Adolescents and social networks

Adult supervision must be constant and permanent to prevent children

from being exposed and vulnerable.
For many parents, their children participating in social networks is a
permanent concern that they do not always know how to address. For
them, the psychologist at the Adolescent and Youth Center at Clínica
Las Condes , Alejandra Díaz , provides some recommendations so that
minors can enjoy the advantages of WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter, safely and responsibly.

In the opinion of the psychologist, the minimum age to access this type of instance should be around 14
years : “If there is a need to access a social network before this age, it must necessarily be through parental
consent .” However, the average age of initiation into mobile telephony, for example, is between
approximately 10 and 12 years . In these cases, he adds, "the appropriate thing is not to contract internet
services for mobile devices and thus limit access to it only through home computers."

It is important to stimulate in children and adolescents the value of direct communication over communication
mediated by technological objects, and as much as possible postpone access to social networks or others as
much as possible . “Up to the age of 10, direct and very specific supervision by caregivers is necessary.

Sit with your children while they use the Internet and never leave them alone in front of the screen. Between the
ages of 11 and 14, pubescent and early adolescents have more experience on the Internet, but they should not
be left without supervision and control when they go online , to prevent them from being exposed and
vulnerable to inappropriate material.

From the age of 15, middle and late adolescents should have access with fewer restrictions . But parents
have to be available to help their children understand inappropriate messages, not expose themselves and make
good decisions,” says the psychologist from the Center for Adolescents and Young People.

In the case of adolescents, he explains, “ young people and adolescents need to feel involved in something,
to have their own personal site and to build a network of friends .” Feelings of belonging and affiliation,
information, identity and values are sought, which determine the way of relating on networks.” However,
adolescents do not have their brains fully developed, which makes them more vulnerable and predisposed to
risky behaviors. For this reason, it is essential that an adult constantly supervises the activity they have on
the network .

Benefits and risks

The use of social networks does have benefits for minors. “It has been shown that the Internet stimulates a
greater number of brain regions, increases working memory, produces a greater capacity for perceptual
learning and allows us to deal with several stimuli simultaneously.

Digital natives have better ability to make quick decisions . It also generates benefits for the hearing
impaired,” says psychologist Alejandra Díaz.

"It is necessary when communicating virtually that adolescents manage to reread what they want to transmit
and be careful in moments of high emotional intensity , which is linked to their capacity for reflection,
impulse control and postponement of the immediate satisfaction of a need . This is why the guidance and
education that significant adults can provide is essential, both in the generation of computer filters and in the
development of the capacity for self-control and self-direction on the Internet,” he adds.
But this participation, he says, can also have risks: “Virtual feedback can be harmful for some adolescents, since
they can express themselves anonymously, with a significant emotional distance, with a low level of
empathy, a use of “spoken thinking.” and with great difficulty in evaluating what their messages are
generating in the other . All of this has negative consequences on the construction of the identity of young
people, especially when the dissemination of negative or disqualifying content spreads very quickly and reaches
unsuspected levels.”

Sometimes it happens that some adolescents have difficulties differentiating public content from private
content : “They cannot access an awareness that allows them to avoid exposing themselves or being exposed to
situations that, in the immediate future, can generate high levels of stress and significant damage to their
bodies.” vision of themselves, with serious risks to their mental health.”

The abuse of social networks has shown an association with depression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Syndrome, insomnia, decreased total hours of sleep, decreased academic performance, repetition and
school dropout . It has also been associated with a wide range of psychosocial problems.

adult supervision

The following are examples of interventions that parents can use to protect their adolescents:

