In Response to Debate 2
Is Social Media Ruining Childhood?
When I first saw the debate topic —“Social Media is Ruining Childhood”—I instantly felt strongly about it. I was on the “agree” side, and I believed as a mom of a 7 years old child I have enough proof to support my position. It’s not hard to see the negative impact around us: children glued to screens, barely playing outside, comparing themselves to influencers, and struggling with attention, anxiety, or even depression. As someone who grew up with less digital noise, I couldn’t help but feel that today’s childhood has lost its magic—and that social media plays a big part in that.
I came across a report by Pew Research Center, which said that most parents are concerned about their kids’ screen time. Many felt that screens were interfering with family time, communication, and even kids’ ability to concentrate. This matched what I see in real life—families sitting together but not really talking, children preferring YouTube or TikTok over playgrounds, and little ones having meltdowns when their devices are taken away. I argued that real childhood is about imagination, movement, and human connection—things social media is slowly replacing.
Moreover, exposure to social media damages self-esteem. Kids are growing up comparing themselves to unrealistic filtered lives. They feel pressure to look or act a certain way just to fit in. I mentioned the rise in cyberbullying, online predators, and how social media sometimes exposes children to harmful content way before they’re emotionally ready for it. All these things combined convinced me that social media, when used without limits, is truly ruining what childhood used to be.
But something changed after the debate. Listening to the opposing side, one of the points they brought up was about how social media can actually help children feel connected—especially those who might be isolated or struggling socially in real life. They referenced a StudyFinds article which said that kids who use social media aren’t necessarily losing their social skills. In fact, many are still capable of holding meaningful in-person conversations and forming friendships.
I also watched a thought-provoking video called “Is Social Media Ruining Childhood?”. In it, both teens and parents shared personal experiences—some negative, but also some surprisingly positive. It showed how social media can provide creative outlets, emotional support, and spaces where children can express themselves in ways they can’t in person. It reminded me that not every child experiences social media the same way.
This made me think more deeply. Maybe it’s not just about banning or blaming social media, but about how we introduce it to children. Are they being taught how to use it responsibly? Are parents involved and setting boundaries? Are we giving children enough offline alternatives to keep their minds and bodies active?
So, while I still believe that social media has contributed to the loss of many beautiful parts of childhood, my view has become more balanced. I now think the problem is not social media alone—it’s the lack of guidance, balance, and awareness around its use. Instead of simply saying “social media is bad,” maybe we should ask: “How can we protect childhood while living in a digital world?”
At the end, the debate didn’t just help me defend a position—it opened my mind. It reminded me that even if we feel strongly about something, listening to others can help us see things we missed. I still stand by the idea that social media can be harmful to children, but now I also believe it doesn’t have to ruin childhood—if we, as adults, parents, and educators, do our part in shaping how it’s used.
References
# https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiY543MHtR8
#https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/07/28/parenting-children-in-the-age-of-screens/
#https://studyfinds.org/social-media-kids-social-skills/
6 thoughts on “In Response to Debate 2”
As a parent myself, I have taken both sides of this debate in separate directions with my children. My oldest is now 16, and I was a very tech-forward person. I was open and encouraging of my son having an online footprint. As he grew, so did social media platforms. The privacy policies changed (for the worse), and more platforms were created to target the shorter attention spans of the ‘now’ generation. With my daughter, who is 9, I have used a much more cautious approach and could really see her personality change when spending too much time engrossed in a screen. I enjoyed her having the ability to communicate with her friends on Kids Messenger, but even with screen limits, the device was like a black hole. The peer-pressure debate always comes into play. X has a device, Y can watch as long as they want. As you stated, I worry about a child’s self-esteem and self-image when they have a heavy online footprint so early in life.
However, my daughter does get to stay connected to some friends who moved to Ontario through their mother’s FaceTime. It is great to see and hear them communicate when otherwise it would have been through handwritten letters, and less frequently. That is where your point of community comes into play. In Rural Saskatchewan, the children who do not fit into the mainstream of the school can have a hard time finding their place and connections. Online communities can be that place where they feel less like outsiders and that they too belong.
As adults (teachers/parents), it is our responsibility to help find and maintain the balance and be aware of both the positive and negative impacts of social media on our children.
