Running Head: PROS AND CONS SOCIAL MEDIA

Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media and Its Effects on Young Learners

Nowara Faraj Abudabbous

New Mexico State University

December 2021

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4002626

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Abstract

Social media has influenced our lives in many ways, but do you know how it affects

young learners? The number of social media platform users has increased by 400 million

compared to last year (Kemp,2021). Kemp reported that social media users increased over the

past year to reach 4.55 billion in October 2021. Furthermore, the number of new social media

users increases by more than 1 million every day. Many people nowadays, including students,

prefer to communicate with each other through social networking rather than interacting face-to-

face. At this time, virtual learning became a necessary procedure in education too. Many

students became more comfortable enrolling in virtual learning rather than in face-to-face

classes. However, spending too much time on the internet may lead young learners to miss many

opportunities to interact physically in their life. Social media could improve students’ academic

levels, but it may lead to adverse outcomes if it is misused. This article aims to discuss some

advantages and disadvantages of the use of social media and its impacts on students. At the end

of this article, I will share some alternative activities to help students effectively engage in their

life experiences.

Keywords: Social media, Virtual learning, Communication, Young learners, Pros, Cons

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Table of Contents

Abstract --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1

Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

Advantages of using Social Media……………………………………………………………...5 5

Disadvantages of using Social Media………….……………………………………………..28 - 8

Recommendations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………12 12

References……………………………………………………………………………………14-17

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Introduction

Today social media in education plays an important role in learning across the world

(Buckingham, 2013). Some popular social networks that students might follow are Facebook,

YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Snapshot, and video games (Kim, 2021). The

implementation of social media in education has some benefits and risks at the same time. Some

educators and parents fear that students will connect to unwanted adult interactions,

inappropriate online content, and bullying (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2013). Other educators

and parents support social networking in education, they argue that if students are restricted to

have access to social media in education, students are deprived from the opportunity to have

communication tools to investigate, construct, and learn (Roblyer, McDaniel, Webb, Herman, &

Witty, 2010).

Most schools around the world still disallow social networking in the classroom

(Richardson, 2010). Some policymakers and educators still prohibit social media in classrooms.

These policymakers and educators believe that using social media in education puts learners at

potential risk (Minocha, 2009). On the other hand, some studies suggest the use of social media

in the classroom can increase learners’ engagement and promote academic learning (Roblyer,

McDaniel, Webb, Herman, & Witty, 2010).

To allow social networking in the classroom, it is essential that policymakers create well-

built policies to protect online interactions and provide teachers and learners with assistance and

oversight in the implementation of social media in education. One of the most important

concerns should be student safety and ensuring that students are learning while using social

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media. If policymakers find a balance between access to social media in the classrooms and

learning, students may have more opportunities to learn.

Advantages of using Social Media

Some educators and parents argue that using social networking in education has more

benefits than risks. These proposers believe that students are missing out the opportunity to

include effective and powerful learning tools into education (Goldfarb et al., 2011; Pollara &

Zhu, 2011; Stout, 2011a; Kessler, 2010). Some of the pros of social networking in education are:

Students are allowed to incorporate their preferred learning styles. Social media is something

students use at home, on the go, and sometimes in school, but usually not in the classroom. This

generation of students has grown up with the internet and expects to use technology to learn.

Students prefer content and course materials that are available on-demand, interactive, flexible,

and customizable. Today students’ learning styles require demonstrations, animations, and

visuals such as video instruction (Fouts, 2012; Toppo, 2011; Magid, 2010; Baird & Fisher,

2005).

Social media in the classrooms provides learners with immediate feedback. Social

networking allows educators to provide learners with instant instructional assistance in and

outside of an educational setting. Researcher studies have shown that when students are able to

ask for help and receive immediate advice helps learners to develop a sense of control over their

own learning and knowledge (Goldfarb et al., 2011).

Social media in the classrooms creates a collaborative environment. It allows educators to

develop student interaction and structure a community that shares beliefs, ideas, different

cultures, and resources. Learners evaluate and observe their own and classmates’ assignments,

work in groups, and learn from each other, they feel open to asking questions or starting a

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discussion as a result of using media in the classrooms, pupils learn by interacting with their

classmates (Fouts, 2012; Blazer, 2012; Goldfarb et al., 2011; Brady et al., 2010; Kessler, 2010a;

Roper, 2010).

Social networking in education enhances communication. The use of social media in the

classroom renovates the inactive one-way teaching into two-way teamwork. Educators can post

homework or assignments and share resources and news with students in or out of school. Social

media may become an objective for learners in a classroom to share their viewpoints, beliefs and

discuss thoughts (Fouts, 2012; Gikas & Grant, 2013; Saunders, 2011; Zavattaro & Sementelli,

2014).

Social media in the classrooms allows educators to at the appointed time recognize students’

learning needs. Using social networking sites educators encourage frequent submissions, this is

how educators have access to materials on which to evaluate student learning. By using social

networking, educators can identify students that are having difficulty in some areas more quickly

than through sporadic tests, coursework, or homework. By using social media educators quickly

recognize students’ learning needs and this allows for earlier interventions (Goldfarb et al.,

2011).

