Nagaveena M
It is the universal truth that all parents want their children to excel and become successful in life. The most important developmental task in adolescence is the acquisition of self-confidence, emotional stability and a balanced way of dealing with life’s challenges and frustrations.
In the present scenario, the influence of social media on teenagers is of particular importance as they are the heaviest users of social networking. It is a big worry that how the exposure to technology affect the teenagers developmentally. Though the social networking plays an important role in broadening social connections, its risks cannot be over looked. It is true that engaging in various forms of social media definitely benefit teenagers by enhancing their communication, social connection and even technical skills. They also allow teens to accomplish many tasks and help them to stay connected with friends and family, making new friends and exchange ideas. The real worry is a large part of this generation’s social and emotional development is occurring on internet and cell phones. More over susceptibility to peer pressure makes teenagers vulnerable to social networking like face book, my space, twitter, online games, whats app and many more. Over usage may cause addiction and may also lead to many social evils like depression, cyber bullying and many more, which are realistic threats. Such sites offer today’s youth a portal for entertainment and communication and have grown exponentially. From last five years, the number of adolescents using such sites has increased dramatically. According to survey, 22percent of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more than ten times a day. Some evils are cyber bullying and on line harassment. Cyber bullying is deliberately using digital media to communicate false, embarrassing or hostile information about another person. Such activities can cause profound psycho-social outcomes including depression, anxiety and severe isolation. Statistics shows that the intensity of online world is thought to be a factor that triggers the depression in many adolescents.
Over indulgence into social media often creates emotional misbalances and sleep deprivation. Unfortunately teenagers succumb to peer pressure easily. One of the major risks of extensive social networking is losing the privacy. The posts on social media and information shared on social network sites can have serious repercussions in future.
The scariest thing about social networking is the on-line deadly games, which has horrified the entire society. This generation’s problem lies in making the internet a cyber-playground and learning deadly activities from other kids all across the world and believe from other children that it is harmless. These games are becoming a kind of popular, because teen years are a time of curiosity and exploration. The shocking death of a 14 year old Mumbai, school boy, who reportedly took his own life as a part of a deadly on-line social media game has raised many questions. Teenagers take risks because they are vulnerable and they feel it is adventurous to take part in such games. Many times peer pressure becomes a source of inspiration. Such individuals are easily drawn towards the challenges which give them a sense of purpose. Most of the times, they are psychologically manipulated to take up such tasks.
Adolescence is a great time to live the fullest, where the parents take a crucial part in determining their personality. But, the internet being a largely uncontrolled entity, it is very hard for the parents to track all the activities that teenagers may indulge in. somehow it is essential that parents should evaluate the sites on which their child wishes to participate, and to be sure that the site is appropriate for that child’s age. It is necessary for every parent to have a conversation with the child about their use of social media and if they sense any negative feeling or behavior, it is essential to take action.
