Despite the risks, social media platforms can offer children valuable opportunities to develop digital literacy skills and build a good digital footprint. See what other benefits it offers to help them get the best out of social media.
Although social media can present some risks, it’s important to understand what the benefits are to give your child the guidance they need to make the best out of their social media use. Below is a list of ways social media can be a source for good for children and young internet users.
Children can learn and appreciate different perspectives and worldviews to better understand the world around them and build up their knowledge on a range of topics. With so many ideas shared across a number of platforms, they can discover areas of interest and use the platforms in an educational capacity.
As social media is now a part of everyday life, it is important for children and young people to learn how to communicate online to prepare them for future opportunities in the workplace and support them in interacting with friends and family. Using social media platforms can help them develop digital literacy in various areas.
Social media removes the boundaries of meeting and maintaining people and forming bonds beyond borders. For children who may have a disability or may not feel they can connect with others within their community, it can be a great way to connect with other people who share their ideas and interests.
Having access to family members who may live miles apart of friends who have moved from a local area can help maintain relationships and allow them to stay in touch and share their lives with ease.
It can open up opportunities to offer support to friends and family that may be experiencing a particular issue. On the flip side for some young people, it can be a place where they can seek support if they are going through something that they cannot talk to those close to them about.
Social media can help young people raise awareness of a particular cause that they are interested in to have a real-world impact on affecting change where they want to see it.
Young people can also use their accounts as bespoke CVs to share their achievements, showcase their talents and build a positive online portfolio that can benefit them in later life.
There remains “little association” between technology use and mental health problems, a study by the Oxford University published in May 2021.
Based on research from the Children’s Commissioner, children say that social media allow them to do the things they want to do and keeps them entertained and feeling happy.
“If you are in a bad mood at home you go on social media and you laugh and then you feel better”
Following research on Teenage Loneliness and Technology, TalkTalk found that a quarter (26%) of parents thought that social media and the internet were making their childless lonely – a figure that doubled from their child’s perspective (48%).
Also, a quarter (25%) of parents said the internet and social media could be a solution to their teenage child’s loneliness, compared with 51% of teenagers.
Role model the behaviour you’d like them to express on their social media. Children and young people tend to copy behaviours so it’s important to reflect the same values you’d like them to adopt.
Look for ways that they can do good by using their social media following, whether it’s promoting a cause that will benefit others or sharing something that will offer support and contribute positively to their digital footprint.
Ensure teens know how to make use of the social platforms’ privacy settigns to stay in control of who they share with and when and what appears on their account from others.
Actively look for moments to discuss what they post, who they share with and how what they see on their social feed impacts them to offer support at the right time.
Encourage them to form strong in-real-life relationships outside of social media to ensure they aren’t overeliant on approval and opinions of social media users, which are purely online and could negatively impact them.
