Not-so social media: Effects on children growing up in a digital era
Social Media is changing the way we experience socialization. Younger children absorb information much easier and are more inclined to posting without thinking of the repercussions since they don’t know any better.
Despite many platforms restricting the terms of service to 13 years or older, young children still find their way on these platforms. The ease of access to the internet has aided this issue.
On one hand, young people are described as oversharing by “broadcasting” their lives on social media and, on the other hand, they are seen as becoming socially isolated, awkwardly “hiding behind their screens” and engaging in virtual social interactions (Thomson et al., 2018)
Digital technologies have added a new dimension that children have to navigate through, while still required to learn certain elements of community, identity and social cues.
Simply put, a child’s development will always happen, but the environment they are placed in may have long term consequences on the way they grow to interact and socialize later in life. This issue is one which we are yet to reap the fruits of, since the digital era is a relatively new one for this generation to be growing in.
James and James (2004) argue that childhood is a social space within which children negotiate their own and other’s identities at both the macro-level (collective, structural, and institutional) and the micro-level of everyday interactions.
I find it ironic and poignant that most children these days know how to use an iPad before they’re potty trained. Or prefer to play online games over hide and seek in grandma’s kitchen.
The developmental psychologist Erik Erikson established the foundations of psychological breakthroughs in children’s development.
Identity formation begins in childhood, with children’s first tentative representations, and gains prominence during adolescence. Adolescents and pre-adolescents can experience an “identity crisis”, that is, a temporary instability and confusion as they struggle with ego growth, alternatives, and choices (Erikson, 1968).
Despite the concern from parents and teachers, studies show that children may have more autonomy than we think they do.
Recent studies confirm how detrimental the impact of the digital landscape has been on the identity formation that occurs in parallel to physical growth.
Although the advantages of the digital era have brought connectivity to its peak right now, the ease of access may also be the downfall to human aspects of socializing.
It might be easy for an adult to understand the difference between physically socializing with another person, reading social cues and turning on social awareness because we have been exposed to these things at a young age where there was no alternative.
Nowadays, young children have been exposed to the digital alternative to socializing. The effects of the pandemic obviously did not improve the situation. The sad reality behind it was that many children resorted to learning their first ABC’s over a zoom call.
However, at that age, they are not made aware that that is not what our generations have experienced, because it is their current reality and for them, that is what normal is.
Certain relationships exist solely through a screen, which in turn makes them find it hard to socialize in real time situations.
This digital era has shifted the way young adolescents (8–12 year olds also referred to as “tweens”) experience development since they have been exposed to platforms that display illusions of idealized scenarios.
Social media use has been established as a form of identity portrayal. Next week we will be looking into how social media platforms make identity feel more like a constructed reality compared with real-life.
References:
Pescott, C. K. (2020). “I Wish I was Wearing a Filter Right Now”: An Exploration of Identity Formation and Subjectivity of 10- and 11-Year Olds’ Social Media Use. Social Media + Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120965155
https://sites.psu.edu/aspsy/2018/03/16/how-the-internet-effects-personal-identity/
This blog is part of a project for Study Unit DGA3008, University of Malta
