Social Media News - The Rewiring of a Generation

Social media has undoubtedly had an effect on the vast majority of most global populations by now, but the effect on a certain niche of society still divides opinion. Children have been born into an era of lightning fast change, and face an enormous struggle to gain social identity due to the lure of computers and the social networking culture.

Social media effects the shape of a child’s life these days and gone are the constraints that parents were once able to hold, because social media has now spread to many devices like a virus, leaving parents and teachers beaten in a keyboard war. Before continuing, I will say that social media does have some fantastic benefits, which adults and children alike can utilise, but it seems that as far as the youth are concerned there are heavy risks at stake including the way a child develops in what is meant to be the best years of their lives.

It all started with mobile phones. It was no longer necessary to stroll to a friend’s house to see if there were enough feet available for an all day football session at the local recreation ground. Mobile phones ensured that all the contacts required were there in the hands of an individual. Microsoft and Sony then introduced social networking to their popular games consoles, which again cut out the second stage of the process just mentioned, the active socialisation of the child. All of a sudden there was a new network of people exclusively available through the power of the internet, all running around wielding virtual guns whilst shouting obscenities down a small microphone. In many cases this is how childhood is now experienced, confined to one room for six weeks of a summer holiday unless unwillingly dragged outside into a physical world by parents.

Whilst the gaming communities have grown, children also started to set up Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and also making use of many other social networking facilities. The art of dialogue now predominately existed outside of the traditional dreaded face-to-face stand off. Now, conversations were being conducted online, where identities could be hidden, and bullies could thrive in an environment of an online masked ball. Cyber bullying is probably the most tragic thing to rise out of the social media boom, and its Lucifer like presence has cost the lives of many children who saw no way out of the social misery.

Education is also suffering in some examples. Attention spans are being called into question due to the rapid world of the internet, for example the speed that a Twitter time-line is updated naturally makes the brain thirst for short sharp pieces of information, which in some cases is a good thing, but in others can cause problems when asking a child to think about a complex subject that requires a prolonged attention span. Some politicians have emphasised this point and in an interview with The Independent, Labour’s Tristram Hunt said: “They need to learn the ability to concentrate for sustained periods – especially in today’s world of short attention spans. I think young people need help with being able to do that.”

With this a public concern, it is also appropriate to worry about the identity construction of young people who use social media a lot. If young people are talking to strangers who cannot verify their own identity, then we may end up with a generation who cannot even identify themselves and their aspirations. A big part of creating one’s identity is through peer groups and experiences with those, but with more and more experiences online with people who are unidentified, or under a false name, the network becomes a place where everything is questioned.

With these worries outlined, it is also appropriate to highlight how social media can wire a child’s brain for the better. This requires guidance and help from trusted authority figures. The educational benefits are clear to see, as a bigger network that are all studying the same subject can give birth to new ideas no matter what time of day or night. In addition to this, some children who don’t thrive in the classroom may actually prefer to work in isolation, and connecting with their friends online can be beneficial in a scenario such as a group projects.

Of course the socialisation part of social networking can be used for good also. Creating a network close friends can be a very helpful tool when organising events, but also when sharing documents, games or articles of interest.

On the whole, like most subjects, there are pros and cons to children using social media. Under the wing of a trusted source that can guide the child through the sometimes daunting world of social media, the child could see the positive benefits of this tool available. It is crucial at this stage that parental controls are enforced due to the questionable individuals who use the source to create havoc, or plot sinister goings on. Ultimately it is a debate that will go on forever, due to the fact that social media is not going away, and as long as it is available to the younger generation, they will use it. It is how they make use that raises concern, and just like climbing the highest tree, they will take risks, and try and break from authority. This is where danger arises online, but with the right guidance and education, lets hope that wiring of a child’s mind can be changed for the better by utilising social media.

Alex Smith

Alex is an English Literature and Sociology undergraduate whose love for written word has led him to write about some obscure topics in his time. Currently a content writer at Social Media Frontiers, be sure to follow him @AlexSatSMF.

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