Unsupervised social media use can induce psychological stress in children - Expert

KUALA LUMPUR - It is now commonplace to see children as young as two years old holding a smartphone, their eyes fixed intently on the screen.

Whether at a restaurant or in a shopping mall or even on the way from home to school and vice versa, the smartphone is often the "companion” of the little ones.

The Internet, unarguably, offers vast benefits to users; however, for children, parental guidance is essential to ensure they use their devices appropriately and only as needed. To borrow a quote by Norwegian historian and educator Christian Lous Lange, "Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.”

In reality, technological advancements like the Internet and digital networking platforms are not inherently harmful. Rather, it is the users’ inability to manage social media effectively that often leads to psychological stress, emotional disturbances and challenges in communication and social relationships.

IS YOUTUBE REPLACING PARENTS?

Commenting on this, SEGi University child psychologist Prof Datin Dr Mariani Md Nor, who is also Early Childhood Care and Education Council Malaysia president, said in (American psychologist Uries) Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory (1977), interactions between children and their environment can influence their development and growth processes. In this context, any information or knowledge from the environment shapes a child’s mind and personality.

"The influence comes not only from authentic aspects (real life) but also from cyberspace, including social media, which serves as a platform for children to gain knowledge and skills, and emulate the behaviours of their role models.

"(Hence) There should be monitoring of the websites they visit or read and the language they use in online conversations. This is because whatever they see, hear and read, especially in the form of words or screenplay like that of cartoons or children’s dramas, will to some extent shape their thinking and become something they would indirectly follow,” she told Bernama.

Mariani explained an individual’s developmental process begins at birth and goes on till adulthood. However, different experiences lead to variations in emotional and mental development, which in turn result in differences in psychological development.

She said children aged below six are at a critical stage of their lives as this is the time when they can be easily influenced, shaped and nurtured in terms of their minds and skills because they are particularly receptive to all types of information presented to them.

"If social media is constantly by the side of children in that age group, then their parents are to be blamed if platforms like YouTube and TikTok become almost like surrogate parents or teachers to their kids,” she said.

INFLUENCE OF CYBER ‘NARRATIVES’

Commenting on reports that issues such as stress, mental health problems, running away from home, and even self-harm or suicide attempts among children are often linked to the influence of the Internet and social media, Mariani explained these negative behaviours are often influenced by the "narratives” presented on social media, which can lead children to act without considering the consequences, especially given their age and immaturity.

"Here, ‘narratives’ refer to the tendency to follow or emulate behaviours seen on social media that may seem meaningful or beneficial to them. If they don’t get the expected outcomes, it can lead to disappointment. Without relevant guidance, education and advice, children may take shortcuts to resolve their issues, sometimes in unhealthy ways.”

Touching on the issue of cyberbullying among children, which can escalate into bigger issues affecting their psychological and mental health, Mariani said it could disrupt their daily lives and thinking and affect their studies and well-being.

Stressing that the use of the Internet and social media is not inherently wrong as it has become a necessity today, she said its use should be controlled to prevent addiction.

"It’s important to regulate children’s screen time and social media interactions. All online content accessed by children, especially those under the age of seven, should be monitored by their parents. Content accessed by children should ideally focus on educational or developmental games to support their growth,” she added.

STRAWBERRY GENERATION

Commenting on the ‘Strawberry’ generation - a label given to children of today’s generation who are considered "fragile” and lacking strong emotional, physical and social resilience due to overreliance on the digital world, particularly social media, leading them to rarely engage with peers in ways that build mental resilience - Mariani said children should be nurtured to build resilience and strengthen their mental endurance.

Due to overreliance on technology, this generation tends to be impatient and struggles to handle complex problems, often turning to the Internet and social media as their "solution” without considering other alternatives around them.

"According to studies, the ‘Strawberry’ generation often results from ‘helicopter parenting’, where parents are overly controlling, leaving no room for children to think freely, express emotions or gain personal life experiences appropriate for their age.

"This overly controlling parenting style hinders children from developing essential soft skills such as tolerance, making their own decisions, accepting opinions of others and even being ready to accept defeat as life doesn't always mean winning,” she said.

Meanwhile, Universiti Multimedia Malaysia language lecturer Maswanhizzly Masri said in today’s digital world, social media significantly shapes how children communicate and the language they use.

He said the use of harsh language and insults, and toxic behaviours in social media interactions, combined with demeaning or mocking comments, can influence the language children use in their daily lives.

"The use of slang and abbreviations and following trends including the latest Gen-Z language which is becoming increasingly complex, is also a challenge. While words in short forms might facilitate communication, it may also erode a person’s formal language skills and undermine the purity and originality of the language itself,” he said.

STOP NORMALISING CRUDE LANGUAGE

Maswanhizzly believes that language degradation can affect the socio-cultural development of society in this country, with one risk being the potential loss of the identity of the national language.

In the context of Malaysia, known for its diverse ethnicities and languages, exposure to social media encourages the usage of a more globalised language or trends that mostly originate from Western countries.

"For example, the dominance of English or the uncontrolled mixing of languages, widely referred to as bahasa rojak (mixed language) on social media, can undermine the use of Bahasa Melayu, which is the national language.

"When children gravitate more toward using English or bahasa rojak, it can impact their proficiency in Malay, especially in formal contexts.

"This weakens the resilience of the national language among the younger generation, which could ultimately impact the country’s cultural and social identity,” he said, adding the freedom of expression on social media also contributes to this issue.

He also said the tendency for individuals to share opinions and disseminate inaccurate or misleading language can lead to misunderstandings in social communication, reducing society’s ability to think critically and accurately analyse information.

"They may think that communicating with harsh language is normal, ‘cool’, trendy and accepted in social interactions. However, we should be concerned if children start using harsh words, insulting others or behaving disrespectfully based on what they ‘absorb’ from social media,” he added.

Sharing the findings of a 2019 study carried out by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on language etiquette among teenagers on social media in the country, Maswanhizzly said there is a notable difference in the language used on social media compared to the daily spoken language.

The study also found that 2,220 obscene words were used by 120 teenagers and women on Facebook posts, with the offensive language used by netizens from different racial backgrounds in Malaysia.

"There was also a 2017 study by Telenor Group (titled Digital Parenting: The Challenges and Opportunities of Raising Children in the Digital Age) which revealed that over 70 percent of Malaysian teenagers use social media, with several local studies indicating a tendency to use harsh language in online conversations, particularly in more informal spaces like WhatsApp or Facebook.

"Although there is no exact statistic on how many people use harsh language frequently, studies show an increase in the use of aggressive and provocative language,” he said.

He added that beyond serving as entertainment and social interaction spaces, these digital platforms should be used for educational purposes including the development of language skills as well as for generating an income.

"Platforms like YouTube can be utilised to learn language skills, and many other educational resources are available for children to access. However, without assistance, monitoring and cooperation from parents, children are more likely to choose inappropriate content,” he said. - BERNAMA