Children’s Media Habits and Cognitive Behavior, Research Paper Example

What is Social Media

Social media is one of the main channels used in today’s society to connect people and businesses around the world. Social media is defined as self-regulated, authentic conversation through the use of social networks, blogs, forums, and interactive dialogues has promoted the sharing of valuable of information (Gillin, 2008). From a business perspective, social media has provided infinite opportunities for companies to promote their products and services. The use of social media even allows consumers to provide feedback about services or products they have used.  When most people think of social media, they automatically correlate Facebook and Twitter with the term. Nonetheless, social media is so much more than social networking sites; it is also blogs, forums, message boards, podcasts, search engines, and video sharing (Gillin, 2008).  In recent research, it was found that almost 75 percent of all Internet users are members of a social network (Gillin, 2008). As a result, social media has a great impact on the way organizations communicate. Social media provides a different experience to every organization, so there is no one definitive definition of social media.

Everyday Use

Social media has become an integral part of nearly every teenager in the world. As a result, parents, educators, and other adults have a great desire to understand the role that social media plays in teens’ lives. Some are optimistic about social media use, while others are sure it will cause more harm than good, especially when it comes to the emotional well-being of the teens. To date, there are about 1.2 billion teenage users of Facebook around the world (Boyd, 2007).  Teenagers spend much of their time engaging in activities on Facebook. They are updating status, posting pictures, liking, and commenting and others posting for nearly six hours a day on average. With the invention of Smartphones and 4G networks, teenagers are spending more time on social media because they have easy access to it. It is in their pockets. Its accessibility and ease of use has made it addictive for many teenagers. Many view it as a form of entertainment while others center their lives on it. For many, their addiction to social media has started to interfere with their daily lives and parents are outraged. The obvious question for most is when has social media use become an addiction and what should be done about it. Teens of today are the first to embark upon teenage years with social networking sites; therefore it is still unclear if social networking will be more of a benefit or detriment to the average teen.

Addiction to Technology

Internet addiction is described as  the use of social media to an extent that creates psychological, social, school, and behavioral difficulties in one’ life.  A person with a technology addiction will spend a great amount of time using the Internet, which leads to increased levels of loneliness and depression from the lack of human relationships outside the use of technology. Social media can be a double edged sword. Teenagers can benefits from expanding their social network and meeting people from different cultures and different parts of  the word- something that would not have been possible twenty years ago from the comfort of one’s own home.  Teens with similar hobbies and mindsets often form communities within social media stations. For example, teens who like to play the same types of video games can chat and share game secrets with one another. However, studies have shown that social media networks seem to attract teens with psychological and social problems more often than it does teens without these problems. This is because using social media has a degree of anonymity. For example, “Technology addiction can have several negative effects on a teen. The attractiveness of anonymity, for example, might pull a teen away from social engagement. After all, a teen might embarrass himself at a party, but that’s something not easily done online” (Boyd, 2007).

Anonymity of Technology

A teen can be whoever he/she wants to be on social media. Often this is what attracts teens that are having problems forming friendships or fitting in. In some sense digital technology has broken a barrier between reality and imagination. Those teens may become addicted to social media because they are enjoying the life they have created there more than the life they are actually living. The American Psychiatric Association has yet to include social media addiction as a legitimate diagnosis because it is difficult to diagnose this as a disorder. When a teen spends hours on social media sites is he/she addicted to social media? Some signs of social media addiction are: Feeling preoccupied with the Internet, use the Internet with increasing amounts of time to achieve satisfaction, had repeatedly unsuccessful attempts to control, cut back, or stop Internet use, feeling restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when not using the Internet, staying online longer than intended, jeopardized significant relationships because of Internet use. For example:

“Almost all teenagers in America today have used social media. Nine out of 10 (90%) 13- to 17-year-olds have used some form of social media. Three out of four (75%) teenagers currently have a profile on a social networking site, and one in five (22%) has a current Twitter account (27% have ever used Twitter). Facebook utterly dominates social networking use among teens: 68% of all teens say Facebook is their main social networking site, compared to 6% for Twitter, 1% for Google Plus, and 1% for MySpace (25% don’t have a social networking site” (Turkle, 2011  ).

Social and other digital media are a part of the daily lives of the vast majority of teens.

