SPRINGFIELD, Missouri (KY3) – A 13-year-old is too young for children to participate in social media, the public health director said, as did Cox and Burrell officials, who specialize in children’s mental health. Opinion.
“I had low self-esteem, a poor ability to form relationships, poor body image, and many aspects of my life that I didn’t see 25 years ago when I started Child Life.” Cox Child Life Coordinator Rana Post said:
Science says your brain isn’t fully developed until you’re 24, and social media isn’t helping it grow.
“Nine, 10, 11 and even 15 year olds are incapable of making good decisions about their behavior online,” said Christine Martinez of Burrell School Services. “It can have quite detrimental effects.”
These effects can turn into addiction, she added.
“It’s addictive. It’s literally addictive,” Martinez said. “50% of teens will say they are addicted to their mobile phones. Another concern is that kids wake up up to eight times a night to check their social media status. This is because dopamine is released with every comment or life the children get.”
Living completely disconnected from the internet is nearly impossible for anyone. Post says parents need to talk to their kids about the dangers of social media.
“Watch what content they’re absorbing,” says Post. “Whether it’s just checking in and looking over their shoulder, or talking about the types of sites they’re looking at. If parents could be more involved in what their children are consuming, Well, I think it helps reduce that negative impact.”
Lana added that we should wait until the kids have a little more life experience.
“I think the milestone I’m thinking of is getting a license,” Post said. “So at 16, they have to make more independent decisions and be able to find out where they’re going.”
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