 Reduce time spent using social networks and technological objects to one or two hours per day.
 Define spaces free of electronic devices as a family.
 Educate in self-regulation mechanisms, helping to balance online activities with offline activities.
 Talk to the adolescent about Internet use, showing him/her that you trust his/her criteria and “non-
naivety” (when talking to them, avoid a distrustful and controlling attitude to reach an agreement for
safe use).
 Work on understanding the consequences of what is done and/or said on the web.
 Educate yourself in the use of the Internet and social networks. Know the jargon used in them.
 Receive and pay the children's cell phone bills (to have usage information).
 Create a list of rules (sites you can access, usage times, schedules, content).
 Locate computers in common places (living rooms) and install content filter tools.
 Check the history of the pages visited on the computer (if the file has been emptied, it is probably for
some reason). Teenagers should know that the computer's history will be checked frequently.
 During the night, disconnect Wi Fi and leave cell phones outside the room.
 If a teenager accesses a page that is not acceptable, parents should not overreact.
 Educate regarding the risks associated with the use of social networks.
 Be consistent with the consequences of misuse of social networks. For violation of rules, there must be
consistent and applicable sanctions.
 Be alert to any significant variation in the adolescent's physical, cognitive, emotional and social
behavior.

How the use of social networks affects adolescents

Experts say children are growing up with more anxiety and lower self-esteem

Many parents worry about how exposure to technology could affect young children developmentally. We know
that our preschoolers are acquiring new social and cognitive skills at an impressive rate and we don't want hours
glued to an iPad to stop them from doing so. But adolescence is an equally important and rapidly developing
period, yet very few of us are paying attention to how our teens' use of technology is much more intense and
intimate than the use of a 3-year-old playing with Dad's iPhone is affecting them. In fact, experts worry that
social media and texting, which have become so essential to teenage life, are promoting anxiety and lowering
self-esteem.

Indirect communication
Teenagers are masters at staying busy for hours after school and long after bedtime. When they're not doing
their homework (and when they do) they're online and on their phones, texting, sharing, teasing, scrolling up
and down, whatever. Of course, before everyone had an Instagram account, teenagers stayed busy too, but they
were more likely to talk on the phone or in person when they went out to the mall. Although it may have
seemed like a lot of meaningless meetings, what they were doing was experimenting, trying out skills,
succeeding and failing in hundreds of small, real-time interactions that today's kids are missing. For their part,
modern teenagers are learning to communicate mostly while looking at a screen, not at another person.

“As a species we are very attuned to reading social cues,” says Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, clinical
psychologist and author of The Big Disconnect. “There is no doubt that children are missing out on very critical
social skills. In some ways, texting and communicating online isn't like it creates a non-verbal learning
disability, but rather it puts everyone in a non-verbal disability context, where body language, facial expression,
and even the most small vocal reactions become invisible.”

Reducing risks

Certainly speaking indirectly creates a barrier to clear communication, but that's not all. Learning to make
friends is an important part of growing up, and friendship requires a certain amount of risk-taking. This is true
for making a new friend and it's also true for maintaining friendships. When there are problems to face, big or
small, it takes courage to be honest about your feelings and then listen to what the other person has to say.
Learning to effectively cross these bridges is part of what makes friendship fun, exciting, and also scary. “Part
of healthy self-esteem is knowing how to say what you think and feel, even when you disagree with other
people or feel emotionally risky,” Dr. Steiner-Adair says.

But when friendship takes place online and through text, children do so in a context stripped of many of the
more personal, and sometimes intimidating, aspects of communication. It's easier to keep your defense up when
you're texting, so the stakes are lower. You are not listening or seeing the effect your words are having on the
other person. Because the conversation is not happening in real time, each party may take more time to consider
a response. It's no wonder kids say that calling someone on the phone is “too intense”; It requires more direct
communication and if you are not used to that, you may feel scared.

If children don't get enough practice interacting with other people and meeting their needs in person and in real
time, many of them will grow up to be adults who are anxious about our species' primary means of
communication: talking. And, of course, social negotiations only become riskier as people age and begin to
navigate romantic relationships and employment.

