Kids' Social Media Can Be Used for Study Groups | MomsGetReal

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MomsGetReal Guest Contributor Jessica McGarrity

According to a 2007 report published by the Pew Research Center, more than half of all young people in the United States between the ages of 12 and 17 have used online social media.? In many respects, the rise in social media use by children and teens has had a detrimental effect. In examining the mental health effects of social media on children and teens, it?s easy to become discouraged.

According to research conducted by Larry Rosen, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at California State University at Dominguez Hills, children who interrupted their study sessions to check on social networking profiles recorded lower grades than students who did not. Further, children and teens who used social media heavily demonstrated higher levels of mental health disorders such as bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder than children who used social media less heavily.

However, the news is not all bad. Parents can mitigate some of the negative effects of social media by actively monitoring their children?s use of social media sites. Social media can also help kids in their schoolwork, by promoting cooperation and collaboration and by providing an interactive learning environment. Online and social media learning also provides children a means of keeping up with their studies when illness or other circumstances prevent them from being in school.

Online and Social Media Advantages

Walking in many classrooms today is more like walking into the headquarters of a Silicon Valley high tech firm than a traditional place of learning. Blackboards and chalk have often been replaced by whiteboards and projection screens. Desks that formerly held only books and papers are often covered with laptops and tablets.

Savvy parents also recognize that their kids are tuned into the Internet through social networking sites. Rather than put up a futile attempt to prevent their children from social networking site, parents as well as teachers take advantage of technology to provide students with an interactive learning experience and facilitate study groups.

Incorporating social media into the learning arena also harnesses the enhanced empathy and spirit of collaboration that is enhanced in teens that use social networking. Virtual study groups, live chat, video conferencing and photo sharing can be incorporated into classroom activities and homework assignments alike. Students have the best of both worlds ? enjoying interaction with one another while learning.

Online Learning Resources

Rather than attempting to prevent children and teens from using social media, teachers and parents can use the popularity of social media to benefit children. For example, teachers and parents can adapt social media sites to enhance learning experiences for children. For instance, students can follow Twitter feeds of government officials or establish their own blogs to comment on current events. Teachers can establish Facebook Pages for their classes, to provide a centralized online location for students to post notes, video links and upload documents and photos related to a particular class. Video conferencing and webcasts allow students from one location to interact with students across the country or across an ocean.

Specialized online learning sites also enhance the classroom experience for teachers and students. For instance, Edmodo allows students to collaborate on assignments in class and outside the classroom by posting profiles with photos and other features more commonly found in social networking platforms. A benefit of sites like Edmodo is that more reserved students who adapt well to using tools like Edmodo often gain enough self confidence through using them that they begin speaking up more in class. Parents can create their own Edmodo accounts to extend the learning environment for their children outside the classroom. Teachers can also improve their instruction methods by sharing notes and best practices through Edmodo.

Mobile Apps

Along with social media, kids and teens have incorporated cell phones, including Smartphones, into their everyday lives. While many teachers and parents discourage children and teens from texting and gaming, mobile apps can also enhance individual and collaborative learning. For instance, apps such as Quizlet allow students to utilize flash cards to study languages, history, science or nearly any other subject, created by users located all over the world.

Quizlet also allows users to create their own specialized flash cards and share them with students in their classes ? or with students worldwide. Students working on a group assignment can use mobile apps like Quizlet to create materials to share with other members of their classroom teams. The technology of mobile apps allows students to share their work whether they are collaborating in person or working independently in their own homes.

For Further Reading

• American Psychological Association: Facebook ? Friend or Foe?
  apa.org/monitor/2011/10/facebook.aspx
• Common Sense Media: Social Networking for Kids
  commonsensemedia.org/website-lists/social-networking-kids
• The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning: Investigating Instructional Strategies for Using Social Media in Formal and Informal Learning
  irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1027/2073
• Pew Research Center: Social Networking Websites and Teens
  pewresearch.org/pubs/118/social-networking-websites-and-teens
• Quizlet
  quizlet.com/
• Social Media? and Learning: Interview With Jane Hart ? Instructional Design and eLearning
  theelearningcoach.com/elearning2-0/social-media-and-learning/
• Techlicious: Safe Social Networking Sites for Kids and Tweens
  techlicious.com/guide/safe-social-networking-sites-for-kids-tweens/
• Time: The Best Social Networks for Kids Under 13
  techland.time.com/2012/05/24/the-best-social-networks-for-kids-under-13/

This MomsGetReal article was written and contributed by Jessica McGarrity for Kazaana, a kids social network. Jessica is an independent researcher and freelance writer. She has extensive experience designing social media applications to be used by kids. Her articles mainly appear on technology blogs.

Image source: MorgueFile

Source: http://momsgetreal.com/2012/12/kids-social-media-education/

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