(Photo : image from pxhere)

In this modern and technological world and generation we live in, it is easy for children and young teens to access different social media platforms. A lot of teenagers and children are into gadgets and electronics. As early as 5 years old, they learn to navigate a simple smartphone or tablet in a span of minutes. Gadgets and electronics expose your children to different social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, which they can use to communicate with their friends and relatives, but how safe are these social media platforms for your children? 

A lot of concerns and debates are arising from parents and experts alike about this exposure of children to social media. However, this cannot be fully avoided knowing that social media and technology are always innovating and upgrading day by day. One thing that parents can do about this is to monitor their kids from time to time. If they're still under 10 years old, you can monitor their usage of gadgets by making it child-friendly and navigating their settings into a more private one. This will help you control your child's exposure to the internet. 

Parents are now more concerned about the negative effects of their children's exposure to social media because of the stories and news they see in social media platforms as well. Most sites are not child-friendly because people have the freedom to post whatever they like, which can be dangerous to your child as well. Although it is not entirely a bad thing that your child is exposed to social media even at a young age, they should still be taught how to use it in a responsible way. With this, we have come listed down some pros and cons of social media on children. 

Pros of Social Media on Children

Since we live in a generation that is all about technology, it is important for children to be aware that social media exists. You can teach them that information and news can be taken from social media. Children who are taught early about social media most likely can digest its effects well and in a healthier way compared to children who are taught late about it. They will become more responsible social media users as they grow up as well. 

Getting into social media platforms can also enhance their social skills by interacting with their friends and meeting new people. This will help them build a network of friends and connections that they can use in school, extracurricular clubs, and someday in the future their profession. Social networking is an ongoing and useful tool that molds children to adapt to the real world they live in. 

Cons of Social Media on Children 

However, even with the pros of social media listed above, it can also turn into a black hole that has online and cyber thieves that do identity theft, stalking, bullying, and artificial peer sets that can bring danger to your child. There is a reason why social media platforms require children who are below 18 years old to provide their parent's consent when they make an account. Parents sometimes falsify their children's information to allow their children to use it at an early age, while also supervising them. 

Parents are also aware that bullying is rampant in different social media platforms. Although this is seemingly virtual, it may trigger physical violence as well. A lot of online culprits and hackers make accounts that they use to victimize other people, especially unsuspecting children. This is why it is important for parents to keenly monitor their child's social media usage. 

Social media has its good side and its bad side. What parents need to remember, is to instill responsibility in their children's minds as they handle these different social media platforms.