Social media in the classrooms increases student engagement. Learners are familiar and

enjoy the casualness of the online atmosphere; they are involuntarily more interested in the

material presented on social media sites. Using social networking tools educators have the

opportunity to identify learners, who are having academic difficulties (Fouts, 2012; Goldfarb et

al., 2011; Walsh, 2011; Richardson, 2010).

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Social networking in education prepares learners for the future. Social media facilitates

learners to obtain skills necessary for higher education and the labor force. Social media

technologies are regularly used in higher education, and in the labor world. Today social media is

vital in most professional positions; social media skills are a requirement to mainly all

professional positions (Brindley, 2012; Walsh, 2011).

Social media in the classrooms creates expert learning communities for educators. When

educators feel isolated in their classrooms, the use of social media allows them to share ideas,

and thoughts, as well as to learn from teachers from around the world. Using social media

teachers can find ways to incorporate new technologies into their teaching. Educators can have

access to data, expertise, advice, resources, and analytic tools (Davis, 2010; U.S. Department of

Education, 2010). Social networking sites may also offer teachers with more custom-made and

collaborative professional development opportunities necessary for effective teaching (Davis,

2010).

Social networking in education provides teachers with a tool for teaching learners

responsible networking skills. Several educators and policymakers believe that learners need to

learn how to use the Internet responsibly and learn the consequences of their behavior when

using social media. If students are allowed to use social media in the classroom, teachers will

have the opportunity to model and teach social networking safety to their students, these may

include: never talking to strangers online, keeping passwords private, having appropriate

boundaries for online social interaction, and teaching students to respect others (Blazer, 2012).

The American Library Association has asked educational institutions to allow social media in the

classroom. They have stated that the prohibition “does not teach safe behavior and leaves youth

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without the necessary knowledge and skills to protect their privacy or engage in responsible

speech” (Toppo, 2011).

A study conducted at the Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania concluded that the use of

Twitter improved learners’ classroom engagement. The participants (students) were given

assignments and discussions using Twitter, at the same time as the control participants received

the same assignments and discussions but were not allowed to use Twitter. Participants who used

Twitter demonstrated more than twice the increase in engagement as the participants who were

not allowed to use social media (Kessler, 2010).

Disadvantages of using Social Media

Several teachers and parents decline the idea of integrating social media into classroom

instruction. These teachers and parents refuse the idea because of the possible risk students may

face while using the Internet. According to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the

Judiciary (2009) cyberbullying is the principal danger children and adolescents face online,

besides other possible risks like compromised online safety, publication of private information,

and exposure to offensive material (Goldfarb et al., 2011). Some of the cons of using social

media in the classroom are:

Cyberbullying. This may be in the form of publicizing private information, saying lies or

rumors about a student on social media, or dealing with a person who in reality is another person.

Students may also face more problematic communication, such as predatory behavior, threat, or

stalking. In Social media sites it is easier to bully and to public bullying in other online activities

such as instant messaging or email (Fouts, 2012; Stout, 2011). A study conducted by Hinduja

and Patchin (2009) concluded that 21.1 percent of cyberbullying victims have reported that the

offender is a friend or someone that is close to them in school, 20.0 percent of the victims

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reported that the offender was a someone who used to be their friend and 26.5 percent reported

that it is someone they know in school. Only 6.5 percent stated that the offender was a stranger.

According to Cooper & Blumenfeld (2012), the percentage of students who report that they

have been victims of cyberbullying varies from 12 to 21 percent, this has been concluded based

on several studies conducted between 2004 and 2010. Another survey subsidized by the Pew

Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project concluded that 15 percent of social media-

using adolescents, between the ages of 12 to 17, stated that they had been harassed or have faced

online meanness (Lenhart et al., 2011). The majority of students who are victims of

cyberbullying avoid telling their parents or other adults about their experiences. According to

Hinduja and Patchin (2009), only about 40 percent of adolescents who are experiencing

cyberbullying tell their parents or other family members, and less than 30 percent tell a teacher.

A study conducted by the Pew Research Center concluded that adolescents between the ages

of 12 to 17 who had experienced mean behavior or cruelty on social media sites have not

reported it and that all adolescents can experience cyberbullying no matter of their

socioeconomic status, ethnicity, age or gender (Lenhart et al., 2011). Numerous studies have

found that the occurrence of cyberbullying is higher among females than males; and that it is

more common among 15 to 16-year-olds (Aoyama et al., 2012; Mullens, 2011; National Crime

Prevention Council, 2007). Research suggests that learners who face cyberbullying (victims and

cyberbullies) tend to have poorer school climates than students who have not been victims of

cyberbullying (Research Center, 2012; Hinduja & Patchin, 2009).

