Social media plays a significant role in a student’s life, influencing how they communicate, socialise, and learn. While it offers opportunities for educational growth, it also presents challenges. Social media addiction is on the rise and it could affect your child. To address this, your child’s capacity to learn and absorb information may improve with the right academic coaching.
Some countries have begun addressing this issue. For example, Australia has passed a bill to ban social media for children under 16. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says this move aims to reduce distractions, cyberbullying, and isolation. Overall, there is a rise in awareness of social media’s impact on education and mental health.
Let’s explore social media's effect on your child’s learning.
Key Takeaways:
Social media has positive and negative effects on students’ mental health and performance.
It can lead to procrastination, mental health issues, and reduced focus. This is especially important for students in challenging programs (such as A-levels, the IB, or the AP program).
Parents and teachers play a key role in educating children about their social media use.
To enhance learning, resources like online tutoring and effective exam preparation can be paired with responsible social media use.
Table of Contents:
Is Social Media Good For Students? The Negative Effects of Social Media on Learning
Did you know that the average screen time is 6 hours and 58 minutes per day? Regular social media use could eventually lead to social media addiction. The adolescent brain is still in the early stages of development, making it vulnerable to instant gratification. This can have severe consequences:
Procrastination:
Does endless scrolling ever seem like a problem for your child? Social media is designed to grab your attention. Mindless scrolling can cause the time to go by quickly, and hours have passed before you know it. This can lead to procrastination and missed deadlines, especially when studying for exams like the GCSE, IB, A-levels, etc.
Social Media and Mental Health:
Excessive social media use is linked to anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. For example, constant comparisons to others’ “perfect” lives online can harm your child’s mental well-being. This especially pertains to secondary students in intensive programs like the IBDP, where mental health is crucial for success. We must promote offline activities and open conversations to reduce these effects.
Grades - How Does Social Media Use Affect Academic Performance?
This study shows that heavy social media use hinders the academic performance of undergraduate medical students. Notifications and online interactions often steal time away from core subjects like maths, science, and languages. Students preparing for their exams, tests, and assignments should be mindful of their screen time. If your child struggles with distractions, LearnFire’s online tutoring provides the personalised support they need. LearnFire’s expert tutors excel in their subjects and specialise in academic coaching so that students can develop strong study skills.
Can Social Media Help With Your Child’s Education? The Positive Effects of Social Media on Learning
Access to Educational Resources:
When used responsibly, social media can enhance your child’s education. Platforms like YouTube and Instagram offer access to tutorials and educational content. Many social media platforms also have interactive learning communities. For instance, LinkedIn Learning and TED Talks provide in-depth insights into various subjects.
Encouraging Collaboration and Peer Learning:
Social media connects students and educators across the globe and away from the classroom. Group chats, online study forums, and platforms like Reddit’s academic communities allow students to share knowledge, solve problems together, and gain different perspectives on topics. Also, many schools are now using Google Classroom (as an example) for social features such as real-time collaboration and assignment submissions. Similarly, LearnFire uses WhatsApp to allow students and tutors to communicate with each other.
Enhancing Digital Literacy:
Responsible social media use helps students develop digital literacy skills. Some examples include: evaluating online information, practicing proper online etiquette, and recognizing scholarly sources. These are fundamental in their academics and their professional life in the future.
Creative Ways to Express Their Knowledge:
Students can showcase their understanding through presentations, posters, infographics, or even short videos. Engaging content can be created using social media platforms such as TikTok or Instagram. It’s important to remember that learning can be a creative process for students.
How Can Parents and Educators Manage Social Media Use?
What Can Schools Do?
Schools can integrate digital literacy programs, encourage discussions on online safety, and provide students with strategies to manage distractions.
How Can You Help as a Parent?
It’s important to remember that a balanced approach is beneficial for your child. Setting clear boundaries and encouraging screen-free activities can significantly improve their social media use.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Does Social Media Affect Your Child’s Grades?
Yes, excessive use of social media can negatively impact your child’s academic performance. Procrastination, lack of focus, and distractions are real impacts of excessive screen time. All of these factors can contribute to lower grades.
How Does Social Media Affect Mental Health?
Social media can have significant effects on mental health, especially in children and teenagers. Research shows that the prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation) continues to develop well into a person’s mid-20s. Excessive social media use during these years can disrupt this development and lead to issues such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
Can Social Media Be Good For Your Child’s Learning?
Yes, when used responsibly. Platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn Learning, and TED Talks provide access to high-quality educational resources. Collaboration can also be promoted through webpages like Google Classroom.
How Can Students Balance Social Media and School Work?
Setting specific times for using social media can help maintain a healthy balance. Exercise discipline by prioritising schoolwork and academic goals. Moreover, minimise distractions during study hours by using built-in phone features that limit screen time. Many phones have options for managing screen time and setting app limits.
Social media is a powerful tool that can impact your child’s learning and development in various ways. Understanding these effects is key to creating a balanced approach for your child’s social media use. If social media addiction is starting to interfere with your child's academics, LearnFire’s expert academic coaching can provide the support they need to succeed. port they need to succeed. Our academic coaching offers personalised support to tackle the challenges caused by excessive social media use. We achieve this by assisting students in rebuilding essential learning skills through time management and concentration strategies, mindfulness and focus enhancement, study skills development, motivation and goal setting, and accountability.
Get in touch today for all your academic needs!