Good and Bad effects of Facebook on Kids

Concerned how the time spent on Facebook is affecting you or your kid, psychologically and mentally; then a new study may come handy.

The study, which was revealed at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, tried to enlist the benefits and adverse effects of Facebook usage, particularly for kids.

Underlining the fact that, Facebook has altered the landscape of social interaction, particularly among young people, the researchers emphasized that they are already seeing marked positives and the negatives effects of social media, which are backed by solid psychological research.

Some negative effects of time spent on Facebook or any social network:

The researchers found teens that use Facebook more often show more narcissistic tendencies, while young adults who have a strong Facebook presence show more signs of other psychological disorders, including anti-social behaviors, mania and aggressive tendencies.

The researchers found that Facebook can be distracting and can negatively affect learning. To bring how the point, the study revealed that students who checked Facebook at least once during a 15-minute study period achieved lower grades.

A Daily overuse of media and technology also had a negative effect on children's health, making them more prone to anxiety, depression and other psychological problems.

Some positive effects of time spent on Facebook or any social network:

But there are some good consequences of Facebook use as well. The study found that young adults who spend more time on Facebook are better at showing "virtual empathy" to their online friends.

A really beneficial aspect of Facebook, seen in kids is that online social networking can help introverted kids learn how to socialize.

Teachers using Facebook can also use social networks to their advantage, as social networking can provide tools for teaching in ways that engage young students.

A Note to the parents: The researchers believe it is wrong to secretly monitor a child's online activity. There are two reasons for it. First, if a parent feels the necessity of using some sort of computer program (Parental control software) to surreptitiously monitor his/her child's social networking, then the parent is wasting time, as the child will find a workaround in a matter of minutes.; Second, if the child knows about the spying then, it can have irreparable damage to the trust between kid and parents.

That’s why Larry D. Rosen, Ph.D., professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills recommends parents to start talking about appropriate technology use early and often and build trust, so that when there is a problem, whether it is being bullied or seeing a disturbing image, the child will talk to them about it. The researcher also encourages parents to assess their child's activities on social networking sites and discuss removing inappropriate content.
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