As technology evolves rapidly, the internet has become a major part of everyone’s life, fueled exponentially by the pandemic. People use the internet to do research, socialize, work, watch entertainment, and so much more. Consequently, the safety of online and social media use for students has become a major concern for all parents, as well as teachers, administrators, and all caretakers in children’s lives. Many discussions are happening in schools as they navigate through the current digital environment with technology being implemented more and more – leaving parents to decide how best to control children’s screen time and different ways to guide their social media activity. These topics are necessary for parents to address as the potential dangers of social media have become all too clear in recent years.
The Massive Impact of Social Media
Research finds that the more time students spend on social media, the more likely they will experience mental health symptoms. However, the question remains: “Is social media itself really making a negative impact on students or is the content the real problem?” Currently, much of the scientific literature on the effects of social media use has focused on negative outcomes. But is it possible for social media to be a positive and safe space for students as technology continues to expand into everyday life? The answer is affirmative: through regulated options. Regulated social media can benefit students by helping them foster positive attention, build healthy peer competition, gain confidence, cultivate friendships that combat loneliness, make friends with other students globally, and learn about different cultures and backgrounds.
Social media is not disappearing, but with a healthy level of regulation and monitoring – of both your child and their peers – there are opportunities for it to be useful and valuable for children’s growth. However, sadly, much content on social media currently is unregulated and inappropriate for young children and adolescents.
The Regulation Challenge
According to the American Community Survey, in 2021, 97% of 2-18 year old students had some internet access. As a result, students are inevitably exposed to massive amounts of online content, and many are bound to be exposed to some content that is inappropriate. Parents sometimes think they are letting students watch something that is safe online, however, unregulated social media or websites often have popup ads and could eventually direct students to websites that are harmful to them. Students’ brains are not fully developed, making them a vulnerable group and further emphasizing the importance of parental supervision. Parents need to have control of not only what content their children are watching but also what activities students are conducting online to ensure safety.
Without parents’ close supervision and control, using unregulated social media can expose kids, especially those in school, to cyberbullying, connecting with the wrong people, violence, and hate-based content. According to PEW Research Center, nearly half of the U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 (a whopping 46% of the teen population) report experiencing at least one of six cyberbullying behaviors. It has become increasingly common to see stories on the news of tragedies due to cyberbullying on social media or young students copying harmful acts based on content they saw, resulting in injuries. Negative influence from inappropriate content on social media is a serious issue and something parents can help mitigate with access to kids’ online activity.
Now What?
So, how do parents supervise students’ activities online without limiting independence? And how much supervision is enough? These are the questions parents and caregivers often wonder. Realistically speaking, parents cannot monitor their students’ activities 24/7. Just by being their kids’ friends on social media doesn’t mean that parents will be able to track activity and detect problems right away when things go wrong. In addition, students do need freedom. Helicopter parents are not helpful to students’ development of independence. What is really crucial for parents to do is to spend time teaching their children how to use social media and devices in a positive way, guiding them to think twice before sending anything on unregulated social media and helping children identify positive and negative online behaviors. Also, parents should consider parental control options when purchasing a device or setting up technology and seek online resources that are kid-friendly and specifically built with kids’ safety in mind.
Learning apps and educational websites that have additional security measures in place exist so parents can have peace of mind and kids can optimize their screen time for education. For example, Urban Sandbox, a platform that is dedicated to students, not only regulates content but also allows parents to supervise from afar. Parents have access to track activities in the app, which allows them to act fast if anything concerning arises, while students are permitted 100% freedom to explore the app and interact on their own time. Parents choosing the right apps and websites for students to use is critical when it comes to ensuring online safety and protecting from harmful content. Children are our future, and we should do everything we can to set them up for success.
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About Danna Okuyama Danna Okuyama is CEO and Founder of Urban Sandbox, a modern-day pen pal app and safe space for students that parents can trust. Urban Sandbox allows students to connect, learn, and grow with other like-minded peers from around the world, while parents have full access to their child’s platform to easily supervise activity and ensure safety.
