Rough Draft  
  
Laura Phillips  
English 102  
Professor Borchers  
January 17, 2020  
  
Laura Phillips  
English 102  
Professor Borchers  
January 17, 2020  
  
## How to Help the Impact of Social Media on Children

  
  
Research shows that while social media is a great place to socialize, become aware of current events, advertisement, promote and enhance connectivity regardless of location; it can still be a scary world if you do not know how to properly manage and utilize it. This generation of children are the ones who have become mostly involved and affected with these worldwide platforms, which raises serious concerned of whether they are effectively using it or if it is causing damage to them.  
  
One of the main reasons that children are experiencing negative effects on social media are due to lack of comprehension on how to use these platforms and lack of life experiences, which would ultimately warn them of the red flags seen on social networking sites.  
  
While social media is very beneficial and a great outlet for further enhancements and expending the mind, it is hard to monitor and sensor things no matter how much you try as a parent, which causes children to be exposed to everything, including unpleasant and dangerous content.  
  
According to Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson and Council on Communications and Media with Pediatrics Aappublications, social media is a routine activity for children in this era which enhances communication, social connection and technical skills.  
  
According to a recent research, 75% of children own a cell phones, 25% utilize their device for social media, 54% for text messages, and 24% for instant messaging. Which is a lot of time spent on a cell phone or device.  
  
Parents are responsible for monitoring and becoming aware of what their children are viewing online and how they are behaving while using social networking websites.  
  
Because of the limited capacity for self-regulation and susceptibility to peer pressure, children are more at risk of experiencing negativity with social media. Per this source, recent research shows that frequent users experience more negative behaviors, such as bullying, clique forming, and sexual experimentation.  
  
A great part of this generation's social and emotional development is arising while on the Internet and on cell phones. Mental illnesses are arising and causing children to have sleep deprivation, lack social skills and become self-conscience.  
  
Another reason social media can be an issue is the addiction portion of it. Children have been extremely attached and dependent of these devices and almost feel as though they need to have it or their lives are pointless.  
  
Children are so focused on acceptance online that they feel as though they need to constantly post pictures and a certain amount of likes in order to feel "beautiful", important, popular and accepted.  
  
Lack of understanding of online bullying, harassment and the correct usage of the social sites will cause a child to experience "social media sadness". Children are sensitive and sometimes do not have life experience to understand the good and bad and take things very personally. Often keep quiet due to embarrassment and feeling as though they cannot open up because they will get in trouble, or their device taken away. Or simply ignored.  
  
This will have children trying too hard to please their online buddies, attempt to live an unrealistic lifestyle because that is what they are used to seeing. And become depressed due to not feeling good enough.  
  
It is crucial for parents to become aware of what their children do online and HOW they choose to do it without their children feeling as though their privacy is being invaded or damaging the relationship between parent and daughter/son.  
  
According to Kids Health article, when communicating with children about social media, it is important to tell your children to be nice, think twice before hitting enter and posting, follow the WWGS (What would Grandma say?), use privacy settings and most importantly, DON'T friend strangers.  
  
Another way is to simply make a contract which makes it a mutual understanding of the rules and of social media and coming to an understanding that they are to agree to protect their own privacy, consider reputation and not provide personal information for their own safety. In return, parents can also make the commitment of respecting privacy and not embarrassing their children online.  
  
Parents can also limit the usage of these devices and media usage to avoid addiction and the "social media sadness" when utilizing it for an extended period of time. Most importantly, communicate with your child. Try and become familiar with sites and platforms they use so you are also aware of what they are seeing, posting, and being able to hold a conversation with them about it which can make them feel more comfortable opening up due to mutual and relatable interests.  
  
In conclusion, it is not impossible to help our children grow up to be extremely happy, successful and bright. Us as parents do not need to take things away and keep them sheltered due to fear of what they might be exposed to in this new technological world. It is impossible to absolutely sensor a child and if so, you can only do it for so long. So instead of keeping our children from the world, we need as parents, to be involved and help with their positive growth.  
  
Work Cited  
  
Rachel Ehmke. How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers. Childmind.org. Web  
  
Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson and Council on Communications and Media. The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families. Pediatrics April 2011  
  
Mrunal. Impact of Social Media on Children. Parenting. First cry. Web. June 19, 2019  
  
Hub Dude, in Society. The Effects of Social Media On Children. Web. Ewechub. November 25, 2018  
  
Hank Pellissier. How social media affects your child's brain. GreatSchools. Web. June 26, 2014.  
  
Allison PR. Effects of Social media on Kids in the Future. Youth Voices. September 25, 2017. Web  
  
Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD. Teaching Kids to be Smart about Social Media. April 2018. Kids Health. Web  
  
Write three categories in which you feel your essay could be stronger or choose areas in which your writing has shown weakness in the past.  
  
My essay could be stronger by using better articulation and not repeating words and thinking of other synonyms.  
It could be more organized and explain things further.  
A weakness in the past has also been keeping my essay organized and not feeling like it's taking too many directions because things aren't set up properly.