Cyberbullying and imposter syndrome

The other big danger that comes from children communicating more indirectly is that it has become easier to be
cruel. “Children send all kinds of messages that they would never in a million years contemplate saying to
anyone's face,” says Dr. Donna Wick, a clinical and developmental psychologist who runs Mind to Mind
Parent. She notes that this seems to be especially true for girls, who generally don't like to disagree in “real
life.”
“You hope to teach them that they can disagree without jeopardizing the relationship, but what social media is
teaching them to do is disagree in more extreme ways that jeopardize the relationship. “It’s exactly what you
don’t want to happen,” she says.

Dr. Steiner-Adair agrees that girls are especially at risk. “Girls are socialized more to compare themselves to
other people, particularly other girls, to develop their identities, so it makes them more vulnerable to the
disadvantage of all of this.” She warns that a lack of strong self-esteem is often to blame. “We forget that
relational aggression comes from insecurity and feeling bad about yourself, and the desire to tear other people
down to feel better.”

Peer acceptance is important to teens, and many of them care about their image as much as a politician running
for office can feel just as serious to them. Add to that the fact that kids today are getting real survey data about
how much people like them or what they look like, through things like “likes.” It's enough to stop someone
from looking. Who wouldn't want to look cooler if they can? So children can spend hours pruning their online
identities, trying to project an idealized image. Teenage girls sort through hundreds of photos, agonizing over
which ones to post online. Boys compete for attention by trying to outdo each other, pushing as far as they can
into the already uninhibited online atmosphere. The children form gangs against each other.

Teens have always been doing this, but with the advent of social media they face more opportunities and more
pitfalls than ever before. When kids scroll through your social media walls and see how great everyone seems, it
only adds to the pressure. We're used to worrying about the impractical ideals that digitally retouched magazine
models give our kids, but what happens when the boy next door is retouched, too? Even more confusing, what
happens when your own profile doesn't really represent the person you feel you are inside?

“Adolescence, and particularly the early twenties, are the years when you are very aware of the contrasts
between who you appear to be and who you think you are,” says Dr. Wick. “It's similar to 'imposter syndrome'
in psychology. As you get older and more proficient, you start to realize that you're actually good at some things
and then you feel that gap hopefully narrowing. But imagine that your deepest, darkest fear is that you're not as
good as you look, and then imagine that you need to look that good all the time! It is exhausting".

As Dr. Steiner-Adair explains, “self-esteem comes from establishing who you are.” The more identities you
have, and the more time you spend pretending to be someone you're not, the harder it will be to feel good about
yourself.

Stalking (and being ignored)

Another big change that has come with new technology, and especially smartphones, is that we are never truly
alone. Kids update their statuses, share what they're watching, listening to, and reading, and have apps that let
their friends know their specific location on a map at all times. Even if a person isn't trying to keep their friends
updated, they will never be out of reach of a text message. The result is that children feel hyperconnected to
each other. The conversation should never stop and something new always seems to happen.

“Regardless of what we think about 'relationships' maintained and in some cases initiated on social media,
children never get a break from them,” Dr. Wick notes. “And that, in itself, can cause anxiety. Everyone needs a
break from the demands of intimacy and connection; time alone to reorganize, recharge or simply relax. When
you don't have that, it's easy to become emotionally drained and fertile ground for anxiety to breed.”

Likewise, it's surprisingly easy to feel alone in the midst of all that hyperconnectedness. For one thing, children
now know with depressing certainty when they are ignored. We all have phones and we all respond to things
pretty quickly, so when you're waiting for a response that doesn't come, the silence can be deafening. The silent
 treatment can be a strategic insult or simply the unfortunate side effect of a teenage
online relationship that starts off intense, but then fizzles out.

“In the old days, when a boy was going to break up with you he had to have a
conversation with you. Or at least I had to call,” says Dr. Wick. “These days, I might
disappear from your screen and you might never get to have the conversation about…
What did I do?” Children are often left imagining the worst about themselves.

But even when the conversation doesn't end, being in a constant state of alert can cause anxiety. We may feel
like we are being left aside and ourselves left aside by others, and our human need to communicate is also
effectively delegated that way.

What should parents do?

