Should Kids Be Social Media Influencers?

Nowadays, social media has become a big part of our society, affecting the lives of people of all ages. Along with the rise of social media, a new type of celebrity is brought to light: the social media influencer. These individuals spend more time on social media to build a number of followers, spreading their ideas and interests throughout their choice of media platform. Despite this, there are many potential risks with becoming a media influencer, such as having to deal with hate and cyberbullying, or the constant comparison to others which brings down one's self-esteem. That brings the question: Should kids be social media influencers? I believe that kids should not be social media influencers because it’s not worth the time and effort to become a media influencer, especially with the risk factors.

First, social media already harms the health of both kids and teenagers. As shown by a study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics, teenagers who use social media everyday are more likely to develop an internet addiction and have a higher chance of becoming sleep deprived. Another study from the Wellesley Centers for Women shows that children under the age of 11 are more likely to develop problematic behaviors over the internet, including bullying and harassment. These studies show that kids are ruining their health and behavior just by using social media. Becoming a social media influencer will only require more time being spent on social media, pushing kids, and resulting in more problems. Especially during puberty, kids need to be putting their health in top priority to ensure they can grow up healthier.

One of the biggest problems with becoming a social media influencer is that there will always be someone who dislikes you. Alright, that doesn’t sound too bad, but no one enjoys receiving hateful comments. People will always try and tear you down, maybe because they don’t like you, or maybe because they just can. Whatever the case is, acts of cyberbullying could greatly affect young social media influencers, especially younger kids who may be more vulnerable. They may have more anxiety, lose confidence, or develop insecurities. No kid should be exposed to any environment that could potentially damage their mental health.

Finally, becoming a social media influencer at an early age can tremendously alter one’s behavior. The life of a social media influencer can turn dark quick when the influencer begins to prioritize their profits or followers over anything else. This can result in the person living a “fake life”, where they split their life where one is only on social media and the other is their real life, just for the means of gaining followers. If this were to happen to someone of young age, they may grow to incorporate this split life into their own personality, where they would be unable to do something because of their social media.

The work as a social media influencer is not meant to be done by kids, since they could be affected by the obstacles and risks worse than if they were older. Sure, if you are mature enough and capable of managing your time, go for it! I think social media influencing could be an interesting experience with the right amount of control and maturity, but for a kid, becoming a social media influencer would not be the greatest idea. Using social media as a child is already a bad idea. So the next time your child wants to become a social media influencer, tell them no, and then bring up this blog post.

 

Works Cited

Clinic, Cleveland. "Effects of Social Media on Children." Cleveland Clinic, 3 Dec. 2021, health.clevelandclinic.org/dangers-of-social-media-for-youth/. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-0054. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.