Role Of Digital Media Influencing Young Minds Rapidly
Most children and young people today use at least one type of technology every day. From accessing the internet to doing homework, watching online content, and gaming, technology has grown exponentially in recent years. But what’s the role of digital media influencing young minds rapidly?
The Power of Social Media :
With time as technology is getting advanced day by day, Social Media is getting more powerful when it comes to communication. Well, not to forget that it has got some benefits also.
We get to gather and access unlimited numbers of information and daily updates. Nowadays the entire world has come within our hands we can connect to the entire world at any time, anywhere in just a click.
Not only this, but social media also helps people to motivate and work for social changes as well. It allows the young people to say and place their point of view.
It vastly helped them as their voices are reaching the person globally. The online world has lots of potentials to help young people to explore new concepts.
Children in the Digital Age
A smartphone remains the most common device among children. In India, 21% of urban Indian children and tweens (pre-teens) mirror mobile Internet use as seen among their older counterparts.
Kids and teens are more likely than teenagers to watch a video on YouTube once a week. They spend about seven hours a day using cell phone gadgets, watching TV, and using game consoles.
Childwise’s estimates in the UK indicate that smartphone ownership rises with age, from one in five 5–6-year-olds to two in five 7–8-year-olds and more than half of those aged 9–10.
Nine in ten children own a smartphone by the time children enter high school, rising to almost all 13–16 year-olds. In the US, by the age of 11, more than half of children own a smartphone.
American teens use screens for seven hours, 22 minutes a day, and 8–12 year-olds were found to spend an average of 4 hours 44 minutes using screens per day.
Losing on the Roundabouts, Gaining on the Swings
Unsurprisingly, the use of digital technology by children has positive as well as negative angles. Learning can be affected by digital media that distract from social interactions.
While other media may increase social interactions and education. If I want to talk about it in simple words then the media can also promote teamwork and team building in original form.
Now talking about the good aspects of the digital platform we should not forget that there are many bad aspects of digital platforms as well.
Let’s get started with the positive and negative aspects of the digital platform.
Positive Aspects:
Preparing for future tech careers:
There will be more demand for professionals ready to take on technology careers as technology continues to grow and flourish. They are more prepared for their future and the opportunities it offers when children begin to get excited about technology and the potential it offers them from a young age.
Children can start early to acquire the technological skills they will need in the future. Consider an IT degree if you want to build your career and want to get started on the path.
If you are a young student who has the technical background you need for an IT career, it’ll just make it easier for you.
Improved multitasking:
Studies show that using technology helps young kids learn more effectively how to multitask. Although multitasking never allows you to concentrate fully on one area, learners can learn how to listen and type notes or do other multitasking activities.
Improved visual-spatial development :
Spatial development :
When technology such as video games is used to help train young students and children, it can be greatly enhanced. It can be a great way to improve skills by practicing visual-spatial abilities with video games.
In a variety of things, such as map reading, puzzles, and more, visual-spatial skills are required.
Our children do not live in a division of contrasting online lives in the real world, both of which are indispensable for their development. The digital world can provide family and friends with links, build social networks, support identity creation, and introduce young minds to different perspectives.
Negative aspects :
Cyberbullying :
Concerns about the negative effects of the use of digital media, such as cyberbullying and self-harm, frequently mimic in-person bullying in terms of its negative emotional and social impact. But can be more serious because of anonymity and the influence of the network.
The implications of digital media and their continuing digital presence should be learned by children and adolescents.
When creativity flourishes, so do the bullying. Without having to face them, children and teenagers use technology and social media to threaten other children.
This movement, also called cyberbullying, is rising and becoming more popular with even younger students.
Social interaction issues :
With more time spent on technology, younger kids have trouble with social interactions face-to-face. In comparison to talking to each other in person, many seem to prefer texting or talking on social media.
They may spend more time texting or on their phones even though kids spend time together than they are actually together. This is one of the negative points in the role of digital media influencing young minds rapidly
Risk of depression :
Depression is a central concern associated with the increased use of the media. This has raised suicide rates and has contributed to more young people seeking medication and therapy for mental health interventions.
Experts think that time spent on social media or using apps can be directly related to increased depression.
In the digital world, behavioral results are not so different from those of older generations. Even if the platform varies, the acts are simply the same.
Although there is both online uncertainty and potential, the risk is not always undesirable, and it can be worthwhile to fail safely. Parents should also strive to consider and proactively discuss social media protocol and privacy protections with children.
Does Social Media create an impact on mental health?
Talking about mental health the psychologist has started to look after the effects that are caused by social media. After completing the total research the doctors have come with the result that immense amounts of mental health are being affected by social media.
As the majority of the people whether it’s children or teenagers are using the social media platform in an improper way or better to say negatively. Due to this reason, it is creating a huge impact on mental health.
Let’s take an overview of the research of what doctors have come up with. There are 2 main points upon which social media is creating a negative impact and they are: –
Going after the post likes to drive self — esteem :
Staying active on Social media platforms and posting regular pictures and updating status is worrisome. It can be linked to anxiety, diminishing mental health, and also poor body image.
Constantly looking for approval and running after the external validation. And all these things do not develop a secured sense of self which is not dependent on arbitrary condition.
Clicking pictures editing them and posting them on social media platforms for others to evaluate, and if they don’t get that amount of like shares and comments on social media then they start all over again hence it creates self-awareness and impression management which is actually inherent in social media engagements, and this creates an impact on mental health.
Impact on Sleep :
Heavy usage of Mobile phones, tablets, and laptops can create a negative impact on mental health. This point is very much relevant when it comes to sleep and sleep disturbances.
Several studies and many doctors have proven this thing also. Sleep is a crucial thing for developing adolescent brain and less sleep is associated with lower mood and depression.
Conclusion
There is a separate call to devote further research funding to concerns related to the exposure of children and the use of digital media, an area that is still on the rise. It is perhaps unsurprising, considering the multi-faceted world of technology, that the role of digital media in influencing young minds rapidly is extraordinarily complex.
Many unanswered puzzles remain about the role of technology in the creation of children. What we do know is that, in science, we have a collection of instruments that can influence the actions of children.
What remains, which is not trivial, is to discover how to direct this potential to intentionally achieve desired results.
Original Article : Role Of Digital Media Influencing Young Minds Rapidly
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