25% of the Facebook users are less than 10 years old. And 90% of users of social media are within 18 to 29 years old. Each of them has 201 Facebook friends on average.
Even in Bangladesh, as internet is reaching everywhere even in the remote areas, the users are increasing which include the children as well. According to the information of 2016 of BTRC (Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission), 3.5% of the teenagers aging 15-19, are regular internet users. And a huge part among them are connected in social media.
American Academy of pediatrics- ones who are concerned with children’s health, has discovered some dangerous information in their research.
Children and Social Media
Social media sites are those which helps social communication. Facebook is the most popular one but it also includes MySpace, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Apart from that there are other virtual worlds like gaming site and club penguin, second life or Sims. There are also YouTube and blogs. Whether for entertainment or communication- the young generation can’t even think of having a life without them.
During the last 5 years, the number of preadolescents and adolescents using such sites has increased dramatically. According to a recent poll, 22% of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more than 10 times a day, and more than half of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day. Seventy-five percent of teenagers now own cell phones, and 25% use them for social media, 54% use them for texting, and 24% use them for instant messaging. Thus, a large part of this generation's social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones.
Cyber bullying
Cyber bullying is deliberately using digital media to communicate false, embarrassing, or hostile information about another person. It is the most common online risk for all teens and is a peer-to-peer risk.
Although “online harassment” is often used interchangeably with the term “cyber bullying,” it is actually a different entity. Current data suggest that online harassment is not as common as offline harassment, and participation in social networking sites does not put most children at risk of online harassment. On the other hand, cyber bullying is quite common, can occur to any young person online, and can cause profound psycho social outcomes including depression, anxiety, severe isolation, and, tragically, suicide.
Sexting
Sexting can be defined as “sending, receiving or forwarding sexually explicit messages, photographs or images via cell phone, computer or other digital devices. Many of these images become distributed rapidly via cell phones or the Internet. This phenomenon does occur among the teen population; a recent survey revealed that 20% of teens have sent or posted nude or seminude photographs or videos of themselves. Some teens who have engaged in sexting have been threatened or charged with felony child pornography charges. Additional consequences include school suspension for perpetrators and emotional distress with accompanying mental health conditions for victims. Some even chose to commit suicide in the fear of damage of social reputation.
Facebook Depression
Researchers have proposed a new phenomenon called “Facebook depression,” defined as depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression. Acceptance by and contact with peers is an important element of adolescent life. The intensity of the online world is thought to be a factor that may trigger depression in some adolescents. As with offline depression, preadolescents and adolescents who suffer from Facebook depression are at risk for social isolation and sometimes turn to risky Internet sites and blogs for “help” that may promote substance abuse, unsafe sexual practices, or aggressive or self-destructive behaviors.
Canadian Association of Mental Health discovered that, student from 7th to 12th grade who spend more than 2 hours on social media are more prone to anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies.
Privacy Concern and Digital Footprint
The main risk to preadolescents and adolescents online today are risks from each other, risks of improper use of technology, lack of privacy, sharing too much information, or posting false information about themselves or others. These types of behavior put their privacy at risk.
When Internet users visit various Web sites, they can leave behind evidence of which sites they have visited. This collective, ongoing record of one's Web activity is called the “digital footprint.” One of the biggest threats to young people on social media sites is to their digital footprint and future reputations. Preadolescents and adolescents who lack an awareness of privacy issues often post inappropriate messages, pictures, and videos without understanding that “what goes online stays online. As a result, future jobs and college acceptance may be put into jeopardy by inexperienced and rash clicks of the mouse. Indiscriminate Internet activity also can make children and teenagers easier for marketers and fraudsters to target.
Influence of Advertisements on buying
Many social media sites display multiple advertisements such as banner ads, behavior ads (ads that target people on the basis of their Web-browsing behavior), and demographic-based ads (ads that target people on the basis of a specific factor such as age, gender, education, marital status, etc) that influence not only the buying tendencies of preadolescents and adolescents but also their views of what is normal. It is particularly important for parents to be aware of the behavioral ads, because they are common on social media sites and operate by gathering information on the person using a site and then targeting that person's profile to influence purchasing decisions. Such powerful influences start as soon as children begin to go online and post. Many online venues are now prohibiting ads on sites where children and adolescents are participating. It is important to educate parents, children, and adolescents about this practice so that children can develop into media-literate consumers and understand how advertisements can easily manipulate them.
No Age limitation
Even though some social media has set the age of 13 or above, this rule isn’t followed by most people. It was found in research, that 25% of the Facebook users are less than 10 years old. Besides, there are other sites which doesn’t require any age limit, e.g. Disney site, Club Penguin etc. Hence, those sites are riskier for the children.
[Source: Clinical Report—The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families (American Academy of Pediatrics)]
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