We raised our daughters before there was social media, and for that I am grateful. Today, the Surgeon General warned that social media may harm children and adolescents.
It makes sense to me because I know how it affects me, and while social media has given me many good things, I also know its danger.
I use social media a lot, and I am prone to say its for work. It is for work, but it is also something I am trying to curtail. I don’t use Facebook much anymore if at all, only to stay in touch with certain friends. Thankfully, Elon Musk had seriously curbed my twitter problem and with his recent political moves, I may go off it altogether (I will miss it).
And with Instagram, I have muted some people beause I know their posts are not good for my mental health. But Instagram is a bit like a calling card for artists; I use it to showcase my work, as do many others.
For children, it must be a horrible influence. I don’t see any positives. It steals time, imagination, and promotes competitiveness and low self esteem. The report offers guidance for parents in limiting their kids’ intake of social media and has suggested guidelines for tech companies.
Let’s hope the generation that grew up on these things haven’t been too affected.