Introduction
Social media has become an integral aspect of daily life in the ever evolving digital age.
Nowadays, practically all families have access to a variety of digital sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
What is alarming is that this issue has started to expand to the world of youngsters in addition to adults.
Increasingly, young children who ought to be enjoying a natural period of play and education are being exposed to social media content, either directly through personal devices or indirectly through their parents’ usage of social media.
Ironically, a child’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development are significantly influenced by their early years, which are a golden age.
Uncontrolled social media use at this age can have a number of detrimental effects, such as mental development issues, diminished focus, and a diminished capacity for face-to-face interaction.
This illness presents new parenting difficulties that call for parents to play an active and prudent role.
Today’s parents must decide how to strike a balance between the demands of optimal and healthy kid growth and development and the advancement of digital technology.
As a result, in this digital age, parents must take an organized approach to controlling their children’s digital consumption habits, serving as both smart advisors and filters in addition to being supervisors.
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Early Childhood Social Media Exposure Level
There is a growing tendency in the amount of social media exposure that young children receive in contemporary household settings.
This is a result of how commonplace digital gadgets like smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs are in daily life.
Through their own personal activities, such as exchanging pictures, viewing movies, or using social media apps in front of kids, parents frequently unintentionally introduce social media to their kids.
Without taking into account their psychological and cognitive preparedness, some parents, on the other hand, provide their kids direct access to them as a kind of amusement or as a workable way to control their conduct.
Young children are particularly susceptible to the behavioral and emotional development effects of social media due to a lack of awareness regarding age restrictions and a lack of control over the content they can access.
Due to the fact that early social media exposure can influence children’s digital habits and interaction styles from an early age, this phenomenon is a significant concern in contemporary parenting studies.
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Social media’s Detrimental Effects On Young Children’s Development
If social media use is not adequately monitored, it can significantly harm young children’s development.
At this age, children are in a critical developmental stage where motor development, sensory stimulation, and direct engagement are all vital.
Some of the detrimental effects that could arise from children being exposed to social media too frequently, either directly through devices or indirectly through their environment, include:
1. Disorders of Social and Emotional Development
Because they are more used to passive digital contacts, children may find it challenging to develop genuine social bonds.
Additionally, this may weaken emotional control and empathy.
2. Reliance on Technology
Youngsters who are used to using electronics for amusement or self-calming may grow dependent
on them, which might affect their physical activity levels and ability to explore their
natural surroundings.
3. Age-Inappropriate Content Exposure
Children run the risk of being exposed to inappropriate content, such as violent or harsh language, or deceptive advertising, if they are not well supervised.
Parenting Techniques That Are Flexible in the Social Media Age
By limiting screen time proportionately, selecting age-appropriate digital content, and actively assisting children when using media, parents can overcome the difficulties posed by social media in early childhood care.
Children need this support in order to develop healthy values and a critical understanding of media content.
In order to maintain the balance of children’s social, emotional, and motor development, parents are also encouraged to encourage their kids to engage in a variety of non-digital activities like reading, playing, or being creative.
To ensure that social media use does not have a negative effect but rather may be utilized as a secure and healthy way for kids to learn and socialize, it is also crucial to use digital monitoring tools and raise parents’ media literacy.
Conclusion
With the speed at which technology is developing, social media has permeated every aspect of daily life, including children’s surroundings.
Despite its advantages, social media poses threats to children’s social-emotional development if it is not adequately monitored.
As a result, parents have a crucial role in encouraging, guiding, and controlling responsible use of digital media.
Social media can be used to promote healthy and balanced child development rather than as a threat if parents adopt flexible and balanced parenting styles that balance technology use with non-digital activities.
Penulis: Jasmine Putri Setiawan
Mahasiswa Jurusan Arabic Education Department, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka
Dosen Pengampu: Dr. Muhammad Iman Sastra Mihajat, Ph.D
Editor: Anita Said
Bahasa: Rahmat Al Kafi
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