By Ayiesha Gauher
Social Media has become an inseparable part of our lives nowadays. From waking up in the morning to going to bed at night, our mobile phones stay by our side. This trend is visible in people from all age groups, including children, teenagers, and adults across the world. Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Facebook are widely popular among the people. The range of content consumed varies from reels, memes, news, shows, videos etc. Our screen time has also increased drastically with OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Hotstar, etc. However, easy access to a wide range of content has greatly affected our health and society. Among the various social groups, children particularly are most vulnerable to the negative effects of social media and its constant exposure has severely impacted their cognitive and moral development.
Nowadays, we see children learn to use electronic gadgets faster than they could learn to walk or talk. They become familiar with the applications on the phone before they become aware of their surroundings. Instead of engaging in outdoor activities, YouTube videos are turning out to be their favourite time pass. Different studies have shown that this trend has seen a steep rise since the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to serious impairment in the development process of children which directly impacts their quality of life.
Childhood is one of the most crucial stages of development in our lives, involving both physical and emotional growth. The development of behaviour, cognition, communication etc., forms a pivotal part of childhood development. During the first five years of childhood, the brain forms faster connections than at any other stage of life and forms a solid foundation for growth and learning. Childhood development is a complex process and is directly linked to children’s interaction with the social world, their environment and their relationship with their parents. However, social media is turning out to be one of the major factors in shaping children’s behaviour and requires immediate attention before any serious damage.
The constant use of social media among children and adolescents has created a concerning situation in Kashmir and we are beginning to feel its repercussions. Its unregulated use leads to various psychological problems such as anxiety, anger issues, attention problems, sleep problems and social exclusion, especially among adolescents. It also reduces children’s physical and creative activity and alters their motor and verbal skills development. Additionally, the consumption of harmful and inappropriate content such as violent or mature-themed content influences the behaviour of children and their emotions.
We often see children trying to imitate the actions or words they come across while watching something on YouTube or television. According to a study exposure to horror-filled content may also induce phobia or depressive tendencies among the children. It could lead to a long-lasting fear among the children and make them prone to various mental health risks. This is cause of serious concern because social media is becoming a part of their socialisation process and leading to unhealthy tendencies among the children.
One of the major issues that we are coming across is the adverse impact on the social environment which is becoming susceptible to the high-risk content that children are consuming without any adult supervision. It is evident through increased instances of bullying and sexual violence among the school-going children in Kashmir. However, there is a lack of conclusive studies in Kashmir to understand the growing risks that children are exposed to. This adds to the inability to deal effectively with the harmful effects of social media and it may lead to drastic impacts on our society as a whole.
There is an immediate need to research to see the pattern and content consumed to introduce appropriate guidelines and policy measures to prevent children from indulging in harmful activities leading to a possible moral decay of our society. The schools also need to teach the children the appropriate use of the internet and its pros and cons. At home, children learn from their parents and family members. Therefore, it is our primary responsibility to minimise our own screen time as much as possible for the betterment of our children. We need to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to ensure their moral, physical and emotional well-being which is only possible if we realise the social and moral degradation that unregulated use of social media has led to and take the necessary steps to prevent our children being a victim of violence, psychological disorders and trauma.
It is a reality that life without the internet and social media is hard to imagine and its use within a certain is beneficial to gain knowledge and engage with our world. However, we need to teach our children that we are not enslaved by the notifications on the phones or likes on Instagram but there is more to life that needs to be discovered. We must prevent them from being stuck in this virtual world and help them to navigate and discover the real world.
Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer
- The author is an intern at Kashmir Observer and is pursuing her master’s from Jamia Milia Islamia.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
