Social Media is definitely a toxic outlet for young kids who are not gaining proper benefits and can be damaging to the mindset and self esteem of kids. As young kids are growing up, they are trying to find out who they are and trying to understand the world around them. Most young kids want to fit in and feel they are accepted which helps them to build confidence. When you start to add social media into the picture, it’s like you are putting them into a popularity contest but with competition older than them and impossible to defeat. Growing up kids will tend to have role models which is a positive thing, this allows them to set a goal for themself and say “i want to be like that person not only for looks but for success.”
Kids also could be learning lessons from social media that won’t benefit them in the future but something they will take with them as they continue to grow. For example, if a child at a young age is exposed to bullying in school or cyber bullying through social media, the comments that the bully made will stay with them and become an insecurity for them. This is caused by “increased hippocampal volume growth across school ages and early adolescence, and this trajectory is associated with later emotional conditions.”(online library)
Young kids can also be affected because they can be exposed to content that is directed towards older audiences and these young kids could be seeing the content and thinking this is something appropriate for their age. Some parents may not realize how damaging this can be for the children. Not only does this apply to young children, but this also applies to teens as well. Teens can see social media influencers having a “perfect” life which can cause them to “suffer from Facebook depression are at risk for social isolation and sometimes turn to risky Internet sites and blogs for “help” that may promote substance abuse, unsafe sexual practices, or aggressive or self-destructive behaviors.”(publications aap) The brains are at their most absorbent point around the “ages of 2-7”(edutopia), which means whatever kids learn then will stay with them as they grow. Have you had an experience from a young age that shaped you negatively today?