Now almost all children use social media. Children should be outside playing, not sitting indoors in front of screens and hanging out on social media and constantly being compared to others?
Online hate is common and hurts children. In addition, small children are fed daily with ideals of beauty and false images of reality! You parents must keep track of what your children do on social media and what they are exposed to. Do not let the children have social media at all and keep an eye on what the children are doing online. One solution is that we raise the age limits so that the children are mature enough to think critically themselves and not believe that everything is reality.
Firstly, mental illness among children and young people has become increasingly common. The children face daily comparisons with others and hatred on social media because it is much easier to write hate through the Internet instead of saying it in person. All hatred makes you believe that you are not enough no matter how you look or how you are, which creates insecurity and eventually mental illness. Something that in turn can lead to eating disorders and depression. As much as 60 percent of all young people in Swedish society feel that they have increased anxiety due to social media. Parents, stop closing your eyes to reality!
Without social media, children would not be isolated in their rooms in front of their screens. The increased screen time results in less sleep and other health problems. It can also be difficult to achieve approved results in school.
The net is anything but a safe place for children to be. On social media, there are many extremely sick people who use it to exploit children sexually. After a few chats, an unknown person has threatened to take nude pictures of your child that may be freely available on the internet in the near future? There are far too many sexual crimes per day online against children in Sweden, do things like this even have to happen before you adults react? Maybe it is your child who is affected?
I can guarantee that none of you have complete control over what your child is doing online. You adults think that your children themselves will tell you about what they have been involved with online? Obviously not. It is as simple as just asking the question: “How has it been online today”? A change is needed now, all you parents, sharpen up! Let kids be kids!