Both experts interviewed for this article agreed that the best thing parents can do to minimize the risks
associated with technology is to first reduce their own consumption. It's up to parents to set a good example of
what healthy computer use looks like. Most of us check our phones or emails too much, whether out of genuine
interest or nervous habit. Children should be used to seeing our faces, not our heads bent over a screen.
Establish technology-free zones in the house and technology-free hours, when no one uses the phone, including
mom and dad. “Don't walk in the door after work in the middle of a conversation,” advises Dr. Steiner-Adair.
"Don't walk out the door after work, say 'hello' quickly and then 'just check your email.' In the morning, get up
half an hour before your kids and check your email then. Give them your full attention until they walk out the
door. And none of you should be using phones in the car to or from school because that is an important time to
talk.”

Limiting the amount of time spent plugged into computers not only provides a healthy counterpoint to the
technology-obsessed world, it also strengthens the bond between parents and children and makes children feel
safer. Children need to know that you are available to help them with their problems, talk about their day or to
give them a realistic perspective. “These are the mini moments of disconnection, when parents are too focused
on their own devices and screens, that dilute the relationship between parents and children.”

The risks of social networks on the mental health of adolescents

Social networks are part of our lives. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have revolutionized the
way we connect with each other and are used by one in four people around the world.

Social networks have become a space in which we form and build relationships, configure our own
identity, and express ourselves and learn about the world around us . But have we sufficiently assessed
what risks it entails?

The highest incidence of the use of social networks occurs among young people between 16 and 24 years
old , a crucial period for the emotional and psychosocial development of people. Precisely for this reason, a
greater understanding of the impact of social networks on young people is necessary, paying special attention to
how they can affect their mental health.

How do social networks affect mental health?

Many young people have not known a world without access to the Internet and social networks. Daily, or near-
daily, Internet use has increased rapidly over the past decade. In 2007, only 22% of people in the UK had at
least one social media profile; while in 2016, this figure had increased to 89%. Being a teenager is difficult
enough, but the pressures that online young people face are undoubtedly unique to this digital
generation.

We know that the most popular social networks are a source of countless benefits and advantages for their
users, but they also generate unhealthy side effects . A new study, carried out among young British people,
focuses on a very particular problem: the well-being and mental health of users of these applications, especially
Instagram, which is considered the worst network for the mental health of adolescents .

Negative effects: Anxiety and depression

One in six young people will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their life , and rates of anxiety
and depression in young people have increased by 70%. The study has shown that four out of five young people
say that using social media makes their feelings of anxiety worse. Seeing friends constantly on vacation or
enjoying nights out can make young people feel like they are missing out while others are enjoying life. These
feelings can promote a "comparing" and "despair" effect.

The often unrealistic images offered on social media can cause young people to have feelings of self-
consciousness, low self-esteem and the pursuit of perfectionism that can manifest as anxiety disorders.

Using social media for more than two hours a day has also been independently associated with poor self-
appreciation of mental health, increased levels of psychological distress, and suicidal ideation . This
phenomenon has even been labeled "Facebook depression."

Sleep

Sleep and mental health are closely related. Sleep is especially important in young people and adolescents, since
sleeping is a key moment for their development. Sleep is essential for us to function properly during the day and
adolescents need about 1-2 hours more sleep daily than adults.

Numerous studies have shown that increased use of social media has a significant association with poor
sleep quality in young people. Using social media via phones, laptops and tablets at night before bed is also
linked to poor quality sleep. It is thought that using LED lights before sleep can interfere with and block natural
processes in the brain that trigger feelings of drowsiness, as well as the release of the sleep hormone melatonin.

This means it takes longer to fall asleep and people end up getting fewer hours of sleep each night.One in five
young people report waking up during the night to check messages on social media , making them three
times more tired at school compared to classmates who don't use social media at night.

Body image

Body image is a problem for many young people, both men and women. There are 10 million new photographs
uploaded to Facebook alone every hour, constantly offering opportunities for comparison. A study has also
shown that girls expressed a desire to change their appearance such as face, hair and/or skin after
spending time on Facebook.

