Is There Hope For The New Generation?

Kids have certainly changed a lot throughout the years. From playing with dolls and drawing and playing with friends to trying to keep up with the latest trends. Many may not think this is that big of a deal, but as everything around us changes, so will we. Generation Z is said to be the last generation to know what life was like without a phone and seeing kids today, that could be true. A high school filled with older teens had many opinions to state on this topic.

While interviewing many students at Hillcrest High School, most of the students had similar things to say. Eleventh-grade student, Alexia Scarlett, said “I feel like a lot of kids don’t understand that they’re still young. Like they haven’t reached adult age yet and expect themselves to look like the 19, 20 year olds they see on TikTok. I feel like the most they should worry about is their hair, that's it. You shouldn’t have to be worrying about if your face looks like this or if your body looks like this. I feel like it is all a drag.”

A common theme seen by students is that the main problem is social media. The media contains so much information that can take a toll on anyone. Children being exposed to this from a young age can affect them in the long run.

Social media platforms were created to share ideas, keep in contact with friends/family and to explore. Although this was the creator's original intent...over the years social media has taken a turn for the worse. Children from the age of 10 are using social media. Social media is a huge part of why children are growing up too fast and students at Hillcrest High School agree. 

When asking an eleventh-grade student named Keli Dzokpe the question, “Do you think kids are growing up too fast? Why?” He stated, “I think considerably, yes. I feel like a major role for upcoming generations is these iPad. They're knowing stuff that they shouldn't know at a very young age. They’re seeing it on these iPad, YouTube, and all that kinda stuff so yeah. A lot of kids are growing too fast, they’re not spending time with their friends and are just on social media.”

A lot of parents shove iPad and phones in front of their kids to keep them occupied and are not aware of how much of an impact this will have on their child. So although there are age limits for certain social media apps, there is still a high chance that many children are still able to find a way to access social media. There are inappropriate pictures, inappropriate comments and hate speech that kids pick up on, which overall can affect how they act in school and at home.

Social media has normalized being able to post whatever people please. There is no limit to what your kid might come across. Make sure to monitor what children are watching and protect them from what they choose to post.

See our Digital Footprint article to better understand the impact of social media and how what is posted stays online forever.