Social media usage has risen drastically over the past few decades, where it now plays a pivotal role in the lives of millions across the globe. While these apps claim to target teenagers and adults, children’s involvement in social media has reached a concerning point. From “iPad kids” to “Sephora girls,” one thing is for sure: Generation Alpha has been marked by the effects of social media.
Children who are a part of this generation — born between 2010-2024 — have never lived a life absent of technology or social media. The iPad, which was released to the public in 2010, has quickly become a very popular means of entertainment for young children. In fact, 43% of Gen Alphas owned a tablet before the age of 6, and 58% owned a smartphone by age 10.
Some argue the increase of reliance on these digital devices is largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, there was a 52% increase in children’s screen time from 2.7 hours per day to 4.1, and these numbers steadily elevated afterward.
The use of iPads or other devices is not inherently bad for children. With many educational apps and videos available for access, children in the modern world have the ability to tap into knowledge like no other previous generation. Using devices for strictly educational purposes can be extremely beneficial. However, this is not the case for many children. The term “iPad kids” is not given to those who are furthering their education online, but rather to those who cannot sit through a meal at a restaurant with their family without the presence of a YouTube video captivating their full attention. As shocking as that may sound to some, this is the reality for many children across America.
Handing kids a digital device has become second nature for many parents. While there are many educational apps and YouTube videos on the internet, the vast majority of the applications these children have access to are simply holding them back.
“The issue with screens is not that they are terrible in themselves, but that they are being used as babysitters, and to shut children up,” child and adolescent psychotherapist Ryan Lowe said in an interview with VICE.
These screens are too often used as a type of pacifier for children.
The reliance on devices is harming children’s ability to interact with others. iPad kids are replacing their socialization desires with the desire to watch videos. BYU psychology graduate student Thomas White argues in an interview with The Daily Universe that children are not using dopamine correctly, they are just seeking happiness using unsocial methods such as technology to get that “natural high” — traditionally found through face-to-face interactions.
Children’s involvement in social media is detrimental to their futures. The Foundation for Child Development reports that people who abuse technology may develop similar brain chemistry and neural patterning to those who abuse substances. Allowing our children to be addicted to these devices at such an early age is effectively desensitizing them to the dangers of these addictive brain chemicals, which will only come back to harm them in the future.
Aside from the threat of screen addiction, social media can also expose young children to unsafe internet habits, including cyberbullying and grooming. Nearly 42% of children have been bullied online, but what is even more alarming is that nearly one in three teen girls have been approached by adults asking for nude images on social media. This is the reality for the young users of the internet. It is inexcusable of us as a society to put children in an environment we know has such a high risk of exploitation.
Allowing children on these sites puts them in jeopardy of coming into contact with adult content without their knowledge. Pornographic content is not only found on expected websites like Pornhub, but it is covering seemingly safe sites such as YouTube. This is the lifestyle we are setting up our future generations if we continue to permit full and unsupervised internet access for today’s youth.
The internet is a dangerous place, and parents often give their children access to it in order to refrain from being a “helicopter parent.” But the truth of the matter is that monitoring your children’s screen time is not the behavior of a controlling parent, but a loving one.
Our society cannot sit back and allow children to learn life skills from strangers on the internet rather than those around them. While devices and social media can be extremely beneficial, it is naive and ignorant to allow children to become addicted to them. The dangers of device addiction are too bold and concerning to ignore. It is necessary that we monitor the usage of these devices in children, and ourselves, in order to protect against these detrimental effects. We must prioritize personal relationships in our world before addiction to devices forces future generations to lose the art of cultivating authentic relationships.
