Children, Parents and Social Media. A Different Progressive Take.

There is currently a lot of attention towards the consequences of social media use. Especially the negative consequences. It almost lets you forget the positive aspects of social media.

It is an indisputable fact that there are many negative aspects to social media, many young people seem to have lost themselves to social media and many more are following the trend. However, let us not forget that social media also has a positive influence. Many researches were conducted and put a number of acceptable points at a glance. So, are there positive aspects of social media for children who are constantly on the tablet, phone or behind their laptop?

Lets try and answer these through our own experience with social media. There are a number of diverse concepts, things that you learn easier through social media.

• Language, knowledge, literacy and numeracy – such as vocabulary, story structure, practice with letters and numbers, number comprehension.
• Conceptions and oppositions – such as big-small, more-less.
• Knowledge of the world – It has become so easy now to learn about everything from social media. Concepts are explained in an uncomplicated way especially in stories and movies. Think of everything they can learn themselves by watching YouTube video.
• Going with emotions, increased empathy.

• Improved speed and hand-eye coordination.
• Selecting important information and analyzing situations.
• Solving problems and collaborating with other individuals(like in games), with patience and perseverance.
• To deal with adversity : At social media platforms and while playing games, children are confronted with unpleasant experiences and annoying remarks. They learn how to be tolerant about such instances.
• Improved Creativity : Think of all the ways children use to express themselves, from beautiful photos on Instagram to their own YouTube channel or blog. Back in our days, the medium of expression and platforms to display the talent were so limited.

In addition, Researchers have also made a distinction between different age groups. As a parent, for example, depending on the age of your child, you can do various things to emphasize the positive influence of social media. To let the children get to know the positive aspects of social media at a younger age. Parents, for example, are advised to watch videos together or to Skype with grandparents to. This imparts care and boosts the importance of family values amongst children.

From three years on, it is recommended that babies get acquainted with digital picture books, because its proven that then they understand stories better. After 6 years of age, they can often be left more independent, so they can watch videos themselves. However, it is still important to always pay attention to what your child looks at on the tablet or telephone. It is crucial for parents to discuss and determine that together with their child.

After the ninth year of their child, it is important for many parents not to go away from difficult questions of their children, otherwise they might get the answers wrong. After all, they are becoming more curious about the ‘big-people’ world. They must not get answers to that via unreliable digital channels.

Once children are teenagers, it becomes difficult for many parents to communicate with them. They are now mostly hidden behind their monitor. Yet it is important to continue to talk with them about what they see and hear at school, with friends, but especially on social media. By talking about it, children are prevented from forming opinions based on what they read on social media. After all, there is no direct person in their neighborhood who invalidates it.