Children! The Ping of Social Media

Ping.. ping.. ping....

The Ping of Social Media... to which we are so fondly connected. Our lives are now built around the sweet sounds of this ‘Ping’... a familiar tone we all look forward to hearing ... yes this ping is your phone, tablet, laptop and so much more.

Everyone is on it, glued! whatever generation one may be, we cannot escape it.

The INSTANT GRATIFICATION of being known, loved and recognised by not only our near and dear ones but also ones that have no impact or influence on our lives—Ones liking our posts!

Before the infestation of Social Media, we were expected to earn our rewards with proof of sincere efforts, perseverance and hard work which also determined the levels of outcomes achieved.

The Millennials have so many more platforms to get the recognition and acknowledgment from their peers or their social network that brings with it the pressure of being Accepted and Liked.

Skills of manoeuvring through few screens, apps, and tapping on buttons does give you an edge but may not be proof of your knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. Skill and Knowledge are like Train tracks, if used together will lead you to your destination, if not they will only create an impediment.

How do we give our children this power of differentiation?

Differentiating between skill and knowledge whilst negotiating the ever growing demands of attending to the ‘Pinging’ sounds from gadgets and peers; A challenge for children and their parents, this is thought provoking and made more current with the Covid-19 related working from home in the last year.

WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Snapchat ... tools enabling connections beyond boundaries and regions. They help building local online communities where in we create the network to help one another, sharing the highs and lows and looking for endorsements and feedback.

Social Media Tools that are constantly being judged or judging others by means of mere words, pictures, media shared, without the need for in-depth knowledge of the subject and person posting. Thereby paving a path of Duality! Wherein we are all juggling between a life of Social Media and a private life. This excessive involvement can easily lead us to be delusional, taking us far from our aspirations, knowledge, responsibilities and even families in many cases.

How do you UNTANGLE from this WEB and liberate from superficial judgements? It takes years to build TRUST within RELATIONSHIPS, not just at the click of a button.

In order to enlighten our children, we must teach them to understand the importance of SELF ESTEEM, SELF BELIEF and RESPONSIBILITY.

Establishing profound and long-lasting connections, is a long-term process. Connections or relationships between people should have a substantial exchange of information and knowledge which will create responsibility to inspire and contribute to family, friends and community.

Children in their younger years show slow or late developments in their fine motor skills and even speech or communication due to lack of positive engagement.

We as parents or carers have a responsibility to elucidate and demonstrate and teach the ‘HOW THINGS WORK’. Give your children a tool set and allow them to open an old phone handset or keyboard. Let them explore the machinery, wires within the plastic boxes. There are lot of STEM games for different age groups that will develop their thinking and engaging them cognitively.

Communication is key to help them judge when ENOUGH is ENOUGH at every level. Allow them to be in control and ask them to educate you about the benefits and perils of Social Media as they develop an understanding of this. Trust me this will be an eye opener. And one of my favourites is introducing the love of reading and books - suited for their levels. READ, answer questions and inform them about the choices they are going to make; keep them safe. Click here to read my article about the love of reading in children...

Yes, internet is a necessity and Social Media important. Let’s help our children capitalise, understand and utilise the tools in a meaningful way.

Let us help our children understand what shook the city; types of earthquakes, it’s origination and spread; what is happening in the neighbourhood and how are local volunteers helping the elderly.

Parents! Let's ask ourselves: How do our children differentiate between authentic sources of knowledge on the internet from ones that need to be avoided; how do they capitalise on the wealth or knowledge without getting sucked into a social media frenzy of seeking likes and appreciation which in many cases is superficial and does not reflect any deeper understanding of ones achievement. Let us all build skills in our children to develop a knowledge oriented attitude and safe use of the internet. Safe Internet Week.

Written by Anu Raina

Ping.. ping.. ping!