Technology as a Tool

The Internet is a great tool for teens to use when used properly and with proportion. However, too much use of the Internet can have a negative effect on a teen’s well-being. Although teens love social media, many have shared a desire to “unplug” and go back to normal life. Many teens describe themselves as addicted to their cell phones and other gadgets. Teens who report this say that they are addicted to their cell phones because they are attached to their social media sites. For example, “Many teens express and almost adult-like weariness with the pressures of the constant texting and posting involved in their modern lives” (Turkle, 2011). Teens are attracted to technology for several reasons. The main reason is that teens have poor coping skills. When they are stressed they often turn to something that comforts them. This something has to be easy to focus on. Consequently, many teens use social media sites as coping mechanisms. It is an escape from challenging situations they don’t want to face. Also, teens seem to be bolder when using social media. They might say things that they would have never said to a person face to face. Secondly, the Internet is widely available. So, many teens are a part of this virtual world due to peer pressure. They want to fit in with other kids their age. It’s also a curiosity issue. Teens may come back to school discussing who posted what or who liked what; everyone who is on social media knows exactly what they are discussing. This will make children who are not a part of the virtual world feel like an outcast. According to Turkle, there are five psychological traits that drive one to use social media. First, there is the fear of missing out (FoMo). According to her, humans have a desire to belong. “27 percent of consumers admit they check social networks as soon as they wake up, and 51 percent continue to log in periodically throughout the day” (Turkle, 2011  ). The next is one’s ego. Many people check their statuses to see how many people agree with them. It is an emotional attraction to have an audience. Third, is the way one is perceived. The way a person perceives something is his/her reality. For teens this is the ultimate truth because they have not experienced enough life to be able to weigh situations for worthiness. For a teenager, perception is everything. The fourth trait is control. Social media uses desire control over issues. It is much easier to un-friend someone than it is to tell them that they hurt your feeling and upset you. Teens do this all the time. They come to the realization that someone is not their friend because they un-friended them on Facebook. They accept it and never discuss it. Finally, social comparison is the final trait (Turkle, 2011). Teenagers are learning what is acceptable. They need to be able to compare how they think, feel, and look to other teens. Social media allows them to do this.

How is it Affecting the Brain

Social media gives the teen a sense of empowerment that they are usually not capable of having in the real world. Teens’ addiction to social media is merely a compulsion to fit in with other teens. Some teens may overdo it because social media interferes with the face to face human relationships they have. For the most part, using social media is probably harmless. Most teens are able to discern if social media has become an issue. For other teens that are unable to do this, parents must step in. Parents must be vigilant of teens Internet use. There are far more dangerous aspects of using the Internet than the possibility of becoming addicted.

Have you ever questioned how technology is really affecting the mind’s ability? Sherry Turkle, who has researched and studied how computers affect the human brain, believes that the more people use and depend on computers, the less capable their minds become. In today’s world, technology is everywhere. Society has become more dependent upon technology; consequently, skills like creativity or critical thinking ability may be affected as well. The employment of various other complex skills, many believe, is what critical thinking is.  Critical thinking is the application of logic and reason to an unfamiliar situation. Likewise, being able to think critically means one has to be open-minded and willing to see situations from various points of view. Another important aspect of critical thinking is being able to approach problems rationally. One must understand that what may seem rational to him/her may not seem rational to someone else. Members of today’s society have learned to depend more on computers than using critical thinking skills. The use of computers has negatively affected the brain’s ability to think critically.

Attention Span

The use of technology leads to a short attention span for nearly everyone who is exposed to it. For example, as Olsen says:

“With extensive recurrent internet usage, studies indicate the development of systemic implications such as short term attention spans and scattered thinking. When we work online, our brains are constantly pressured to take in vast amounts of information. Many links on one page connect to others, sidebar advertisements flash and divert attention, web pages contain tantalizing pictures, and other factors all contribute to distractions while looking up information” (Olsen, 2015 ).

Lack of patience is a common characteristic that describes the majority of people who are technology dependent. With the use of technology, people seldom have to wait for anything (Turkle 12). There are numerous examples of how technology has made processes almost instantaneous. However, before computers, friends that lived far apart called or wrote each other letters. They occasionally visited in person, too. Today, people have numerous ways in which to communicate with each other. First, there is instant messaging or text messaging. With this method, a person can communicate with another person in real time. “Instant messaging is a part of everyday life, with more and more people using their IM service as a starting point for all communications, from sending mobile messages to friends on cell phones to placing VoIP-based phone calls. Fifty-eight percent of at-work instant messaging users now send IMs to communicate with colleagues” (Ciarcia, 2010). There is also email and social media sites, both of which are also instant. Chances are if a person is not using IM he/she is using email and/or social media.  Because youngsters are growing up with access to technology that is instantaneous, they are very impatient. When they have to complete tasks that take long periods of time, they become agitated and often just quit. Of 300 college students polled, 78 percent of them agreed that they become agitated when their electronic devices are not work properly or malfunction (Ciarcia, 2010). While all of the various forms of technology engage people, likewise, it often becomes addictive too.

Lack of Ability

The brain is similar to other muscles-lack of use equals lack of ability.  Nicholas Carr, an evaluator of the internet and its impact on student learning, believes that students

“are evolving from cultivators of personal knowledge into hunters and gathers in the electronic forest…dazzled by the Net’s treasures, we are blind to the damage we may be doing to our intellectual lives and even our culture. History has taught us this over and over. Likewise, the brains of young people are evolving to the tech savvy world around them” (Carr, 2015).

In other words, the brains of youngster are losing its ability to decipher information. They are only able to gather information. Over time this can become dangerous because the brain will lose its potential functioning ability. Turkle adds, “The computer has a chameleon-like quality; once programmed, it becomes the user’s creature and provides an ideal medium for self-exploration” (Turkle, 2011). Now one hears the click, chirp, and cheep of cell phones when a person is faced with a question.  Ciarcia adds,

“These days, when any tough subject comes up in conversation, it’s only about 5 seconds before some guy whips out his smart phone and Googles it. It certainly doesn’t give me an inferiority complex, but short of installing a cell phone jammer, it’s hard to know how much knowledge these people have or simply how good they have become at finding someone who does” (Ciarcia, 2010).  

