A lot has been said about social media and its impact not just on adults but children as well. Today, almost every child is on a device. And, it remains a debatable discourse as to what is the correct age to allow a child to use both. But, then, times are changing. The Covid pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns changed our worldview of a lot of things. Children needed devices to attend school online. That has no doubt affected the way children handle digital consumption.
Social media is tricky. For me, social media has more cons than pros and needs to be used with caution. Parents need to monitor what their children are using the smartphone or tablet for. There are good and bad on various platforms. The child can get influenced by what s/he sees online. It can impact the child’s thought process and harm him/her. It can lead to addiction and misuse if not observed from the beginning.
Parents need to keep an eye on what children are posting online, surfing, even pages they are following or friends they have. For example, a post that your child puts online can also garner negative comments along with positive ones. However, it is the negative ones that stay with us and affect us the most. And as a parent, you don’t want your child to be subjected to such afflictions.
There’s also a different kind of pressure that social media brings with it — followers and likes. At some point, every child wants more followers and likes on his/her posts so that when comparisons are drawn with friends, the child doesn’t feel left out. These superficial desires and the need to be a certain way in the virtual world might lead to confidence and mental health crisis.
Young adults who spend a lot of time scrolling through social media often end up neglecting their studies — watching one reel is never enough, it’s a never-ending loop. It might also make the child lazy and lethargic because the child refused to play outdoors. The only solution here is to watch what your child is doing on his/her device. I also ensure that my daughter isn’t posting anything online without my permission. I make it a point to see what she’s doing when she’s using her phone.
Communication is the key here. Explaining what’s good and bad can buffer the damage that continuous social media use might cause. Sensitise your child about the advantages and disadvantages and how s/he can harness the true potential of social media. For instance, social media can help them stay connected with their friends, family or relatives leaving far away from them. If used rightly, it can expose them to global communities that will expand their intellect and knowledge.
Nonetheless, setting rules and guiding your child to navigate the virtual world is all a parent can do. Do not deprive the child. Let him/her explore under your guidance. You don’t want your child to feel dejected for not being allowed to use a smartphone or social media. S/he will immediately compare it with a friend whose parents have allowed social media usage.
Setting screen time is one of the points parents can consider to curb device and social media use by their children. It’s a difficult task, but not impossible. Once you explain what is acceptable and not, the child will slowly, and consciously avoid doing things that are barred.
I don’t know what an appropriate age is for a child to have a smartphone or be on social media. These are difficult questions to answer in the modern world. It’s up to the parents and how they teach their child to use both.
(Riddhima Kapoor Sahni is a jewellery designer, and daughter of veteran actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor)
