Written by Julia Psaila,

ICTSA Subcommittee Member    

Throughout the years there has been an increase of social media use from people of all ages, including children. The technological progress which is being made is nothing short of amazing. The use of social media is not just about websites or applications enabling users to share and create material but about the convenience in communicating and connecting with one another.

The most commonly used social networks, such as Facebook and Snapchat, are out of reach of children due to age restrictions. This however, does not stop a child from creating an account by lying about his or her age or submitting their own email address instead of their parents'.

One of the most common debates is whether technology is negatively impacting children. Habits learnt at a young age, both good and bad, tend to be carried through the rest of one's life. There should be a large emphasis on introducing technology, including the use of social networks as a tool for education. There are endless opportunities, once one has found the appropriate material. There are several websites and applications which are educational and have infinite resources including games, lesson plans, video clips, DIY ideas, just to name a few.

There is also the need to create child-friendly social networks, networks which parents would be happy to introduce to their children. Children are often too young to understand the repercussions of posting certain photos being shared publicly or edited by third parties. Until the child is of certain age, it is important that use of social media is monitored in the child's best interest - safety. So when creating a profile, the material and information should be limited and check-ins should be disabled, to avoid unwanted stalkers. Unfortunately, nobody is able to completely shelter children from coming across mature content, as there is no limit to what material is available online. That is why there are parental controls and applications which could block unwanted content.

Technology brings about excitement and new opportunities. Children have more reach and access to knowledge than ever before. They can connect to people, make new friends, and pursue their interests. The internet is a whole other world, and children need to be educated from a young age how to safely interact and protect their identity online.