The world wide web is aptly named so. Like a spider web it has woven its magic and ensnared millions. These millions live in that virtual world, oblivious of the real world around them. First adults fell to this addiction and now the younger generation is neck deep immersed in social media. The result of this is an era of youngsters who are lost in their own world.

What happens if we let our children stay in this pseudo-world is one day is they will wander off so far that it will be impossible for us to reach out to them. We are already witnessing the effects of the Internet and cell phone right in our homes, with our kids. If we don’t wake up to the adverse effects of the technology on kids, these are the factors our kids will be left with.

Source: The Spirit Science

Effects of Social Media on Kids Brain

Cut off from the outer world

Talking to the kids, these days, parents realize they are addressing blank walls. The kids are seen immersed in iPads and tablets oblivious of someone addressing them. The technology has them in such a strong grip that to be heard we need to shake them up but mostly get blank stares from them. What reach their minds are only the videos, constant pings and status updates and posts on Facebook and other social media platforms like Twitter.

Communication lapses

The effect of technology is such that kids have forgotten how to hold a decent conversation with anyone. The thought-to-speech coordination is highly impaired due to overindulgence in texting and chatting online. The short forms of words used in the charts have further reduced kids’ knowledge of language usage. So when it comes to actual conversation they end up with incoherent sentences. Having a face-to-face conversation with eye contact is something that is missing in today’s tech-addicted kids.

Memory loss

Studies have shown that when a person is exposed to more than one electronic gadget like cell phone, television and tablets at the same time it gradually affects one’s brain function. Memory loss, failing to grasp and register happenings around them is reduced. The brain shuts itself to what is happening in the actual world. Especially in kids this tendency is more. This may lead to short term memory and can have long term effects.

Popularity and absence of it

There was a time when being popular was being recognized and appreciated by people around us. But today being popular means the number of friends you have on your profile and the number of social groups you are accepted into. Those who are virtually popular may label themselves as winners, but what about those who don’t make the popular list? Especially pre-teens and teens for whom being popular is a thing of pride. Those who cannot make more friends on the social groups or not invited into the so-called popular social groups go through lots of negative emotions.

Shy, not-so-extrovert kids see their self-esteem and confidence hit rock bottom because they are not recognized and interacted with, in the virtual world. This will lead to anxiety and depression.

Self-centeredness

This is the era of selfies, which means you are not dependent on anyone to even click your own pictures. Even in public places we see adults and kids making faces, posing and clicking pictures of themselves, oblivious of who is watching. The world has come to a point where even if there is an accident on the road, people instead of rushing forward to help the victims, click selfies with the accident spot as a background. Feelings that make us human is empathy and a sense of responsibility to things and people around is slowly diminishing as kids are getting more self-centered.

Health issues

More than three to four hours of using electronic gadgets have resulted in very young kids to adolescents with defects in eyesight. But over usage of social media and gadgets have resulted in other serious health issues like defects in the curvature of the neck and the spine, dizziness, headaches and insomnia among kids. Long hours of continual use of fingers to type have resulted in damages in finger joints. But what has affected the most is the brain. Low concentration level, disinterest in schoolwork and studies, behavioral issues are a few of the serious damage caused by the virtual world.

It’s become a fad and more and more children are using modern gadgets and getting lost in the shallow and unreal world of social media. Though, cutting them off from technology and its advents is impossible, but it surely can be restricted for their own good. Instead of letting them over-indulge and producing a generation of blank faced, unattached youth, it is our lookout to see a positive growth keeping them in check with today’s technology.