Tik tok, Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook. I am absolutely positive that either you, or your child, is familiar with at least one of these social media platforms (tik tok), but I am also absolutely sure that you have been harmed by using one of these apps, whether that be mentally, physically, or spiritually. This is because social media has been given way too much control over the way our younger generation thinks, the way they act, and what they believe. Our society seems to base our morals and standards as humans off of what the majority believes, which is detrimental for individuality. Not only this, but SO many parents use technology as an “ibuprofen,” or in other words, a babysitter for their kids’ behaviors, and as a result, unintentionally granting their kids access to social media, which is how social media has been allowed to practically raise the younger generation and engrave its own beliefs in our kid’s minds today. Now, you might be asking, “What do you mean by social media being an “Ibuprofen?” You mean the medicine you take for a headache?”
Well, I’m so glad you asked! And indeed, Ibuprofen is a known medicine to temporarily alleviate bodily pains, whether that be a headache, arthritis pains, and etc. Ibuprofen does not heal or fix the causes of the bodily pains, but it, again, temporarily numbs you to the pain. By calling technology an “ibuprofen,” I’m saying that so many parents use it to numb their issues with their kids, whether it be behaviorally, or etc. If a child/teenager is acting out for some reason, instead of getting to the cause, they’ll throw a piece of technology into their hands to temporarily quiet them down, and the issue ends up being unresolved- replaced by a temporary fix. If you cut a plant, it’ll grow back; only will it die if you completely tear up the root, and get to the main cause of the plant growing.
Though not many realize, social media having such a choke-hold on our kid’s minds has utterly horrid effects on not only our kids, but US as a general society and Nation. The younger generation, due to social media, is granted a dangerous level of access to the wrong kinds of things, affecting the minds and thought processes of our youth today. At the click of a single finger on online websites, numerical doors can be opened that were never supposed to be. Now, you might be asking, “What kind of surprisingly shocking effects?” Well, I am so glad you asked!
On another note, the topic of social media will be an on-going one, so, stay tuned~. *Wink wink*
Anywho, many of our youth today remain so FOCUSED on social media that they practically miss their lives in front of them (sleeping whilst scrolling on social media, eating whilst on social media, talking to others whilst on social media, and etc., which doesn’t give them the time to truly appreciate the things around them) for the sake of followers, likes, and the false idealization of reaching up to unrealistic standards of how their lives should actually be. Have you ever heard the quote, “Everything is not what it seems, and looks can be deceiving?” Well, many people are unaware of this, and influencers are absolute pros at making their lives, looks, appearances, and latest fashions look perfect, when in reality? In reality, behind the scenes, they’re struggling as much as the average person. This often leads to a constant comparison between real life, and a counterfeit-barbie-doll idealization of life in the younger generation today, which causes extreme levels of low self-esteem, and etc. Overall, the consequences of social media have a Domino Effect (*wink wink*) on our youth today.
Secondly, social media is a consistently active distraction from the things that truly matter. For example, social media distracts kids (it’s not only kids) today from school (education), family, FUN, and social interactions with other REAL human beings. This often causes extreme dissociation from reality, resulting in a lower attention span to education, and so much more. Statistics say that we, in the past few years (including today, right NOW) are in the most socially isolated (unknowing of how to communicate with others) state we could have ever possibly been in. Communicatively wise, social media can have many benefits for this issue if used wisely, though unfortunately, many are beginning to use it as a substitute for heart-filled, genuine human interactions. Not only this, but communicating with complete strangers online (as I’m sure you can imagine) has extreme dangers that, sadly, many have fallen into. This discourages the act of verbally talking with others, and instead, encourages the idea of a technology-driven conversation (social media practically creates textophiles if used unhealthily and consumingly).
Thirdly, as previously stated, social media has a heavy influence over our morals, and the way we think (if we allow it to), especially because of a new (not so much) term that society has formulated. This “term” is used to describe when a person disagrees with what the majority believes in, and as a result, their reputation, lives, and any chance at getting a job/having a good life is completely destroyed. Can you guess what term that is? You guessed it (or not, which is okay as well)! It’s “cancel culture.” Now, this can be a good thing, but more often than not, it becomes intoxicating, as kids today can often become more involved with the latest celebrity news (of who got canceled on what day of the week) than their own lives. This limits not only freedom of speech, but also intoxicatingly shapes the way our younger generation thinks, basically giving off the notion, “If you’re different, you’re done.”
Fourthly, many youth get so agitated with the matter of fact that they cannot mimic the unrealistic standards seen on social media that it turns into low-self esteem about themselves, due to the fact these unrealistic standards are so out of reality that they can not be mimicked. Despite cyberbullying, this leads to depression, a lack of understanding of true worth, and a distorted image of themselves, making teens believe the lie that their beauty is found through the lens of others (and unhealthy beauty standards).
Social media has MANY other consequences that affect us dramatically as a society, though those will not be addressed in this particular article, so stay with us, and keep reading.
Now, you might be asking, “How can we as a society change the long-lasting impairments that social media has caused in our kids?”
Well, I’m glad you asked!
Firstly, by leading by example. If a child sees their own parents valuing their cell phone, or whatever kind of technology they use constantly (Facebook, Tiktok, Instagram, and etc.), more than them, of course they’ll begin to mimic that behavior, and think that the idea of their phone being more important in comparison to the things around them is okay (when it’s truly not.) Parents, my dear, loving parents- in order to break an attachment your child has to social media and help them enjoy the daily things that happen around them more-so, YOU have to show that YOU value the things and people around YOU more-so in comparison to social media.
In some way, we hope this impacted you. As you go about your day (or night), we encourage you to be the resolution, not a part of the problem.
To be continued…