Chronic Social Media Usage Can Directly Result in Low Self-Esteem in Young Kids
Spy Phone at Jun 11 2020 1:06PM
Chronic Social Media Usage Can Directly Result in Low Self-Esteem in Young Kids
Social media, whether Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat, has become entrenched into our daily lives. In the US, teens spend an average of over seven hours a day using screen devices, including mobile phones, solely for entertainment purposes, and it is safe to assume that most of these hours are spent on social media.
Social media can be alluring and addictive. You may have even found yourself scrolling down your newsfeed while waiting for someone or to escape awkward situations. Considering its addictive nature, it can be especially harmful for young kids who have unlimited and uncontrolled access to mobile phones and social media.
How social media can be harmful for teens
The thing about social media is that it is a place where you can get validation from friends as well as people you don’t know. This is what makes it so attractive to many of us. The instant gratification we receive from our tangible popularity, which is reflected in the number of likes, comments or retweets that we receive on our posts, has unfortunately become closely tied to our self-esteem.
Among teens and young kids, this need for validation from their peers is even stronger, which makes it so easy for them to get pulled in into the whole social media spiral. They are still young children who are learning about themselves – they are impressionable and gullible. And when they develop a sense of who they are and who they should be through social media, as opposed to the real world and the real people they are surrounded by, it can create inner conflict, leading to low self-esteem and negative self-image.
The effect of social media goes even deeper than this. Many young kids today are influenced by things they see online, and this decides their interests, the kind of clothes they want to wear, the kind of music they listen to, etc. In short, they make many decisions based on what they see online. As such, when exposed to content that won’t do any good for them, it can easily have a negative impact on their entire quality of life.
Besides, we all know that social media can be an extremely negative space where the ugliest parts of people come out. Behind a keyboard, people find it easier to bully people and make them feel bad about themselves and by controlling their exposure, it is easier to protect your kids from such threats.
Protecting kids from unnecessary harm by using a phone tracker or spy phone app would be the best way to quell any fears you may have.