Cyberbullying

Bullying during childhood is a major risk factor for a number of problems, including mental health. The rise of
social networks has meant that almost all children and young people are in constant contact with each other.
The school day allows for face-to-face interactions and time at home is filled with contacts through social media
platforms. Although much of this interaction is positive, it also presents opportunities for those who want to
continue their abuse even when they are not physically close to an individual.
The rise in popularity of instant messaging apps, such as Snapchat and WhatsApp , can also become a problem
as they act as quick vehicles to spread propaganda messages and spread images.

Seven in 10 young people have experienced cyberbullying . These statistics are extremely concerning for the
overall health and well-being of our young people. Victims of bullying are more likely to experience poor
academic performance, depression, anxiety, feelings of loneliness, and changes in sleeping and eating patterns,
which could be life-altering.

Fear of missing out (FOMO)

FOMO stands for fear of missing out, which can be translated as "fear of missing out." The expression describes
a new form of anxiety that emerged with the popularization of mobile phones and social networks, a
compulsive need to be connected.

At its core, FOMO is the worry that social events, or any other type of events, may take place without us being
present to enjoy them. FOMO is characterized by the need to be constantly connected to what others are doing,
so as not to miss anything. The sharing of photos and videos on social media means that young people
experience a virtually endless stream of others' experiences, which can potentially fuel feelings that they are
missing out.

The positive effects:

But not everything is bad on the networks: the most positive aspects in which these apps stood out were the
ability to become aware (especially on YouTube), to express oneself and find one's own identity (Instagram)
and to create a community and find emotional support. (Facebook).

Self expression and self-identity

Self-expression and self-identity are important aspects of development in youth and adolescents. This stage is a
time when young people try to experience new things, different aspects of themselves and their identity.
Throughout this period, young people have a means to express themselves and explore who they are.

Social media can act as an effective platform for positive self-expression , allowing you to present your best
selves. They are able to personalize their profiles with images, videos and words that express who they are and
how they identify with the world. Social media platforms are also places for young people to share creative
content and express their interests and passions with others. Being able to "like" or "follow" pages or groups
allows young people to build an "identity catalog" that represents them.

Make, maintain and build relationships

Social media platforms offer young people a useful tool to make, maintain or make interpersonal
relationships a reality on a global level . This can be through staying connected with friends and family
around the world, which would otherwise be impossible. They can also make new friends online, although
young people should approach this with caution and should only meet for the first time in safe environments.

The community building aspect is also a positive element. By joining "groups" or "pages," young people can
surround themselves with similar people with whom they share their thoughts or concerns. These groups may
be minorities in the real world, but they can create online communities that provide a safe network for young
people, such as those from the LGBT community or ethnic minorities. Social media allows these young people
to connect and build a sense of community, despite geographic separation.

Use of social networks in adolescence

Social networks in adolescence are a mass phenomenon. Millions of young people seek social reinforcement
through their mobile phones by publishing photos and personal content.
In this article we analyze the research on this matter and how Social Networks affect the adolescent brain .
You'll discover that the impact of your child's posts can be much more powerful than a few likes from their
friends.
The effects on the adolescent brain after a "like" on Social Networks.

A team of researchers from UCLA has dedicated itself to studying the effects of group reinforcement on
Social Networks . Using magnetic resonance imaging, they analyzed the brains of adolescents regarding the
impact of their publications in these media.
Its results are surprising. For a teenager, the brain response to accumulating many “likes” on one of their
posts on Social Networks is powerful. It is comparable to what occurs when eating chocolate, earning a lot of
money or even masturbating.
Furthermore, the effect is more powerful the greater the impact of the publication . This influences the
addictive power of Social Networks and the constant need for reinforcement in them for some adolescents.
On the other hand, in this study the tests were carried out using anonymous accounts that had no relationship
with the participants . That is, the teenager received "likes" from people he did not know. It is thought that if
this positive reinforcement comes from known people, the impact would be even greater.
Another of the interesting effects analyzed in the research refers to the feeling of community . It was found that
a teenager was more likely to like a photo if it already had a large number of previous likes.