Traditional Learning

Essentially, the use of technology and computers are eliminating traditional learning behaviors. This simple fact may eventually lead to the death of common knowledge. No longer are the scratching sounds of pencils against paper heard because the tapping sounds of fingers on the keyboard have replaced them. This has led to poor writing and reading skills in young people and the fear of technology in older people. Consequently, text message and email lingo is difficult to decipher sometimes for people who are not use to reading and writing in lingo. Because there are no grammatical rules to use when chatting with friends via instant message or email, often media junkies are unable to write in other situations when grammatical rules apply. Olsen added, “The human brain is malleable. It is able to change to form new synaptic and neural connections in order to gradually restructure itself in a way to effectively incorporate information. Studies indicate that daily internet users have brains that are gradually being restructured with these distinctive neural connections due to frequent exposure” (Olsen, 2015).  In other words, the brain begins to operate on auto pilot, but when it experiences an unfamiliar situation it is unable to adjust. Young people, consequently, are unable to handle face to face conflict. With social media, it is quite easy to just log off or not respond, but in face to face contact it requires some critical thinking skills to handle situations. Because they are unable to diffuse potentially bad situations, so many young people find themselves in trouble at school or within their communities.  A study conducted in a middle school found that nearly 87 percent of students surveyed stated that they were unable to verbally diffuse negative situations. (Carr, 2015   ).Young people are more willing to solve problems using brute force and physical contact because they are unable to adequately communicate. Of that same group of students, 33 percent of those students had been referred to the principal for verbal or physical altercations (Carr, 2015).

Interpersonal Skills

Adequate person to person contact requires critical thinking skills. These skills are acquired through contact with other people.  In a survey conducted on a college campus in California, it was discovered that nearly 83 percent of the students surveyed admitted that they preferred text messaging, emailing, or other forms of communicating over face to face conversation (Olsen, 2015).  Lack of face to face communication depletes social skills.  The use of computers creates a sense of anonymity allowing users to create multiple personas (Turkle, 2014). People are able tweet Twitter messages via social media and other forms of technology daily. Tweeting has a number limit on words that confines the writer to lingo. Often one will see them in a social setting, but instead of having a conversation with the people around them, they are messaging. The constant lack of communicating with others will lead to isolation and the lack of ability to use the skill. Those who spend the majority of their time communicating via technology will drift away from family and friends. They spend so much time on media sites because they can become who they want to be. For example, “they can play many selves and none of these characters are any less real than what they think is their true self “(Turkle, 2011). Turkle conveys that this can adversely affect the way in which a person’s personality develops (Turkle, 2011).  Initially, the person may feel this is not a problem, but eventually they suffer from depression and anxiety about person to person contact (Carr, 2010). In the future, these young people will have difficulty with job interviewers. Being able to hold a conversation with a live person may prove impossible.  Depending upon the type of job they choose, it may be difficult to perform job duties such as making eye contact and paying attention to details. People who lack these essential communication skills will not be able to perform in a professional setting. Being able to adequately communicate requires much more than speaking ability. Body language is just as important. When young people have not been exposed to body language and gestures, they may miss many unspoken cues.  Another common complaint about people is the fact they are unaware of what personal space is. They often stand too close or cross personal boundaries when they are in social settings. All of these equate to poor judgment due to the lack of person to person contact. Nonetheless, they are some professions for those who are more suited for the reclusive life.

Conclusion

Social media and other forms of technologies can be a great enhancement to help facilitate communication and entertainment. People can utilize social media in a variety of ways. Some of the ways include forums, instant messaging, webinars, blogging, and even skyping. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are the most popular forms of social media currently (Gillin, 2008). The Internet is a great tool for teens to use when used properly and with proportion. However, too much use of the Internet can have a negative effect on a teen’s well-being. It can affect their attention span, personal skills, and ability to cope with problems.

References

Boyd, D. (2007). Why youth (heart) social network sites: the role of networked publics in teenage social life. In D. Buckingham (Ed.), MacArthur Foundation series on digital learning—Youth, Identity, and Digital Media volume (pp. 119-142). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Carr, Nicholas. “Does the Internet Make You Dumber?” The Wall Street Journal. Business News & Financial News, 05 June 2010. Web. 26 Jan. 2015

Ciarcia, Steve. “Is the Internet Making Us Smarter or Dumber?” Magazine by Engineers, for Engineers. Circuit Cella, Aug. 2010. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

Gillin, P. (2008). New media, new influencers and implications for the public relations profession. Journal of New Communications Research, II (2).

Olsen, Stefanie. “Are We Getting Smarter or Dumber?” Brain Fitness & Brain Training. Posit Page | 15 Science, 21 Sept. 2005. Web. 26 Jan. 2015

Turkle, S. (2004). How computers change the way we think. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 50(21), 10-15