Use of social media by children is at an all time high, with more than half of children using it regularly by the age of ten (DailyMail UK).

“Kids are starting to become more accustomed to social media,” says avid twitter user Lauren Pasco. “[Especially] with all the hype around it and how easy it is to use.” Although social media has a bad reputation, it could also be helpful.

We live in an age where anything is possible online – including socializing – and it’s hitting this generation of teens and adolescents the hardest, with social media use at an all-time high. 85% of parents report that their teenager has a social networking account (American Osteopathic Association, 2011).

According to recent polls by Consumer Reports, 22 percent of children and teens visit their favorite social media site at least ten times a day. Local dad Jason Tucker says it could give students “potentially less time to study” when they’re so focused on being connected.

In a study by Larry Rosen, use of social media also caused some teens to develop negative character traits such as narcissistic, antisocial and aggressive behavior (Erica Swallow, 2011). He also noted that frequent use has the potential to lead to depression or anxiety.

Social media is also potentially very dangerous. Cyberbullying is  the act of bullying over text or through social networking. It has become extremely popular, especially among teenage and adolescent girls. In 2011, one million children were subjected to harassment, threatened, or exposed to other forms of cyberbullying on Facebook alone (Consumer Reports, 2011).

It’s also a danger to safety. 43 percent of kids have admitted to messaging a stranger online by the age of 12 (DailyMail UK, 2014). 47 percent of teens aged 12-17 have also uploaded photos to a social networking site, which can be considered a gateway to child predators (Amanda Lenhart, 2010).

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that parents monitor their child’s social media use closely. But there is only so much parents can do; only one in ten kids tell their parents that they are being bullied.

But, when used correctly, it can also be a helpful tool. “I think it helps kids become more in touch with the world around them,” says Pasco.

According to polls, one in five teens says social media helped them become more confident, as compared to the 4% that say the opposite. “I can connect with my friends easier,” says fifth grader Chloe Peters. “I made more friends at my school.” Peters also mentions she has never been bullied through social media.

Mother of four Eileen Tucker believes it’s an invasion of privacy. “I love interacting with people, but on my terms,” Tucker says. “I think it will just keep evolving and invading our private lives even more.”

“I guess it just depends on how you use it,” says Pasco. “There are definitely things that are publicized that shouldn’t be, but it can also be a great source of learning and knowledge.”

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