Social networks and depression in adolescence.

Professor Cleland Woods and his team at the University of Glasgow have studied the effects of social media on
adolescent mood .
In their research they have found that many adolescents have a perceived demand for continuous
availability . They think they should always be connected with their friends and keep up to date with news.
They also perceive the need to respond immediately to messages.
In this context, social networks in adolescence can generate three effects :

1. Anxiety : This perception of urgency and need for connection with the group can cause stress. Staying
alert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is a major stressor for adolescents. In the medium term , alterations
may even occur by maintaining activation and alert artificially.
2. Depression : mood can be affected in the medium term and depressive symptoms may appear in the
adolescent.
3. Disturbed sleep : the quality of sleep in the adolescent may decrease due to the above results.
Furthermore, an unexpected effect was found in the study. Those users who connected to social
networks at night had worse sleep quality.

Negative experiences on Social Networks.

If you think your child is not exposed to these risks, take a look at these statistics:

 82% of adolescents said they had suffered at least one notable negative experience on Facebook.
 More than half of those surveyed acknowledged having suffered a negative, stress-generating event on
Social Networks during the previous year.
 Up to 63% acknowledged having had four or more negative experiences on Facebook during their
youth.
 Those users who at some point in their life have had a negative experience on Facebook are more likely
to suffer from depression. Up to 3.2 times higher compared to other people who have not suffered this
type of trauma.

The use of Social Networks in adolescence can improve long-term memory.

Not all the effects of Social Networks are negative. In a curious study on the subject, a striking effect of these
media on memory has been found.
According to Qi Wang and his team at Cornwell University it helps with retention.
One might think that serving as an external memory store would worsen the person's memories. However, the
results are clear. Social Networks provide a unique repository of memories that helps share and store
information .
This management of autobiographical data helps the construction of the personal self . It also has mnemonic
facilitation consequences that help fix memories in memory.
The motivations why young people use a social network The impact of social networks on young people

Nowadays, being a user of a network acquires an identity value . The motivations why young people use a
social network can be summarized in the following formula: make contacts + interact with friends + generate
new links + create community. “If you are not there, you do not exist,” adolescents agree in their particular
language. Nowadays, being a user of a network acquires an identity value and a sense of belonging. And, in
light of what the figures show, young people seem to be right.

A communication tool
What is a social network? It is a structure composed of groups of people who are connected to each other by
one or more types of relationships, such as friendship, kinship, common interests or knowledge. The definition
preexists the birth of computer networks and even the Internet, although the concept has become popular due to
the increasingly widespread use of the device in the network of networks. “The links that young people have in
real life found a tool on the web that allows them to be connected instantly. The social network is a new place to
meet but it is not a magical generator of friendships,” says Mariela Arinas, adolescent psychologist. “Genuine
links require time and construction work, they are not born instantly,” says this specialist for whom the attentive
gaze of parents is vital for the use of Facebook to be positive. Strictly speaking, unlike real life where a friend is
a person with whom you have an affectionate relationship, the “friend” of the social network is anyone who sent
a friend request and was accepted. Adults have to “help break the illusion that everything can be achieved with
networks, because this reinforces the omnipotence typical of this stage, and also intensifies the mistaken idea
that objectives are achieved quickly. In offline life this is not the case, good results imply a prior task, a process.
The great speed with which things happen on networks, that is, online, can confuse them,” warns Arinas. “Their
main objective is to communicate with their friends and be accepted,” says Doctor in Communication Roxana
Morduchowicz, author of the book The construction of youth identity on the Internet. “In each text or image
they upload, kids seek to define who they are, how they look and what others think of them. Participation in
social networks reinforces traditional forms of sociability,” he points out. “The screen is a support for the social
life of young people,” says Alejandro Fishman, in his dual role as president of Yahoo Argentina and the IAB
(Interactive Advertising Bureau). “The networks are crossing them minute by minute and complement their real
lives, expanding the tools available to communicate.”

