Social Media and students: Pros and Cons, should social media be banned in schools

Social networking platforms have become the most significant means of communication, and its popularity is growing rapidly. Such platforms allow students to connect to different parts of the world from just anywhere given all is needed is a smartphone and a relatively good internet connection! Social media has literally became one of the greatest means to stay updated about all that is happening around you. 

In the last few years, social media has attracted a lot of attention. A good number of students have become a member of not one but multiple social media platforms. Some young people have even gone as much as being addicted to it. One question that is still up for debate is its usefulness for a student’s life. Below are some points highlighting the benefits and harmful effects social media has on students.

Advantages of Social Media

  1. Social Media can be used for education

Various platforms, such as online forums, discussion panels, webinars, etc. allow students to widen their knowledge. Such sites prove to be a platform where students can not only learn but also share their knowledge. These also help students to voice out their opinions and exchange ideas. They get to interact with a different crowd of students. Therefore, enhancing their learning experience.

2. Search for employment

With websites like LinkedIn, students can create their professional accounts. With these accounts, they receive opportunities to interact with different professionals in the workforce as well as learn what different companies and what they do. Students also get a chance to interact with members of their dream future career, especially those in higher education. In addition, even social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter can at times provide a way to stay updated with all the developments in their professional career stream.  

3. Making new friends

Social media is one of the easiest sources for students to connect. With the help of such sites, everyone can remain engaged with new and old friends. When people move to new places, social media helps them to stay connected. 

4. Stay motivated

Social media is an excellent platform for students to stay motivated. With different personalities on social media, it provides an opportunity for students to follow their idols, bloggers, companies and get inspired. 

Disadvantages of Social Media

  1.  Cyberbullying

Social media can at times be an avenue for cyberbullying. Given that everyone can express their opinion and hide behind a meda handle, some people start posting their negative thoughts on other’s pictures and posts. For students, it becomes very difficult for them to deal with such situations and can be damaging to the emotional well being of the student. 

2. Reduced real-time communication

In this age of social media fever, people do not have the time to talk to people face-to-face. When everyone is so consumed in creating Instagram stories and clicking pictures for their Facebook profiles, life of social media translate into a pretentious than real happiness given, the number of likes, followers, and subscribers becomes more important than real friends one can be able to talk to

3. Does not value emotions and feelings

People can say anything or write anything behind their computer screens. Given that with social media, there is no real-time confrontation, sometimes, the true emotions are not conveyed through messages and can spoil relations to another level. Small misunderstandings can get so gruesome that they might hurt someone.

4. Promotes laziness

Right from electronics to groceries, everything is available with the click of a button. Students end up spending so much time on social media and sometimes get addicted and become incapable of performing other duties. To the point that some become uninterested to go out and play or mingle with people because they are busy playing on their smartphones or even become so lazy that it affects their academic performance

It is true that with millions of users all around the world, and its advantages, social media has become an integral part of everyone’s life. The secret sauce is that a student needs to maintain a healthy balance between studies and extracurricular activities. 

Just like everything else, social media has its pros and cons. However, it depends on each individual’s capacity how he or she undertakes any situation. It is important to have fun and stay ahead of time. To the original question whether social media should be banned in school or not, absolutely not, both authorities and students should always assess its usage and maintain a health balances to ensure it brings values to the student and to the educational environment as a whole

SG Team
info@standardgateway.com



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