Social Media

    Social Media has undoubtedly had far reaching effects on every aspect of our existences, as individuals and as a society. There are so many benefits and yet so many negatives resulting from the social media empire.

    I grew up in a world pre-internet, pre-social media and like so many generations that came even before me, have the belief that my reality served as a 'better' reality. I do not wish for a second that I had access to social media as a child and especially teen because I can see the pressure that it perpetuates and it's hard to fathom having to navigate all the stresses of social media combined with the already existing anxieties of navigating adolescence. 

    I think as adults we have a better means to decipher and navigate social challenges, but even then there are pressures and constructs put in place by social media which affect our well-being through comparing and measuring personal successes. But yet, I am on social media. I appreciate the benefits of staying connected with people from my past that I am no longer living near or who are no longer in my close circle. I enjoy the choice and empowerment that comes with choosing who I follow and what fills my scrolling time. There's a degree of freedom associated with the power that comes from getting to make those decisions; who to follow, who to unfollow, who to block. But there is also a level of awareness that needs to come to play in recognizing how what/who we are viewing is affecting our overall psyche and well-being, and that is not always obvious. There is also evidence now that suggests how highly addictive social media has become, in such way that our brains respond in similar ways as it would to a physical or chemical addiction.

    I have been a teacher in the grade 4-6 age bracket for the past decade. This is typically a time when students begin experimenting and dappling in social media platforms, even though they don't yet meet most of the age requirements outlined by the platform. I have yet to see it have a positive effect on a student in this age group, yet without it they quickly become isolated from their friend groups or start to miss out on interactions. 

    

    It is a very tricky subject to navigate as a parent and as a teacher. The best hope is that we can educate our children on digital well-being and help them to develop positive habits early on which will transfer to adulthood.