Internet
Social Media Effect on Young People
Social media has undoubtedly affected several areas of people’s lives. To a good extent, it has changed the way people interact and relate. The effects have been both positive and negative. Of all the population the young people are the most affected. Below are some of the effects of social media on young people; both positive and negative.
Improved Communication and Interaction
Social media has improved people’s interactions and hence, communications. Social media platforms with instant messaging, video calling, and other communications tools have enabled people to interact more easily. It has also become quite easy to meet new people and get new friendships. It is easier to find a long lost friend on Facebook than it would be looking all over for them.
Created Business Opportunities
Social media has, in a great way, influenced how people market and advertise their products today. It has provided a quite easy and cheaper way of reaching potential clients. Most young people have seized this opportunity and made some living out of it. For those in the informal sector and those working from home, social media has provided a platform where one can market their product and get genuine clients without having to incur a lot.
Creating Networks
Young people can create networks that are beneficial to them. For instance, students in a given field of study from different countries can come together and share ideas without necessarily having to know each other. Some of these networks have led to the birth of amazing ideas and inventions that are going to change the world for the better.
While the above are some nice positive effects of social media, it also has some shortcomings that are quite prevalent in the young generation. Some of them include:
Time Wastage
A lot of young people spend most of their time on social media instead of doing constructive things. Most young people spend an average of about 5 hours of their time on social media. This limits their ability to be productive, and if left unchecked, it may lead to social media addiction, which may pose other problems.
Inhibit Interpersonal Interactions
Another grave danger of overexposure of young people to social media is that it is quickly eroding interpersonal skills. Most young people are hooked to texting. This has made communication between people quite hard. Young people are these days unable to express themselves, and this is creating a communication gap between the older generation and the young people.
Erosion of Values
Due to the uncontrolled interactions, young people are having. There is a great chance that they are picking up some unhealthy values. These behaviors include perverted sexual behaviors, radicalization, and crime to mention but a few. Young people may not be well informed on how to carefully chose how to interact on social media, thus creating an opportunity for hem to be exploited.
These are just a few social media effects on young people. Young people must be well-educated on how to deal with social media to ensure that they are not ruined by it. This education will ensure that they take only positive effect.
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School
Effects of School Bullying on Children
Apart from the fear of attending school the next day, there are more effects to bullying than meet the eye. It’s imperative to understand that bullying continues over a long time, and your child may not only develop some short-term fear, but they will be exposed to long term effects which may be difficult for them to handle. Before the damage is done, here are some effects of school bullying on children that you should know.
Low Self Esteem
When a bully exerts their authority on the victim, the result is usually a feeling of helplessness. That is what your child feels. When it occurs day after day, your child’s esteem reduces, and more serious problems develop. They lack the courage to face life. They can’t deliver on their goals and start failing on matters they could handle. Look for reduced esteem, and some of it may translate into the fear of attending school the next day. On the long-term, your child may become anxious and develop self-destructive behavior.
Social Withdrawal
When your child gets bullied a lot, they tend to isolate themselves from others. Why? They can’t bear with the shame of facing others when they consider themselves inferior. They may also fear that another bully may come from the crowd. So, to stay safe, it is better to be alone. In being alone, they cause much harm to themselves, because humans grow because in an environment of mutual relationships with others.
Psychosomatic Symptoms
These are such symptoms which develop while there is no medical cause behind them. You may get your child complaining of stomach aches, headaches, muscle pains, and other physical aches. If this is happening and the cause can’t be established, take a deeper look at what is happening to them in school. It’s a sign of a much bigger problem.
Disturbed Sleep and Eating habits
Once you notice a change in eating and sleeping habits and bedwetting, these are signs that your child is facing a bully at school. These are symptoms related to the natural flight response we have. It shows that psychologically they are fighting something which makes them behave so. When you start seeing this, take time and look at whether a pattern develops and that will help you know that it’s not all well and you should find out.
Depression
After long periods of bullying and mental stress, children start developing signs of depression, which later in life may develop into chronic depression. Pay attention to times when your child is stressed out and try to investigate the underlying problems before they spew into the danger zone.
Health Problems
A child facing the continuous stress of a bully and suffering silently through it is prone to health problems. Without proper feeding, anxiety, withdrawal, and unease will make your child body system susceptible to attacks. Therefore, dealing with the various effects of bullying will help your child not get to this stage of complicated health.
The Bottom Line
Bullying will eventually take a toll on the health and wellness of your child, both short term and long-term. Dealing with it by identifying the bully is key, the next phase is to understand that the bully is also a child suffering in some way. Addressing both cases will prevent future problems.…
