Social media has connected the world, but it’s also changing how kids think, act, and even see themselves through the use of their favourite celebrities or influencers.
Growing Up with Technology
Modern children have grown up with technology and social media and don’t know a life without technology. Some children/ teens are unfamiliar with going outside and playing with other kids in the park; instead, they are on Instagram or TikTok and find their friends online. They often compare themselves to influencers, trying to act or make them look more grown than they are instead of being kids; for example, they try to dress like their favourite influencers or replicate their language.
The Pressure to Fit In
As I said previously, children often compare themselves to influencers and celebrities even though most of the time, social media is fake, and they don’t look or behave like that in the real world. “Cybersmile’s Comparison Culture 2023 survey highlights the impact social media can have on how young people aged 16-24 view themselves, with around 9 out of 10 responding that they see themselves negatively and feel dissatisfied with their lives, 3 in 4 wanting to change aspects of their bodies, and a very worrying 1 in 7 having thoughts about ending their lives as a result of comparing themselves with others on social media platforms. This statistic says that people want to change their appearance because of social media and don’t feel that they meet social media beauty standards.
The Dark Side of Online Interactions
Bullying is a big part of social media; https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/tools-information/all-about-bullying/prevalence-and-impact-bullying/prevalence-online-bullying
People all over the world can get cyberbullied for anything, mainly their looks, and people do have the nerve to comment on young girls’ bodies. So many up-and-coming influencers may feel anxious to post, or many cover their faces and may not want to do something they love due to cyberbullies who are cowardly enough not to show their faces. Death threats are also an issue in the social media community, especially from different fandoms who adore a particular celebrity. If a person says something negative about the celebrity that they like, they will send a death threat even though they do not realise that people can have different opinions.
People’s lives have evolved around social media, and eventually, we will rely on social media and technology more in the future than we do when going out and visiting people. Some people can only have a decent conversation by looking at their phones. AI has also taken the world by storm. AI used to help people do their homework and answer questions, but now they have made fake celebrities appear as holograms and talk in their voices. This is very dangerous because people have been scammed, and some celebrities are getting hated for it because they think it is their favourite celebrity talking.
By Nene
Winchmore School Newsroom