Hi Maherun,
Thank you for your thoughts about social media. I appreciated your balanced arguments for and against social media for kids. It is not a simple topic and you have clearly stated both negative and positive aspects of the issue. I wasn’t able to find the video that you wrote about called “Is Social Media Ruining Childhood” on YouTube but I did watch the Matt Walsh video that you shared. He has some good points about why young children should be kept away from not just social media but all online interactions. I think your last statement in your post summed it up perfectly – “I still stand by the idea that social media can be harmful to children, but now I also believe it doesn’t have to ruin childhood—if we, as adults, parents, and educators, do our part in shaping how it’s used.”
Great post!
Thank you for sharing such a personal and sincere reflection post. I really appreciated how you based your arguments on your own experience as a parent and an educator – those are things I can immediately empathize with. Countless hours of missed outdoor play, the threat of overexposure to screens and the reduced opportunity for face-to-face interaction are things I have worried about too.
What was most impactful for me in your reflection was how the debate made you question your initial perspective. The willingness you expressed to consider that perhaps social media could indeed play a positive role for some children, particularly those who feel isolated, was powerful for me. I agree, we are so focused on the negatives (which are undeniably present) that we may be neglecting to acknowledge the ways in which social media can open up spaces for self-expression, creativity, and even community building and emotional support. It really is about how these platforms are used.
In your post, you also posed a really pertinent question: “How can we protect childhood while living in a digital world?” I believe that to be the key challenge at hand. It is neither practical nor desirable to completely ban technology, but we also can’t just ignore its influence. I think as adults, the onus is on us to help strike that balance through education, rules, and co-engagement. Digital literacy and our modeling of healthy practices, as well as our active participation in our kids’ digital experiences may be the only way to ensure social media is used in a positive and productive way.
I really appreciated the way you allowed the debate to inform your perspective, it was a great reminder that productive debates do not just aim to persuade others but to prompt us to reflect as well.
Hi Maherun,
Thank you so much for sharing your insights on this topic! Like you, I initially agreed with the statement that social media ruins childhood. While I still believe that social media can have a negative impact, I appreciated hearing the opposing side’s perspective—especially the idea that social media can foster connection and act as the “new sandbox” or “new playground.”
The question of when children should be allowed on social media—and how much access they should have—can definitely be a contentious one. If parents are well-informed about their child’s online presence, set clear boundaries, talk openly about digital responsibility, and have ongoing conversations about the risks, then maybe social media doesn’t have to be entirely harmful. In the end, I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all answer. Every child, family, and situation is different—some children are more mature and ready for an online presence at an earlier age, while others at the same age may not be.
I believe your question, “How can we protect childhood while living in a digital world?”—is the more important question. As educators and parents, we can’t shut out the digital world, so how do we teach children digital responsibility in this digital age? We won’t be able to protect them from everything online, so how do we equip them with the critical thinking, resilience, and awareness they need to navigate it safely and confidently?
Thank you for your post!
Thank you, Maherun! It is easy to automatically think, yes, it’s not good – look how kids are glued to screens all the time. As a parent of a 9yr old and an 11yr old, I have been trying to figure out how best to navigate this world of technology and social media that they are growing up in. I don’t want my kids glued to screens, and I worry about how their self-esteem will be affected by what people online say and how there are constant comparisons. My approach has been to have open conversations with my children about being online and making sure I know what they are using/watching/playing and who they are talking to. We’ve been taking baby steps, and I don’t think it’s a perfect system by any means, but I’m trying. Along with that, I try my best to model healthy social media use and to stress taking breaks from tech regularly. Again, not always easy. Taking grad classes online means I spend a lot of time glued to a screen, which sure doesn’t help, but there are positive uses of technology that are good for kids to see, too.
I agree that social media doesn’t have to ruin childhood, but only if adults step in to guide its use. What worries me most is how deeply engaged children are not only the viewers but also the creators.
Kids today aren’t just watching but they’re performing. They dress up, mimic trends, unbox toys, and create for likes and validation, often without fully understanding the implications. Childhood is starting to feel less lived and more staged for an invisible audience.
We’ve also lost the public sphere for children. Parks, playgrounds, and neighborhood gatherings once shaped their world. Now, social media has taken over and it’s often isolating, full of unrealistic standards and filtered lives. The pressure to own certain toys, wear specific clothes, or behave a certain way now comes from influencers, not real-life peers.
And it’s not just kids. As parents, many of us are glued to our own screens. We spend less time playing, talking, or understanding our children. The issue isn’t just screen time, it’s disconnection, on both sides.
Social media isn’t inherently bad, but too many children are left to navigate it without support. If we want to preserve what’s magical about childhood, we need to be more present, more intentional, and rebuild the offline spaces where real growth happens.