The Dangers Of Online Social Media Websites Towards Education Of Children

In spite of the positive effects that have been associated with the emergence and advancement of social networking, there are still negative aspects especially as far as the development of children is concerned. Researchers have established that the over inclination towards social networking can detail the academic and social development of children. This is not universally accepted, especially bearing in mind that there are postulations that technology boosts innovation and creativity.

It is undeniable that social networking impacts positively on all of society. It should however be noted that studies show that social networking and advancement of technology could negatively affect the development of the children. This can be attributed to the fact that social networking is not responsible for the all-round development of the children. It has been seen that using online social networks can decrease overall grade scores by up to twenty per cent.

Over inclination towards these sites has been associated with poor concentration rates. This potentially demonstrates that those children who spend a lot of time using social networking sites may in fact be addicted, and may struggle with overall concentration. The fact that these children are less attentive in class means that they are less likely to perform as well as those who are attentive.

Poor concentration amongst the children who spend a lot of time using the social media can be due to fatigue associated with inadequate rest. This is based on the simple conclusion that as children have to attend classes as scheduled they have to create their own time to use social networks and this will preferably be after school. Such children often have no time to do effectively do their homework since they are in rush to get to the social media. In this regard, teachers report shoddy and incomplete homework due to over inclination towards social media and negative academic development of the affected children. Additionally, lame excuses of incomplete work like crashed computers are serious obstacles to the development of the children (Johnson, 2006). The tools to access such resources as Social Media (Mobile Phones, Tablets etc) are often used directly before bed (often whilst in bed just before sleep), have a dramatic effect on sleep patterns. Backlight displays (basically any mobile phone, tablet and laptop) have been proven to effect sleep REM by up-to 22%, thus increasing the chance of the lack of sleep, and concentration. There are further more direct effects associated with the use of social networks by the children. Linguistic teachers are some of the most vocal critics of digitalisation as it has detracted from the glamour of such arts. Social networking sites such as Facebook influence the art of spelling and pronunciation of children. Those who frequently use social media are more likely to use the short hand form of writing which is considered linguistically incorrect. Certainly within my classrooms there have been may situations where short hand has been used for a variety of report writing. Additionally, the use of writing pads and keyboard limits the development of the art of handwriting, meaning that children who use computers and mobile phones are less likely to write as effectively as those who do not use them. Studies further reveal that those children who spend a lot of time networking have limited time to interact with adults or help out with basic home-life, such as household chores. This potentially led to an irresponsible generation who cannot socialize in an all-round manner due to the lack of concentration. (Jackson, 2006).

With all these concerns with regard to the negative impacts of social networking and the advancement of technology on children, intensive research is required to balance the two issues. This can be attributed to the fact that the advantages of technologies still remain and continue to increase. There is however insufficient research in regard to the application of social networking to enhance both academic and social networking. Meanwhile parents and care givers need to be aware of the extent of the harm that over inclination towards social networking could have on their children.