Social media has changed the whole way of human communication, and kids are the most affected. From a very early age, kids are logging on to social media sites and sometimes alarmingly, without any adult supervision.
But it just not the usual dangers of lack of physical activity or eyesight or back problems but something far more sinister and problematic. Today, we aim to take you through the lengths social media can directly or indirectly take your kids on a dark path without them even realizing it. The aim with this is not to scare you but to help you realize the enormities of these dangers. With the positivity of much of social media posts, it becomes easy to ignore the dark side of society. But those threats didn't disappear, and they just took a new form. How social media became scary? Bad decision making, which is a trait of drug users and pathological gamblers, is now also seen in excessive users of social media, according to a recent study by Michigan State University. This has made the act to track kids web browser activities a must-have for parents. In addition, the statistics related to the excessive use of such sites is scary enough. A 2011 survey by National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University surveyed 2,000 adolescents; 70 % said they used social media daily. The results were
Let's discuss this one by one:- 1. The pressure of perfection Many teenagers have reportedly stated in interviews and surveys, how social media convinces you that everyone else out there is having a better time than you. Using a social media tracker can be a practical tool to cap your kid's time on social media. 2. Peer Pressure Many parents may not realize, but 75% of teens from 12 to 17 admit that seeing their friends consume alcohol or drugs motivates them to mimic their behavior. There are positive and negative sides to excessive social media use, but the negatives are definitely dominating. 3. Poor mental health Multiple research studies have shown an undeniable link between excessive usage of social media sites and negative mental health and low self-esteem. Kids don’t have the emotional maturity and hence turn to quick fixes like drugs or alcohol, often fueled by these sites. 4. Advertising Alcohol companies are also some of the most prolific advertisers on social media sites. These companies have like Pernod Ricard, increased its digital marketing budget by 50% in the last several years. Such excessive ads normalize drinking for teens. Tips and Trick to avoid addiction to social media Social media and its negative effects on young kids, and teenagers are a cause for worry. The content and ads are showing shocking results. As such, it becomes essential to monitor your children secretly to keep them safe from these evolving threats. The following tips and tricks to handle the threats could help you to help you avoid many problems:- 1. Coping skills It is a practical step to prepare your kids for situations where they can not use their mobiles. They should not develop habits where they develop withdrawn symptoms if taken off their mobiles. Teach them to have plenty of options for entertainment and work. 2. Frequent rests Remind them to take frequent tests from looking at social media sites and mobile screens. Whether they are using it for entertainment or school assignment, a break from mobile users will be highly beneficial in breaking their addiction. 3. Healthy atmosphere Ensure that there is a creation of a healthy atmosphere at home of open discussions and conversations between you and your kids. If they don't feel comfortable sharing with you their thoughts and feelings, then problems might arise. 4. Use of Spy app A monitoring solution or a spy app is also another practical application nowadays. It's a software solution available for many parents. There are a number of known spy apps like Spymaster Pro, Spyzie, mSpy, etc. for you to try. Conclusion Screen addiction and resulting consequences are making parents scared. Because of this, parents are forced to track kids web browser activities to monitor their online activities. As shown above, because of excessive social media use, kids are getting addicted to not just mobiles, but drugs, alcohol, and other dangerous activities.
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April 2021
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