Social Media and Kids [Video]

Despite the hearts and likes, psychologist Raymond May said kids should be cautious when it comes to social media. “They’re being influenced by whatever they see, hear, smell, taste, so on and so on and so forth. And ultimately, it’s going to be near impossible for them to avoid all of the negative influence of it.”

May had found that social media use can lead to bullying. “Usually only took place at school and now it’s extended everywhere else. I also believe that it can give you a false image of reality, highlighting all the good and none of the bad, thus giving kids a downward comparison of themselves. And also, too, they can find themselves fully immersing in that reality and avoiding this reality.”

When parents ask him if their children should be on social media, he tells them that it depends on that child’s maturity. “If they have a strong ability to regulate their emotional states. If they’re socially and morally mature, they can make good cognitive… or they have a good cognitive framework to judge what is right and wrong. Well, I would say it’s appropriate in limitation, just like with everything else,” said May. “I would say if they’re easily susceptible, once again, to a lot of peer influence, and they also have a more depressive or anxious outlook towards the world and themselves, it might be best to stay away from that.”

You can learn more about pediatric behavioral health by searching for it on leehealth.org.

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