Words Hurt
This week, we’re going to discuss how social media impacts student relationships and the learning environment. Addiction to social media is common among young people, particularly among middle school and high school students. Students gaze at devices for hours on end and mindlessly browse social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and others. A portion of this scrolling happens while students are in class, without the necessary instruction on internet safety. “More access to communication and information hasn’t improved lives like we thought it would,” a respondent who wished to remain anonymous commented (Anderson and Rainie, 2018). Also, social media makes it easier for people to engage in hostile behavior online, including cyberbullying, hostile remarks, aggressive posts, divisive viewpoints, and many other detrimental elements. Because of these factors, pupils’ mental health is negatively impacted. Assailants conceal themselves behind screens and say heinous things that profoundly impact others.
Let’s discuss a documentary we watched this week called “PLUGGED IN: The True Toxicity of Social Media Revealed (Mental Health Documentary)” in order to get deeper into the concept of how social media affects students’ mental health. News stories about how social media has increased teen suicides, anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems open the documentary. The article continues by outlining how young people find social media to be both engaging and addictive, making it challenging to restrict or regulate teen usage in order to resolve these problems (Richard Grannon SpartanLifeCoach, 2019). Numerous accounts exist from around the United States of persons who experienced mental health problems as a result of the hate, hostility, and terrible pessimism that social media can provide. Contrary to what many students may believe, the bravery that people adopt when hiding behind a screen has a greater impact. When it comes to encounters that take place online, the notion that words have the same potential for harm as acts is disregarded far too frequently.
Johnes, Simona. “9 Rules & 8 Tips for an Effective Cell Phone Policy at School.” Scienceandliteracy.org, 31 Aug. 2021, scienceandliteracy.org/cell-phone-policy-at-school/#google_vignette.
Since we’ve acknowledged the negative effects social media has on children, let’s discuss some steps educators and aspiring educators may do to lessen the harm these harmful platforms do. This may be a good way to address some of the negative effects of social media, but it ignores the possibility that students could require their phones for other purposes. Some students, for instance, use their phones to keep an eye on health issues like insulin levels, heart rate, and others for which they may have trackers or pods. Allowing parents to sit down with their kids and warn them about the risks associated with using the internet is another way to address this issue (Kamenetz, 2019). In addition, you can put parental controls on their social media profiles until you think they’re old enough to take them down. Research on the development of the internet and its effects on young people indicates that since the 1990s, the number of mental health issues has increased dramatically. Implementing no-phone regulations, which forbid kids from using cell phones inside of school buildings, is one method some districts are attempting to address this problem (Langreo, 2023). Anyways, I think that having these phone regulations can really help students not only inside the classroom but also outside the classroom a.k.a. at home.
References
Anderson, Janna, and Lee Rainie. “The Negatives of Digital Life.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, 3 July 2018, www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/07/03/the-negatives-of-digital-life/.
Johnes, Simona. “9 Rules & 8 Tips for an Effective Cell Phone Policy at School.” Scienceandliteracy.org, 31 Aug. 2021, scienceandliteracy.org/cell-phone-policy-at-school/#google_vignette.
Kamenetz, A. (2019, August 27). NPR’s The Scientific Debate over Teens, Screens, and Mental Health. National Public Radio. LinkLinks to an external site.
Langreo, L. Links to an external site. — (2023, October 16). Cellphones Bans Can Ease Students’ Stress and Anxiety, say Educators. Education Week https://www.edweek.org/leadership/cellphone-bans-can-ease-students-stress-and-anxiety-educators-say/2023/10
Willett, R. (Director). (2019). Plugged-In: The Toxicity of Social Media Revealed. [YouTube Video]. Brick in the Wall Media.
Hi Malia, great blog post! I think you touched on some really important points regarding this complex issue. Particularly, I liked it when you mentioned the idea of media literacy, and how students will spend the majority of their time on their phone and on social media apps, without the proper education on internet safety that works to keep them safe on these platforms. Unfortunately, this is an issue which not only affects the students but their families as well, since parents often are not as involved on social media and therefore are not informed on what their children are posting, who they’re interacting with, and the dangers of the internet. Did you consider how you, as an educator, may work to educate your students and their families on media literacy? One suggestion would be to expand on this, and also play devil’s advocate and talk about how technology and social media can also yield positive outcomes in the classroom. Technological tools like Jamboard, Padlet, and even these blogging platforms are useful for students, so as educators we need to encourage the safe and educational use of technology while highlighting the negative effects of social media. It is a convoluted issue to teach to our students, however we must make sure they are media literate in a society that grows more dependent on technology everyday. Overall, great post and I truly enjoyed reading your thoughts!
Hey, Malia! I agree with your idea on how limiting phone usage at home and at school would improve the way students interact with one another online. This may also establish a healthier sense of community online while students interact with others in the same school district as them in ways that establish positive, healthy relationships where they can depend on one another. I believe that a no-phone policy limits the amount of cyber-bullying and hatred spread when more districts tend to implement these same restrictions. I also find it interesting how you went on to mention how people become more brave while hiding behind a screen. Do you believe that the sense of blind bravery students take on online would be limited as well if more districts were to implement a no-phone policy? Overall, I found your blog post to be very informative. Thanks for your blog post this week!