People everywhere are familiar with social media sites such as Face Book, Instagram, Linked In, and Twitter; in fact… our children have become quite reliant on some of these sites when it comes to making new friends and more. Today, communication via social media has become the ‘norm’ for our youngest generation, but with that comes the possibilities of the ‘unknown.’ There are online predators, sources of bullying and harmful behaviors which could damage their well-being (health). I know…as a parent myself, we all want to protect our children from any and all harm that lurks online or in our streets today, but we must teach them the other affects that come with the use of social media daily. It’s been proven that a strong presence on Face Book (in particular), shows signs of psychological disorders in children, as well as antisocial behavioral problems. Young people must prepare for their future by having an array of skills; in which most will not happen by living on social media sites. The negative effects will make them prone to depression, anxieties and could even show aggressive tendencies.

Some studies have shown that those children who log into Face Book at least once a day during studies show a negative impact in class; achieving lower scores and showing less interest in school activities. These children are the future in our world, and it will take a joint effort on every level in order to help them go in the right direction. Some will argue the point that there are positive things that happen with young adults online, especially for those that are introverted. It gives them the ability, online… to be able to bond with family members or friends that live in distant places; But… I am a firm believer that those real-life social skills come from face to face interactions. One cannot hide emotions when looking at someone eye to eye, verses having an online presence, which can give them an edge to say something they normally may not in person and in many cases, watching live feed (videos of sorts) which  desensitizes people of all ages. I’m referring to the man who had videoed his acts of murder this past year of innocent victims, because of an ex-girlfriend; these kinds of things are horrific and damaging to everyone I know; there’s no good comes from any of this behavior.

There are countless articles on this subject, and no matter how many times we write about the subject at hand, bad things continue to happen. We should continue to remind parents, family and friends at the beginning of every school year about the overuse of social media sites and how to keep it to a minimum among our children. It is our duty to be educated and to teach our younger generations good from bad. Also… remember “if you see something, say something.” The same applies for hearing something, we must tell someone; it could save lives.

Make your week count.