Social media is an important part of our lives. Teenagers to have not been left out. Social media is important because it enhances creativity among teenagers. However, there have been concerns about the amount of time they spend on social media. Social media also comes with its downside. It is to educate teenagers about the adverse effects of social media. Talking about these effects with teenagers usually works compared to denying them access to social media.
What are the Positive effects of social media on teenagers?
Educational tool
Teenagers can use social media to do their course work. Sites like YouTube and Wikipedia has various educational materials. Platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp has a feature where they can create class groups and get into a conversation regarding school work. A social media platform like emails also encourages assignments submission to your tutor. Social media can also help developing reading and writing skills. Reading of blogs can inspire them to be writers in future
Fosters development of social skills
Teenagers tend to be socially awkward. This is attributed to the process of transitioning into an adolescent. Social media helps teenagers meet other teenagers that are experiencing the same changes as they are. This creates a mutual understanding due to the familiarity of their situation. Social media also creates an opportunity to meet a new friend without feeling left out.
Creates awareness
Social media sites give teenagers a chance to access information on what is happening around them. They carry news from all over the world. The teenagers have an opportunity to obtain this information as they go through their social media pages. People on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, tend to share by others and also significant.
Provides inspiration
Teenagers on Social media have access to information that can inspire their lives positively. They can watch inspirational stories on Instagram, YouTube or Facebook. Successful people post their success stories on social media. These stories can be accessed all the time. A successful writer may inspire a teenager to work hard and be a writer. A recovering addict may help teenagers vow not to engage in taking drugs because they will see the struggles that come with getting clean.
Enhances creativity
Social media encourages teenagers to be creative. It requires them to have a certain degree of creativity to create and maintain friendships that they make on these social sites. They can also use sites like YouTube to watch various tutorials. They can use these tutorials to polish their creative ideas and make them successful projects.
Source of entertainment
Owing to the many social media sites, teenagers can never run short of entertainment. Entertainment comes in the form of movies, video games, video calling places, YouTube tutorials, music, and E-books. There is so much fun that comes with access to social media.
Teens learn essential job skills
Social media is a platform where people get criticism every now and then. To be safe, it’s advisable to treat these criticisms wisely and not to regard them too personal to avoid fights online. A teenager who can manage their account and take blame lightly will transfer these qualities to the workplace. They can also learn so much about employment and the career they choose on social media.
Gives teens a voice
More often teenagers feel like they are not being listened to while others are shy of speaking out. They can use social media to speak out using images, videos or writing. They can also get in touch with a person they can speak to freely on social media. This makes them more confident and can end up opening up physically.
When social media is misused or overused, it has adverse effects
Lowers self-esteem
Teenagers are exposed to the many photos posted on social media. They portray over-exaggerated images of perfect body sizes, hairs, dressing. Most of these photographs are usually, and a lot of filters effects added to them to make them perfect. Unfortunately, teenagers may not be in a position to discern what is real and fake. They end up buying whatever they see. They develop lowered self-esteem and self-pity trying to keep up. Some will do anything to be famous and increase their popularity while others will adopt bizarre behaviors like forcing their parents to buy them expensive things. The Australian Christian College wrote an interesting article that discusses how social media lowers self-esteem and breeds bad behavioral habits in students.
Access to sexually explicit materials
Social media sites have exposed teenagers to a lot of sexually intimacy materials. Pornographic materials and Nakedness has become standard on social media sites. They do not understand that some people post such articles to acquire a following on twitter, facebook and get Instagram views. These materials are meant to attract teenagers to such sites, due to the curiosity that is common in teenagers. Access to these sites increases them, and they end up putting what they see into practice encouraging early pregnancy and irresponsible sexual behaviors. This can be avoided by placing a restriction on teenagers.
Social media bullying
Teenagers may experience bullying while using social media. People may share hurtful text messages, images, videos and gossip aimed at a specific person. A teenager who suffers this may become depressed affecting their school and self-esteem. Such instances should be reported to teacher, parents and that particular site for help.
Spending too much time online
Teenagers may be tempted to spend most of their time online since social media is very addictive. This will affect their social and academic life since social media will take up all their time. They become inactive and more withdrawn. Encouraging them to engage in more fulfilling activities such as reading books, cheerleading, and playing football will reduce the time spent on social media.
Conclusion
Social media for teenagers has both positive and negative effects. However, it depends on what teenagers use it for. Social media when used for the right reasons it leads to a positive outcome while it brings negativity when misused or overused. Taking time to educate teenager on the negative side of social media will keep them informed and may choose to avoid those sites that are not appropriate. Parents can also adopt open relationships with their children by following them on their social media pages. They can be a part of their children growth both on social media and physically.
