphatically and the ideas are free-flowing. Social media is too engaging and addictive. Use of common sense is important but do we actually do it? Your “no-phone” day is thought provoking..scrolling is something that I also do..but want to stop..