In 2020, when the global pandemic of Covid-19 knocked on the door of India along with other countries, it had a huge impact on the education system and schools were closed for around two years. 

 

In those two years online education was introduced and thus smartphones, tablets and laptops became need of every child. The use of children's phones, laptops and tabs was not limited to the classroom but they also started stepping into the world of social media. 

 

Experts believe that parents who were trying to keep their children away from social media life had no excuse for not giving their children a smartphone after the introduction of online education.

 

A retired teacher, who served education department for more than thirty years said that over one-third of 9-12 year olds are believed to have their own Facebook accounts, regardless of the fact that there is a minimum age limit of 13 for the website. 

 

“Children appear to be able to pick up how to use social media websites easily, often growing up as the developments happen, making it easy for them to adjust to the latest features on these networks. However, students often do not seem to notice the ways in which social media can be a danger to themselves or to others,” he added. 

 

He said that at this age, children may not be completely aware of the repercussions that may ensue if they were to post something offensive online. “It may be useful in this case to educate youngsters on what one should and should not post online.” 

 

Another expert who has served police department for thirty years said that after two years away from school, now that the children are back in the classroom, the schools should introduce a class on misuse of Social Media like they teach classes for other subjects. 

 

He said that it will be most useful for school children to be taught about the appropriate use of social media, and the danger of posting hurtful comments online. 

 

“Schools should also be providing adequate support platforms for children who are being victimised in this manner so that they can come forward and ask for help,” he added.

 

He further said that as students often access their social media accounts while they are not at school, it could be argued that it is down to their parents to educate them in the dangers and benefits of using social media, as it is during the time when they are at home that children will choose to access these social media sites most. 

 

He also said that many children have been victims of rumours spread across various social media platforms and such children share those rumours out of their innocence, without knowing its consequences. 

 

“Such rumours posts have landed many children in jail and had to face the music, though out of their innocence. So it is important to have counselling classes for children in schools to make them aware about the pros and cons of social media usage,” he said.  

 

He said that parents are also the figures who provide smartphones and computers, from which their children access their social networks accounts from. 

 

“Therefore, parents should be the ones who are responsible for teaching their children the problems which might arise from social media usage,” he said. (KNS)