Social Media Effects: Nowadays, social media has become a big part of children’s daily life. Between studies, talking to friends, entertainment and a large part of free time is spent on mobile screens. Concern has been raised for a long time about the ever-increasing screen time that is affecting children’s sleep, studies, mental health and daily habits.
Meanwhile, a new study conducted with the support of the British government has further strengthened this debate. In this research, it was found that children who reduced or banned the use of social media for some time, their sleep improved, their concentration in studies increased and their overall well-being also improved. In such a situation, let us know what came to light in this research.
What does the new UK study say?
According to Reuters report, this study was conducted with the support of the British government. In this, 309 families with teenagers aged 13 to 17 years were included. The objective of the research was to understand how different ways of reducing the use of social media affect the routine and mental state of children.
What was revealed in this research?
During the research, children were divided into three different groups and made to follow different rules for a month. In which the first group was given only 15 minutes daily to use each social media app. In the second group, a social media curfew was imposed from 9 pm to 7 am, during which no social media app could be used, and the third group removed social media apps from their phones for an entire month. Many children involved in the research said that after reducing the use of social media, they started sleeping better than before. It became easier to concentrate on studies and his mood also felt better than before. Many participants also said that now they started spending more time with family.
In which way did you get the most benefit?
According to research, social media curfew from 9 pm to 7 am proved to be the most effective method. Due to this, there was a continuous improvement in the sleep of children and it was easy for families to follow this rule. The study found that the children who completely removed social media apps from their phones, their ability to concentrate during studies increased the most. However, some new challenges also emerged with this method.
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What problems did you face after completely shutting down social media?
Many children involved in the research said that after removing social media apps, they felt less connected with friends. Especially those whose friends mainly communicated through apps like Snapchat started feeling isolated from the group. The study also revealed that setting a time limit of only 15 minutes every day was the least successful method. Many children said that this rule did not seem fair due to the time limit being repeatedly exceeded between conversations and group chats. Some children also crossed these limits by using tablets, old smartphones or laptops.
What was your opinion on the rules based on age?
Many teenagers involved in the research supported making social media rules based on age. However, he believed that older children should be given more freedom according to their understanding and responsibility. The research also said that if social media is banned only on the basis of age, then some people may try to avoid these rules by using VPN or entering wrong age.
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