Pros:
Social Media can be good for children because it can help then connect with one another, build relationships, and reduce shyness.
Social media can be beneficial in many ways including helping students connect with one another and build relationships. Social Media allows students to connect even if they are not close, with social media platforms such as Snapchat, Messenger, Instagram, Whatsapp, and more. Kids are then more likely to build and strengthen their relationships because they can still communicate without being close to one another. Its like having a pen-pal but made easier. You can also follow people that you think are interesting; and you might become good friends with them after getting to know them better. This can result in shy students working better together and participating in group discussions more often, considering the fact that they gained more confidence through social media and other online platforms. This will also help students reduce stress and anxiety, since they can express their feelings more freely to friends or others.
Also, social media can also help young students in school. For example, if students need more information on a country for an assignment, they can follow someone who lives there to get to know more about their country, considering that the person is probably going to post something about living in that specific country. This can help students improve their grades and provide them with more learning opportunities.
Cons:
Social media can be highly addictive, leading to decreased productivity and decreased face-to-face social interactions.
Social media in our world has led many people towards extreme poverty, crime, violence, and even physical health disorders which can be dangerous for the body. People are communicating too much on their devices without physically interacting with their friends, family, and peers. Social media also separates the person sending and the person receiving the message in many ways. For example, students will spend more time talking on Facetime rather than being outdoors and enjoying nature with their friends.
Additionally, through social media, people become more and more inconsiderate with each passing day. Sometimes, they feel like they can post anything on their social media accounts. This separates people gradually without them even knowing it! People receiving the message might feel like they are not good enough even though they don’t know what is going on behind those images.
Social Media can also cause brain to be addicted to all types of posts, videos, pictures, etc. This causes teens to get addicted to their phone; they won’t take their eyes off their phone screens. When students see positive or negative posts on social media platforms, their brain releases dopamine which can be a addictive and harmful to the brain, if not controlled. Students who use social media too often can have mental health problems such as anxiety, and depression, which can easily motivate students to unnecessarily change their appearance through unhealthy eating habits or drastic measures such as plastic surgery. Social media can lead to bad habits and students won’t be focused in school causing them to be less productive. This can lead to further stress and anxiety on many different levels as well as bad test scores or grades which can affect a student’s future career path.