Nicolas Marin

Professor Green

ENGL 400

8/2/2018

Proposal

 

 

Minimum Age to have a Smartphone

Smartphones have become a necessity in today’s culture and society. It seems as if everyone operates this marvel of technology which gives the user unlimited access to everything the internet has to offer. This technology is used every day for a variety of purposes ranging from following people on social media, having political discussions, to buying items on online markets. Social media has found its way into everyone’s pocket with their integration into mobile devices. People of all ages can own a smartphone no matter what age they may be. The use of such devices and their easy access to the internet have made them a source of limitless knowledge for everyone. A problem does come with having unlimited knowledge in your pocket. Most adults are mature and experienced enough to know how to properly surf the web safely and responsibly. The same cannot be said about the youth of today. Children who have smartphones have access to everything on the internet. Children have a wealth of knowledge and social media at their fingertips and at the same time have profanity and inappropriate content. This can lead to issues with a child’s development. The spread of social media has also become an addiction within the youth, people who prefer digital communication to face to face contact. The effects of this lead to a generation that is more introverted and socially awkward than before. Social media can be addictive and problematic for children and left unresolved, the issues laid out above will only get worse. An age requirement has been placed on cigarettes because of the addictive nature of the nicotine within it, why not set an age requirement on smartphones to help with social media addiction. A minimum age should be placed by the government on smartphones to limit the issues above and let children mature before having this kind of power at their fingertips.

First thing to take into account is how social media is affecting today’s youth. Many of the issues revolving how social media and the smartphone used to access it is internet addiction. With the minds adolescents still under development, they are especially vulnerable to such addiction. There are millions of people using social media each day and the majority of internet users are young people, 75% of teens have a social media account and the most used platform is Facebook (Social Media on Teenagers). In an article by Suren Ramasubbu, he defines a term called “Facebook Depression” as an “emotional disturbance that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites” (Social Media on Teenagers). With people constantly on social media, Facebook for example, comparing themselves with others and striving to be liked online. They grow a dependence on being accepted online, this can lead them to evaluating their self-worth based on how liked or approved they are on their social media platforms. This kind of dependency on what others think can lead to an addiction revolving around creating a self-image that may not be accurate to the individual’s personality but with the fake personality created online for the sole purpose of getting the acceptance of others.

Social media addiction is a very serious issue facing the newer generation. Newport Academy states that 93% of teenagers get online every day and the ramifications of constantly using the internet could lead to an unwanted addiction. Social media addictions usually come in the form of dopamine being released when getting likes online, to people afflicted this would feel like getting high (Social Media Addiction). When young individuals compare themselves to others online they can feel inadequate alongside them. This can lead to low self-esteem and even depression (Social Media Addiction). This can hinder a person’s growth in their adolescents when they are in their crucial stages of development. Addiction starts young and if parents don’t regulate when their child gets a smartphone they could become addicted too.

The number of actual children that use smartphones and have easy access to the internet may shock you, it is noted that 56% if children between 10 and 13 already have access to a smartphone (Childhood Psychology). This number is increased in Britain where 70% of 11 and 12-year old have a smartphone (Childhood Psychology). This kind of screen time can be detrimental to the developing minds of today’s children and preteens. This breaks the social interactions needed for young children to grow into confident individuals. This leads kids to be disconnected from real life, even to the point where there is limited face to face interactions between parents and their children. Especially when face to face interactions are a primary way children learn (Childhood Psychology). Smartphones are limiting children’s ability to experience the world and are straining the bond between parent and child (Childhood Psychology). Limiting the age of having a smartphone would greatly help with childhood development and growth.

Others might believe smartphones and their capabilities help children grow and learn. Social media and smartphones do have their benefit. They can help children find information very fast and easily. An article by Wired describes a few ways why a parent should buy their child a smartphone. One reason is if they are in trouble they can call their parents or another adult to help. Parents can also use apps on smartphones to track where the child is at all times. Teachers have also integrated technology and smartphones into school work and assignments. A great example of this is Blackboard which many schools use to complete assignments (6 Reasons to get your kid a smartphone). The app for Blackboard could be useful in helping children learn to navigate these school sites. The article also states that children would take extreme care of their phones and parents could use this as a punishment tool if the child was caught doing something wrong (6 Reasons to get your kid a smartphone). The problem with the reasons laid out by this article is that most of the arguments they use to convince you are meant to help the parent rather than the development of the child. Buying a smartphone for your child shouldn’t be done to make your life easier or to be able to constantly track your child, the child’s early development should be taken into consideration before making such decisions.

There is a question to be had when thinking about the idea of an age limit for smartphone use, what is the right age for smartphone usage. In an article by National Public Radio, they describe a few examples on what age would be best and how it would affect the child. One of the examples explained in the article says that 8th grade is a preferable time for receiving a smartphone (Deciding At What Age). At this age the child is reaching more maturity than when they are in elementary school. Maturity has much to do for when deciding to let young people receive smartphones, this leads to the question of when does someone become mature. An article by the New York Times states that the best time to buy your child a smartphone is when they have started high school because at this age they would have learned the value of face to face interactions (The Right Age). The longer a parent waits to hand over a smartphone to their child the better it is for the child’s state of mind (The Right Age). This would help ensure that the child is well acquainted and know the value of face to face interaction before being able to indulge themselves into their phones. The age that I think would be the most plausible for when a person has reached enough maturity to handle the internet is around 14 years of age. This is around the time most students reach high school which is when most people begin to mature. With this kind of limit, children wouldn’t have gained the dependency of smartphones early on in elementary and middle school. This will slow down internet addiction with teens using their smartphones since they aren’t too accustomed to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

Chen, Brian. “What’s the Right Age for a Child to Get a Smartphone?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Dec. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2016/07/21/technology/personaltech/whats-the-right-age-to-give-a-child-a-smartphone.html.

