Can you give me your Snap for this class?

“Can you snap me?”

“What is on your FYP?”

“Facetime me after school!”

“Did you see what he said in the group chat?!”

The world we grew up as millennials has evolved. Social media has become the dominant form of communication for our students. Children have never been more connected to each other throughout history. At the tap of a screen, our students can enter into a room with all of their friends, classmates, or complete strangers. They can send a photo around the world and have it “disappear” in a few short seconds. They can learn about any subject in just a few hours without needing to read a single thing. The possibilities seem almost endless thanks to the introduction of social media.

As a teacher, I’ve seen both the benefits and the detriments of social media in education. On one hand, it encourages connection, community and curiosity. On the other hand, I’ve watched it destroy the essence of childhood imagination, the privacy of social situations, and self-control. While social media can be used responsibly, I believe its constant presence, lack of regulation, and addictive design are fundamentally reshaping childhood in damaging ways.

There are also many benefits for students using social media in educational settings, as long as it’s done responsibly and with intention. These platforms can connect students with professionals and experts who bring fresh perspectives and enriching content to lessons. We have seen Chris Hadfield stream from the International Space Station, so students can experience the wonder science can provide. Students connect with classrooms as “pen pals” through Twitter. Authors, singers, dancers, and motivational speakers need not worry about distance and the possibility of presenting to classes thanks to the popularity of Zoom and Teams.  For example, I once invited my brother, an actor, to speak to our Grade 7 and 8 students over Zoom about the many facets of drama (from stage to film and voice work). It was an incredibly rewarding experience (for all involved) that showcased aspects of the subject not typically offered in class.

Social media also opens up a world of diverse resources and global connections. Students can connect and collaborate with peers from other classrooms and cultures, building empathy, appreciation for global issues, and cultural understanding. As a French immersion teacher, this is an important benefit. Students can connect with other French speaking students to learn about culture, practice language, and build community. These connections amplify voices that might otherwise go unheard and help students develop a broader worldview. This, then, fosters critical thinking and supports civic engagement, either from a political activism or participation viewpoint. During elections, for instance, teachers can use social media to encourage student involvement in democratic processes at the civic, provincial, and federal levels. I found that when I included platforms students were acquainted with, they were more likely to interact with the material because there was a common ground they could participate in. Politics were less likely to be seen as an “old persons” issue. That being said, it is important to critically reflect on if your impact matches your intent when including this media in your lesson. 

Finally, social media supports communication in both academic and social contexts. It became especially vital during the COVID-19 pandemic when we were confined to our homes. Social media platforms helped maintain our sense of connection and community, preventing many students and educators from feeling isolated. While this connection was vital, it also had unintentional consequences such as forming echo chambers of specific opinions with no critical voice. 

While social media can offer educational benefits, its impact on the emotional welfare and well being of children and students is deeply concerning. From failing to socially connect with peers to being incapable to use communication skills in the physical world, students skill sets are shifting. However, a major concern with this reshaped interpersonal relationship concept is cyberbullying. Today, bullying doesn’t stop when the school day ends, it follows students home with their devices. This constant exposure can hurt their mental health, school performance, and overall confidence . With the rise of AI and image manipulation tools, bullying has entered a disturbing and destructive era. Altered photos, demeaning memes, and deepfake videos or voice recordings can be spread instantly without consent. These malicious attacks leave lasting emotional damage and doxing anxiety. These are, in part, some of  the reasons we’re seeing more student anxiety and depression.

This leads to the concern surrounding student privacy and safety. Many students falsely believe that platforms like Snapchat offer anonymity due to the disappearing message function. In reality, not only can content be saved, screenshotted, or redistributed without the sender’s knowledge, but Snapchat also stores these messages for legal purposes. Games and apps (ex. Roblox) can expose children to strangers, despite parental controls. Troubling cases have revealed how predators exploit these platforms for grooming, manipulation, and access to vulnerable youth. There are even covert online communities that encourage self-harm and suicidal ideation. While law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI and ICE, are actively working to intervene, the anonymity (and sheer mass of perpetrators) of the internet continues to protect many offenders from consequences. These are not isolated incidents but part of a wider digital culture that students are unequipped to independently navigate safely. 

While we have already discussed anxiety and depression, social media also disrupts healthy habits and development. Engineered to maximize engagement, social media pulls students away from studies, hobbies, face-to-face relationships, and healthy lifestyle choices. Constant exposure to carefully curated social media posts fuels insecurity, body image issues, and creates a sense of worthlessness. Students compare their private struggles to someone else’s highlight reel. This results in an idealization of unattainable standards that they will never be able to attain. Unfortunately, students will attempt to achieve these standards at the detriment of their relationships, health and (in some cases) lives. This constant conditioning to overshare and seek validation further perpetuates students’ mental health struggles.  

As a millennial, I’m grateful that my teenage mistakes weren’t captured online, in tweets, Facebook statuses, or viral videos for the world to see. Today Gen Z and Gen Alpha don’t have that same luxury. Their childhoods are playing out publicly, without fully understanding how permanent or far-reaching a post can be. This information can be shared and bought for nefarious purposes. Also, while we say “kids will be kids,” and that their posts shouldn’t define them, we often fail to apply that same grace later in life. Even deleted content can be stored, screenshotted, or redistributed, creating a digital footprint that may follow them into adulthood and affect future opportunities. Adults are routinely judged for old content, even after years of growth and change. Prime examples of this include Reddit threads like r/AgedLikeMilk and r/LeopardsAteMyFace, where past social media content is resurfaced for public shaming. 

In the end, social media can be overwhelming for students. Without strong boundaries from parents, educators, or legal protections, students are left vulnerable to a digital world that demands their attention and allegiance, but rarely supports their growth. The long-term consequences from limited oversight are becoming evident with increasing mental health crises, lower academic performance, and emotional instability. Social media has reshaped childhood and eliminated the freedom to fail privately. This, in my opinion, is a loss worth grieving. Effective social media use demands vigilant guidance, critical awareness, and strict boundaries to safeguard students’ privacy while maximizing its educational impact.