Social Media isn’t ruining childhood; it simply contributes to some of the negative (or positive) experiences children face. Just as people were scared of the new type of lightbulb when it was invented, society fears Social Media. I tried to keep an open mind
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during my classmates’ debates. Still, as someone who found solace in Social Media as a child, I can’t find common ground with those who say it is ruining childhood. I ended up watching The Social Dilemma, and while it was heavily swayed in favour of Social Media is a negative, one comment made near the beginning was that “There’s no one bad guy.” Many ills in the world contribute to the trauma of our youth, as our debaters mentioned many times. All of these factors add to the ruin of childhood. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t be around today if it weren’t for Social Media and all the people who helped me deal with the trauma of my childhood. School and the people in them were what ruined my childhood and that of many others. Did I find bullies online? Sure! But, I found the emotional pain inflicted by my real-life bullies far outweighed those online. Candice Odgers, on Open to Debate, further supports the point that Social Media has little bearing on the mental health of children – “Social Media use does not predict mental health problems.” There are a plethora of issues that contribute to the mental health of our youth; Social Media may only be a small portion of that. Like me, children use online media to seek help and converse.
Living abroad offers me a different perspective on Social Media and online
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communications. While some may argue that communication platforms do not constitute Social Media, they often involve sharing parts of life. My everyday go-to, WeChat, uses Moments, and WhatsApp has picture-based statuses that can be saved for others to view. This medium is essential for connecting my learners to their old friends and family in their home countries and friends who leave and change to new schools in new countries. We also use Social Media to collaborate with other IB schools worldwide (and teachers) to improve our practice to reach our personal bests.
The Social Dilemma mentions technology addiction, an issue with Social Media. It can be addictive in the same way slamming back bags of chips and energy drinks can be. This is where adults in our lives need to step in and teach moderation. Children will parrot what others are doing and need to see healthy habits/balance to thrive in tech 
spaces or healthy diets. The documentary further talks about the art of manipulation being at the center of controlling this addiction. However, as someone who gave a lecture about rhetoric in a previous Ed course, I know this is the route we take in all parts of life to get what we want, aside from being online. Manipulation has been around since the existence of communication. We cannot solely hate Social Media for manipulative practices when everything and everyone does the same. Social Media is indeed a drug, as The Social Dilemma states. Still, just with all other drugs, we choose to use it and may need help to control the usage or to stop using it. Parents and teachers are the ones who can help when they see children getting addicted, but it means tuning in more to our learners and children. I can see my daughter developing some addictions, but do I think that is ruining her childhood? No, I don’t.
In thinking positively about Social Media, I consider all of the short-form doses of learning that have helped me improve small areas in life that also reach children. As an older adult, I think of Sidney Raz’s short series “Things I Wish I Knew in my Thirties,” which teaches me simple tips and tricks. I have been using so many simple tools all my life that he educates me on as a fellow person in their thirties. Children have access to
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all kinds of information as well. This American Academy of Pediatrics article speaks to the enhanced education students can receive from online communication tools. My daughter follows some Minecraft users online who have taught her all about rocks and minerals in English. Her second language is expanded daily thanks to her online access (and Bluey). The Caloia (2022) article focuses on Gen Z struggling with focus and attention. Still, it offers solutions like disengaging from Social Media to focus on routine. Places like Social Media help students note that they may have different attention spans than others and things they can do to help. Unplugging from Social Media will not somehow get me nor my daughter to make the bed in the morning.
Hi Carol,
Social Dilemma is one of the best documentaries that explains technology’s effects on people in detail. I agree that it is as addictive as a bag of chips. I would say, though, that it is becoming worse than that. The problem is that we should try to find balance, but how do we do that? This is something that I am working on with my kids, and I have to admit that sometimes it gets very challenging.
I enjoyed reading your post Carol. I am also on the side that social media isn’t ruining childhood. One thing that I found interesting from this week’s debate was the focus on the documentary Social Dilemma. I watched this documentary when it first came out and I wasn’t as wowed by it as everyone else seemed to be. I remember finishing it and thinking to myself – “And, tell me something I don’t know?”. Yes, I think social media has negative consequences for ALL age groups, but what doesn’t? And this documentary doesn’t get it all right either. I think as viewers we must be critical of what we are interacting with and that is true with this documentary as well. I found this article that critiques some of the more questions aspects of the documentary if you are interested:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/netflix-social-dilemma-tech-1.5740351
Thank you sharing your own personal experience Carol. While researching for the debate one of the most common benefits discussed was the supportive communities social media can create which can be difficult to find offline. Reading in articles that social media can help is one thing, but hearing from you that it actually did is so encouraging to hear. The fact that it’s helping your daughter learn English is just the cherry on top!
Thank you for sharing this insightful post, Carol! Your nuanced perspective on social media’s impact on childhood is refreshing. I appreciated your reflections on both the negative and positive aspects, especially how social media can offer support and connection. Your personal anecdotes add depth to the discussion, showing that with proper guidance, social media can be a beneficial tool. Your balanced view is a great reminder that the key lies in moderation and mindful usage. Keep sharing your valuable insights!
Thanks for your post! I like your connection to kids are like parrots – they will mimic what they observe in their environments. I read a very similar article about this and talked about the biggest things adults can do for children navigating social media is to “be the example.” If we don’t want our kids sitting on their phones mindlessly scrolling social media, then show them what they can do instead. By introducing children to different activities – they eventually will pick those activities to do instead of going to sit on their phones!