Researchers have also explored the cyberbullies’ behavior and background as well as

witnesses to cyberbullying. The Cyberbullying Research Center (2012) conducted a study of

4,441participants, which were 10-18-year-olds students of 37 different schools; inside a large

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school district found that 19 percent of participants acknowledged being victims of

cyberbullying; 9 percent stated that they had cyberbullied other students in the last 30 days.

According to the Pew Research Center survey (2011) 88 percent of adolescents stated that they

had seen someone be cruel or mean to others on social media sites (Passel & D'Vera Cohn,

2011).

Another potential risk is exposure to offensive material. Educators’ greatest fear is that

learners will come across offensive material (Toppo, 2011; Guynn, 2010). According to the

National School Boards Association (2007) a study conducted on 1,277 students, between the

ages of 9 to 17, concluded that 20 percent of participants reported that they had seen unsuitable

pictures on social media sites and 18 percent had seen improper language on social media sites.

Compromised online safety may be a risk of using Social Media in the classroom. Students

who use social networking are vulnerable to encountering fraudulent individuals who may

attempt to acquire personal information such as banking information, passwords, or private

information. These students are at risk of identity theft. Scam companies or artists have

advertisements or applications to trick children and adolescents. Students using social media are

at risk of making costly decisions to download “free software” or to provide their private

information (Fodeman & Monroe, 2011; Davis, 2010; Cooper & Blumenfeld, 2012).

Publication of private information is one of the greatest risks of using social media in the

classroom. Some students do not realize that the information they post in social media is public

and that individuals can access their photographs and text even after they have deleted them.

Some of the consequences of sharing personal information may include susceptibility to financial

predators, lost job opportunities, and to sexual predators. Today several employers check social

media profiles and activities before making the decision to employ an applicant. According to a

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Microsoft survey, 70 percent of employers have found evidence in social media to identify a

person as being immature, having poor judgment, and other undesirable behaviors, helping them

to reject those applicants for employment within their companies (Social Networking Pro Con,

2012).

If social media is used in the classroom students are at risk of losing face-to-face

communication. Some teachers and parents are afraid that social media discourages face-to-face

communication. They believe that if students overuse social media they are at risk of missing

valuable real-life experiences and social skills. This may cause students to face disadvantages in

personal relationships, during job interviews, or in social meetings (Fouts, 2012; Fodeman &

Monroe, 2011). Several researchers believe that spending too much time on social networking

sites may create self-centered personalities, encourage a need for instant gratification, shorten

their attention spans, and can reduce children’s ability to have real conversations, (Derbyshire,

2009). According to Derbyshire (2009) overusing social networking may cause students to

experience anxiety, depression, as well as other psychological confusion.

Recommendations

As many benefits that people can gain from using social media, many issues could be

presented as a result of the inappropriate use of social media. The highest risk of overusing social

media is losing face-to-face communication, cyberbullying, anxiety, and depression. To reduce

these risks, parents, and teachers can sign multiple social activities and events to motivate young

learners to interact in their community properly. Students can play leadership roles in classrooms

by managing their time, setting a goal, presenting good communication skills, reviewing, and

evaluating their progress. Teachers can assign collaborative projects and ask students to present

them in class. Also, teachers can assign students in small or large groups to discuss any problem

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and ask them to solve it together. Teachers should encourage students to participate in

conversations and community activities. Teachers should provide different social activities in the

classroom such as large and small group activities, big buddies, class stories, assigning

classroom jobs, and conversation. Furthermore, parents might make a deal with their children to

limit how long both of them use technology at home. Parents may suggest some real-life

activities and limit screen time. Parents can plan for a walk with their children for one hour a

day. Parents can ask their children to help them cook their favorite food or read a favorite book

together. It is very important to make sure your children are engaged in some fun family

activities too; Instead of letting your children watch their favorite show alone, why don't you

watch it with them to increase their personal interaction. In addition, parents can let their children

visit their friends or family members. Ultimately, parents can plan an event where their children

can meet their friends in person and have some fun nights, such as board games and puzzles. I

believe these suggestions may help young learners to limit the use of screen time including social

media to motivate them to interact physically in their community successfully.

Conclusion

Social networking sites are part of every student's style and culture and it will continue to be

in the future. It is important to consider that technology may be an instructional tool to advance

academic learning. On the other hand, it is important to consider that social networking sites may

put students in potential risks that may affect their learning. Nowadays, the majority of people

communicate through social media rather than face to face. As a result, children and teenagers

who spend too much time on technology may experience emotional, behavioral, and social

challenges based on the content that they follow. It is very important for parents to track their

children and encourage them to communicate in their real world instead of communicating

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through technology. Policy makers should consider finding a balance to use the Internet in the

classrooms to promote learning at the same time as providing other effective social activities to

all students. In fact, students who struggle in presenting themselves in the real world and

communicating with others may benefit from being enrolled in some social activities.

Participating in social activities will help students to be active learners and good models in their

community. Educators and parents should always consider the students’ safety and academic

learning while they are on the Internet. As much as social networking benefits learners,

eliminating them from valuable real-life experiences is more likely to happen.

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