The Appropriate Age to Allow Children and Young Adults to Use So

The Appropriate Age to Allow Children and Young Adults to Use Social Media.

The heated debate on “social media with kids and young adults” has been on the rise, and it has gotten the attention of parents around the world.

No doubt, children often want to be engaged in activities that will clear their curiosity and give them a sense of satisfaction.

Research has shown that most children and young adults who spend time on social media are mostly victims of anxiety, cyberbullying, low self-esteem, and poor educational performance.

In today's society, most parents are now using social media as a tool to run from basic parental responsibilities. Is this the kind of world we want where parents are being replaced by social media, where they have no parental moments with their kids? I frown at that.

I am in support of the idea that children and young adults should be restricted from social media until they grow mature enough to handle the ill effects that come along with social media. If adults are having conversations about social media not being safe for them, how then is it a haven for kids and young adults?

Cyberbullying, identity theft, erotic ads, Ponzi schemes, cyberstalking, and hacking, just to list a few, are the common types of dangers that these kids and young adults are exposed to using social media.

The arguments from most parents who were in support of parents letting their children use social media were primarily based on the fact that social media could enable these children to build their minds and flow with the digital trend that the world has shifted to. Most made their points that these children need privacy too and can't be constantly monitored.

Conclusion

Social media has its share of advantages, but that can’t overshadow the fact that kids and young adults are exposed to all kinds of dangers there. A lot goes on in the social media space, and that is why it is often regarded as a world of its own so parents should step in now while they still can to protect these kids from consuming negative contents.

Works Cited

O’Keeffe, Gwenn Schurgin, and Kathleen Clarke-Pearson. “The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families.” Pediatrics, vol. 800–804, no. 4, 1 Apr. 2011, doi:10.1542/peds.2011-0054.