The seduction of fame

Popularity is today a highly positive value for young people, indicated a survey by the Ministry of Education
carried out among 3,500 secondary school students. That is why it is easy to understand the widespread attitude
of displaying the number of friends they have online. This gesture clearly shows that anonymity and intimacy
give way to the desire for fame. Something that, by the way, is not exclusive to minors and is visible in the
television culture that currently dominates. Contrary to the fairly widespread idea that spending too much time
in front of the computer turns them into an isolated generation, the UNESCO consultant on educational issues,
Dr. Morduchowicz, believes that “the presence of screens in their lives "It does not imply isolation or canceling
your social life, on the contrary." Of course, “spending fifteen hours chatting is not beneficial,” nor is spending
that amount of time watching television or reading a book. “Adults have to promote that the activities are
diverse and bring into play different aspects of the children.” It refers to the possibility for adolescents to
display their intellectual, physical and expressive potential.

The public square

Driven by the tween and teen generations, which is the name that marketing analysts have given to the target of
pre-adolescents and adolescents, digital devices are the new public square in which dialogue, exchange and
links are built. They did not know life without a computer, playstation or cell phone. They cannot conceive, for
example, that adults have lived in a time when television was watched without a remote control. “Many people
couldn't imagine their lives without being active on the social network,” says Fishman. “Be careful what you
post on Facebook,” the president of the United States, Barack Obama, told students at a high school in
Wakefield, Virginia, during the inauguration of the last school year. I was concerned about the ease with which
young people access different electronic devices. In that sense, Fishman believes that parents have to function
as a filter and control over their children. "It's not that nothing can happen because the kids are at home, because
when they connect to a social network they run the same risks as if they were on the street, information is
exposed that perhaps we don't want them to have or they can pass on data that makes them vulnerable. And, on
the other hand, adults have to promote other activities because not all life is digital. There are sports, studying,
moments to share with family. It is important for them and for us not to miss out on sitting down to play with a
puzzle or cards, teaching them to ride a bike, studying in a traditional way so that they learn to process what is
not on the Internet.”

Do the boys know more?

If young people have instrumental management of technology, it is adults who must guide its use because they
have adequate criteria as a result of their life experience. “The problem is that there is a lack of knowledge
among the elderly about how the Internet or a social network works. Many are alien to that world and are even
afraid of it,” adds Fishman. He also points out that today it is important for younger people to be popular and
this opposes the preservation of privacy, which is a value that parents must transmit. To avoid the dangers that
could arise, specialists suggest that young people do not provide personal information, do not upload private
photos or publish photos of their friends without permission, but also that they do not contact strangers or meet
people they met online. The president of Yahoo does not believe that social networks as they operate today are
the final and definitive model. Surely there will be changes, although today there is no certainty about where we
are going. "We, the adults, come from experiencing another type of life and knowing other things and, although
our children grow up with these devices, I do not believe that in fifty years the world of virtual simulation will
become the only thing that exists and will dominate us . It seems like a very crazy idea to me,” he concludes.
What is undeniable is that social networks came to affect the lives of everyone, especially young people. But
they are not good or bad per se, but rather they become positive or negative depending on the information that
circulates in them. It would be like talking about the radio, the television or the telephone and giving a value to
the devices. “For most children they are means to communicate with their peers and in that sense they are
beneficial. We should not deify them or demonize them. What happens there is a reflection of what happens to
them in life, perhaps a little more amplified,” says Arinas. Do boys write worse than before? Are they more
exposed to insecure situations? Do they talk less with their parents? Maybe so, “but it is not the responsibility of
social networks but of current culture,” says psychologist Mariela Arinas. And he concludes that the best way to
guarantee good use of the networks "is for adults to promote dialogue with their children."