The Social Media
My 11-year-old grandson
got a cell phone for his
birthday and asked
his parents if he could
COMMAERNTTARY
Generation
By John Wilson
have an Instagram account or social
media app like his friends have.
This was a gentle reminder that we
could be losing touch with another
generation. Instagram is a simplified
version of Facebook, with an
emphasis on mobile use, “selfies”
and visual sharing. Age 11 is more
than a chronological landmark for
most children, as that is generally
when they begin to look for
independence. Most children at that age decide that they would
rather blend in than stand out, which often happens a bit later
in the teen years.
The Digital Age has become so pervasive that I think we need
to step back and stop being so addicted to this new technology.
Think about turning your cell phone or tablet off for a day.
Could you do it? By age 10, studies show that more than half
of all children in this country are using social media daily. For
me, this is astounding, since I hardly ever used the telephone
when I was 10.
Surveys suggest that most parents are concerned about this,
but are not sure what to do to change the trend. The parents
of our 11-year-old grandson have an idea. They are trying to
regularly limit his social media use by having “Electronic-Free
Mondays,” whereby he is restricted from using electronics,
such as phones, computers and tablets. Instead, they ask him
to spend that day playing sports, reading, playing board games
or doing art projects.
Many parents help their children access Facebook and then
believe they can monitor how it is used. But the latest Pew
John Wilson
144 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
Research Center statistics report that
21 percent of all 11-year-olds have
already posted negative comments
about friends, 26 percent have
hijacked another person’s account
without their permission, and almost
half of them have sent messages
to strangers. Since most children
quickly learn that their parents are
also on Facebook and can see what
they post, many of those youngsters
are switching to Instagram, which is
ironically owned by Facebook, but
not as easy to monitor.
Although children and young
people want to express themselves, they must learn that only
positive thoughts will enhance their personal relationships.
With seven out of ten adults now on social media, we need to
understand more about social media and the risks attached
to it. Many children are looking for acceptance and a sense of
belonging, while suffering from what could be called a borderline
psychological disorder called FOMO, which is short for “Fear
Of Missing Out.” Social media gives users a voice and a sense
of belonging that keeps many of them glued to the internet,
which is perhaps the reason why the number of people getting
on social media far outnumbers those who are not. One million
new social media users are added everyday. That’s 12 people
a second, and many of them are children. This is why we must
become aware of the pitfalls of the digital age, as well as the
benefits. Remember, there are many things much worse than
“missing out,” no matter what your age. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: John Wilson, who retired from Fox TV in 2014,
worked more than 50 years in radio and television news broadcasting.