Social Media's Impact on a Student’s School Life

Social Media’s Impact on a Student’s School Life

In the age of social networking, almost all students are connected to some device or site. But what effect does that have on their lives and relationships?

Capital High School in Washington is like almost every other high school in the country in that it’s trying to strike the balance between giving students a fair freedom to use social networking devices, yet at the same time maintain attention and school customs throughout the day.

But while the rise of social networking has made it easier for people to stay connected, some worry that the need for up-to-the-minute updates is negatively impacting a younger generation’s ability to mature socially and could be stunting academic growth, writes Kathryn Gregory at the Sunday Gazette Mail.

Clinton Giles, principal at Capital, said:

“I do understand and can appreciate the digital age we live in.

“We speak of young people now as being digital immigrants, as they have not lived at a time when there has not been all this technology.”

However, he added:

“For every benefit, I have seen at least one negative, especially here in the school setting. You can say anything about anyone, anytime, anywhere and not fear any repercussions, except someone else might write something nasty about you.”

While the school maintains a strict limit on cellphones – only allowing them to be used at lunch time and before and after the school day — some high school administrators think this much screen interaction could be negative.

A school counselor at Capital, Lisa Dorsey, said:

“The thing that I worry about is the addiction. I have children that I will be speaking to in my office, and they will have their phone in their pocket and when they hear that buzz … you can tell that they are not even listening to you and they are only thinking about what’s on the phone.

“They are so programmed to respond to that so quickly and to be ‘in the know’ right now about what is going with their friends that they don’t see the message as an interruption in communication.

“They don’t see it as disrespectful, but it is. That has kind of changed our culture as far as what is appropriate in a face-to-face conversation. To have someone interrupt it, because it is by phone, it’s acceptable.”

This constant need to be connected will and does spill over into the classroom, she says.

“It’s very hard for them to pay attention on what is going on in the classroom when they are focused on what is going on on that phone,” she said.

“I think they are oblivious a lot of times and are missing out on daily activities because they are so focused on what is going on in that piece of technology.”

Dorsey’s concerns are not uncommon. A 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report found that many young people today experience a social life that is more about being connected rather than personal interaction.

The report was born out of surveys of nearly 3,000 college students and professionals 30 years old and younger in 14 countries. It found that 2 out of every 5 college students found the Internet, and social media, to be more important than dating or going out with friends.

Susan Young, assistant principal for curriculum and instruction at Capital, said:

“Last week at lunch, there was a full table of kids sitting there. Every single one of them had their cellphones out and none of them were talking to each other.

“I made a comment to [another teacher] and said, ‘Look at them. They’re not talking.’ All they are doing is texting and Facebooking. And they are probably texting each other.”

Comments

Katy Challenger

February 10, 2012 at 5:43 pm

Social media will be used by students no matter what type of policy schools try to institute. It makes more sense to have a policy that focuses on the appropriateness of the social media use as opposed to one banning social media. As instructors, we can use social media as a tool to promote learning and collaboration. If we do not teach students how to use this tool appropriately, they will end up being a statistic- one of the many who do inappropriate things on social media sites that will plague them for life.

Reply
Julia

February 11, 2012 at 9:25 am

Katy, I view the use of social media by school kids the same way I view sexual activity by school kids. We can pretend we can stop them from engaging in it by sternly worded prohibition, or we can face reality and teach them to do it safely.

Reply
Social Media’s Impact on a Student’s School Life | International Education News | Renascence School International | Panama City | private preschool, elementary school, middle school

February 11, 2012 at 10:45 am

[...] and could be stunting academic growth, writes Kathryn Gregory at the Sunday Gazette Mail.”(more) Comments (0) Go to main news [...]

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Social Media's Impact on a Student's School Life | Education News | Web Tech News

February 12, 2012 at 11:16 am

[...] excerpt FROM: http://www.educationnews.org/technology/social-medias-impact-on-a-student%E2%80%99s-school-life/ [...]

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jenni

February 13, 2012 at 8:44 pm

Wow. I see the train coming, but darn it, it’s just inevitable, so I’ll stand here and let it hit me. Holy cow. I’ve met the kids that are parented by these “it’s inevitable” parents – and I know what goes on in the “it’s inevitable” schools – which is why I started home schooling my kids. I mean really, it’d be hypocritical to tell a CHILD to GET OFF THE PHONE or, (I can’t even believe I’m saying this) NOT LET HER HAVE ONE when an adult has one. After all, kids are just small adults, right? Good grief.

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chrissy

February 14, 2012 at 2:59 am

I do not know why the phone is more important than the person you are with, nothing is that important. What strikes me here though is that when parents homeschool they are questioned about socializing their kids, yet we see here that schooled kids are rude and not learning how to interact due to these phones.

Reply
Linda Brees

February 14, 2012 at 6:53 am

jenni, that’s great that you get to homeschool your kids. But since most of us have to work for a living in order to pay the rent, that option isn’t open to us. And what you call “getting out of the path of a train,” others might call stuffing your finders in your ears and waiting for whatever that is you think you’re shielding your kid from to go away and stop making your life all messy.

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Jay

February 14, 2012 at 8:04 pm

Even during the class time, students are thinking about phones and social networking through phone. I see a lot more negative impacts than positive. Parents should not reply on the school to control the phone. Parents should not give phone to their children at the beginning.

Can anybody give me an idea what kind of school does not allow students use cell phone in school, including lunch time? I will move my child to that type of school.

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- Mike
  
  March 12, 2012 at 10:27 am
  
  I’m at one.
  
  Reply
Social Media’s Impact on a Student’s School Life | reignacademy.com

February 15, 2012 at 3:42 am

[...] http://www.educationnews.org Posts Related to Social Media’s Impact on a Student’s School LifeObama to Push Schools on [...]

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j

April 27, 2012 at 11:52 am

We don’t allow phones at my school, yet when the teacher does what is expected and confiscates the phone, the parents come in arguing that it is “their child’s right to have a phone and to use it whenever, because the rules are dumb!”

I bring this up because it is hard to for students to have consistency when home provides opposite answers to situations.

Do I have a workable solution? No. I do not. Still, I bring this up to remind readers that no matter how good or bad a school is, it is the home life that most often has the largest impact on a student.

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Alo Omotayo

June 8, 2012 at 12:04 am

It is no gainsay that social media has its own negative sides by deterrring the academic life of students. One thing that should checked is the students value system on how the social media can improve their academics and not stand as its enemy

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