Jordyn Rindner, Hannah Cuzzupoli, Monica Plunkett

Professor Jeffrey Radloff

EDU 315

2/22/22

In the 1960s and 1970s, various private and public organizations were working to try and

find ways to get computers to communicate with one another. However, it wasn’t until the 1990s

that personal computers became more normal, which set the stage for the emergence of social

media. The idea that a person could log on to the internet and write about what they were

thinking, feeling, doing, and their personal news, and that these posts could be read by anyone at

any time, and responded to, helped people begin to understand the full significance of the

internet and social media. Social media use has increased tremendously over the past decade and

half and has a huge impact in our lives. There are many different ways to use social media in the

education field. Social media has various uses in the classroom as well as to help market and

promote schools. Spending time on social media has become a part of many adults' daily routine

but is it healthy for children to have the same habit?

This topic is extremely important because the use of social media is starting at a younger

age which can negatively affect children's mental, physical, and social development. Most social

media apps require users to be at least 13 years old but in a recent poll, parents shared that 50%

of children 10 to 12 years old and 33% of children 7 to 9 years old use social media apps. One

study shows that children 11 years old and younger who use Instagram and Snapchat are more

likely to have problematic digital behaviors like having online-only friends and visiting sites

parents would disapprove of, as well as a greater chance of taking part in online harassment.
That same study says limiting how much time a child spends on social media may reduce some

of the negative effects of using social media at such an early age. Another study talks about how

children who use TikTok are developing tics and having tic-like attacks. They’re experiencing a

movement disorder brought on by stress and anxiety. In addition to problematic digital

behaviors, there may be changes in children’s daily behavior like increased irritability, increased

anxiety, and lack of self-esteem. Social media can also be dangerous in other aspects that include

cyberbullying, online predators, sharing too much information, false marketing, and dangerous

viral trends.

Even though there are many negatives for children to use social media, there are also

some positives. Social media can be used for sharing information and organizing school tasks. It

is also used for staying connected with friends and family, making new friends, sharing pictures,

and exchanging ideas. Students are using social media to connect with one another on homework

and group projects. Facebook and similar social media programs allow students to gather outside

of class to collaborate and exchange ideas about assignments.

This topic represents tensions between Spector’s ethical principles for educational

technology. Spector proposed a similar oath for educators, the Educratic Oath. The Educratic

Oath has not been completely accepted, and it doesn’t have any other ethical code for educators.

This concluded in Spector deciding to move from principles, such as those in the Educratic Oath,

to more broad focus on values. Social media ties into this and goes against Spector because harm

is done when children spend time chatting online and making friends on social media sites

instead of reading books. To improve learning and instruction, teachers can use an app such as

using twitter to update students on their due dates and assignment instructions. Based on
evidence myself and others have analyzed, students become more distracted inside and outside of

class when electronic devices are present. Students can easily get side tracked and begin to use

social media and other platforms when they are supposed to be doing schoolwork. The principles

of instruction we have learned in the past are using GroupMe to interact with other group

members of a project. We have also used this platform to keep in touch with teachers without

giving personal information such as cell phone numbers. When it comes to respecting the rights

of those whom you interact with, this can relate to teachers confiscating students' devices when

they see them using social media in class when it is out of context. There are other ways to go

about keeping students engaged in class, and not disrespecting their personal belongings such as

cell phones.

Based on “Kimmon’s Discussion of Values and Beliefs about Technology”, there are

many different factors to help determine if one should integrate or not integrate social media into

education. Within society, social media and technology is used in all aspects of everyday life.

According to Kimmon’s, “Connectivism holds that the process and goals of learning in a highly

networked and connected world is different than learning in the pre-digital world, because

learners are now persistently connected to information sources and other resources through their

electronic devices, such as smartphones or laptops” (Kimmons, 2018). The theory of

connectivism says that students should be able to integrate the use of technology into learning

while combining their thoughts, theories, and general information. Connectivism accepts that

technology is a major part of the learning process and that being connected to it gives us

opportunities to make many choices regarding our learning. Since social media is a huge part of

the lives of young students today, it is hard to avoid integrating it into their learning and

education. Being able to use the connectivism theory allows students to “make use of the
network as an extension of their own mind and body” (Kimmons, 2018). Students should use

technology and social media as a way for them to gain more knowledge since they have multiple

resources at their fingertips. Young students within society grew up with the use of technology

and social media. It is a norm for them. Removing technology and social media from their

education would alter everything they know and based on Kimmon’s, this form of technology

should be integrated into the learning process of young students.

Everyday, there are new articles and resources that come out with information regarding

the use of social media within the educational system. “When it comes to social media, schools

tend to adopt different positions. It’s a general consensus that they’re useful when it comes to

sharing information or organizing the school tasks. And at the same time, social networking is

blamed for the lack of attention in students during classes” (Wade, 2022). Many teachers and

schools feel that there are benefits as well as negative impacts regarding the use of social media

in schools today. Teachers and schools will try their best to implement the use of social media

within lessons as a way to keep the students engaged in their work. According to the article

called “How Social Media is Reshaping Today’s Education System”, “a biology teacher from

Bergen County proposed a challenge to his students. They had to debate over the subject of

meiosis on Twitter by using a specific hashtag. This is a great opportunity for students to have

fun and learn at the same time” (Wade, 2022). By creating these small lessons using social

media, it gets the students more involved and engaged since they are able to use technology that

is used everyday.

Some recommendations our research gave is to have children’s parents monitor their

social media use to protect them. Parents should begin with researching the impact of social
networking sites on children and educating them about the pros and cons of it while also setting

boundaries on what sites they can be on and for how long. They should supervise their online

activity, so you can teach them to protect themselves from online predators and bullies. To

address some of the problems with social media, parents can try to set up parental controls on

certain websites that they believe may be “inappropriate” for their child. Schools can do this as

well with any computers, iPads, or laptops that are provided to the students. This will refrain

students from using certain types of social media within a school setting, especially for young

students. The use of social media is still a new addition in schools. There needs to be further

research regarding this topic. This could include the overall impact that social media has on

young students versus using the traditional model of teaching such as using textbooks and paper

materials. Are students absorbing information and properly learning material while looking at a

screen or using their phones in school? Are there more negative impacts on the students physical

and mental health on using social media in every aspect of their everyday life, including school?

There are so many more questions that could be asked and need answers to.

The use of social media within society is a major part of everyday life. People do not

know what it is like to live life without using it. Years ago, no one would have ever thought that

Social media would ever be a term used. The impact that social media has had on young students

is tremendous. There are endless opportunities to use social media in education for students of all

ages. Like everything else in the world, there are many positives as well as negatives impacts to

social media being used in the classroom, especially for young students.
 References

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https://historycooperative.org/the-history-of-social-media/

Kimmons, R. (2018). Technology Integration: Effectively Integrating Technology in Educational

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https://edtechbooks.org/k12handbook/technology_integration

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Impact-of-Social-Media-on-Children-Adolescents

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