 

Jessamyn. “6 Reasons to Get Your Kid a Smartphone.” Wired, Conde Nast, 3 June 2017, www.wired.com/2011/06/6-reasons-to-get-your-kid-a-smartphone/.

McInerny, Claire. “Deciding At What Age To Give A Kid A Smartphone.” NPR, NPR, 21 Nov. 2017, www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/11/21/564057632/deciding-at-what-age-to-give-a-kid-a-smartphone

Ramasubbu, Suren. “Influence of Social Media on Teenagers.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 6 Sept. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/suren-ramasubbu/influence-of-social-media-on-teenagers_b_7427740.html.

“Teen Social Media Addiction – Shepherds Hill Academy.” Shepherds Hill Academy, www.shepherdshillacademy.org/resources/teens-social-media-addiction/.

 

Williams, Amy. “How Do Smartphones Affect Childhood Psychology?” Psych Central, 17 July 2016, www.psychcentral.com/lib/how-do-smartphones-affect-childhood-psychology/.

The New York Times

Nicolas Marin

Business student at Longwood University with a concentration in accounting and a minor in spanish.

Does Social Media really make you less social

 

When people think of social media users, the first thing that likely comes to mind is someone who is sharing everything about themselves. They also might imagine a person staring into their phones oblivious to the outside world. Millions of people use social media every day and there seems to be no end in sight for this cultural phenomenon. Social media has exploded from simple chat rooms to social media giants like Facebook, Redit, Instagram, Snapchat, Xbox live, and PlayStation network, these platforms are all considered social media because people use them on a daily basis to communicate and socialize with others. Would using a product to communicate with others socially really make someone less social? Yes, everything really depends on how the social media platform is used. If a person does not communicate outside of their device and spend all day in solitude I would say they are less social because of social media. From another perspective, you could see how social media platforms could actually strengthen communication. From my experiences I view both of these scenarios on Facebook and Xbox live the most since I use these social media platforms more than any other platform. In my opinion I say that social media can actually strengthen communication skills when used correctly.

 

 

Facebook is the largest social media platform on the planet and services billions of people around the globe. People use it to keep track of friends, family, coworkers at any time of the day. This is very beneficial for when individuals are away from their families and looking at their posts can help start conversations when they meet. In this examples looking at social media can help create conversation with individuals in which case would make them more social to others. On the other hand, if you are at a social event and you’re constantly looking at your phone or on a social media site it is impolite and you are not engaging with others socially. There is a reason it’s called social media and not anti-social media, it was created to help individuals reach more people and keep in touch with friends. This is the precise reason that Facebook was created, to help people become more social. Although it was created for this reason, there will always be someone that takes it too far. It’s easier to notice the thousands that are addicted and misuse social media than it is to see the millions that use social media the way it was meant to be used.

Another platform that can falls under the umbrella term social media, is Xbox live. It’s not normally discussed about as a social media platform even though that’s exactly what it is. It is a common misconception that gamers are loners and antisocial, but they make up a small minority of the gamer community. The people I interact with on Xbox live are very social, many of them are mature adults with a life offline. Gamers have created many communities on the platform that millions interact with daily. To say that the gaming aspect of social media makes people less social is simply incorrect, in fact I would say it does the opposite. People gain communications skill while interacting online with people. For example, on Halo, people have created small groups and communities within the game to add more gameplay to it. These communities have very dynamic social hierarchies, these groups vary widely from serious groups to more relaxed groups, and these groups are all over the Xbox live platform. These social groups are proof that people can use social media correctly, to increase social skills and not hinder them. Just like on Facebook, gaming can be addictive and abused. Everything needs to be taken in moderation or anything can become addictive.

 

Moderation is the key when using anything in today’s culture. In my opinion I think social media can strengthen and improve upon somebody’s social skills. Social media is a very useful tool that many people use to keep track of friends and family. The problem though is people misusing the service and burrowing themselves into social media without applying the social skill to real life, but in the end social media helps more than it hinders. Just like an invention, if you have an idea but don’t apply it you won’t get very far. The same applies to social media, if you don’t apply the social skill that can be learned on social media platforms then it’s not going to help you, and you’ll fall under the stereotype that social media makes people less social.

 

Nicolas Marin

ENGL 400

Professor Green

July 12, 2018

Online Identity Reflection

My social media identity started in high school when I created a Facebook account. When using social media I keep in mind whatever I post because of a lesson told to me by my father, anything posted online will stay there forever. Keeping this in mind I am very mindful of what I post on my social media sites. I currently use Facebook and LinkedIn as my main social media outlet, although I do have accounts on Twitter and Instagram these accounts are rarely used and only have a few post on each. I portray a professional tone on both of my main social media sites because as a college student entering the business field, maintaining a professional identity on social media is essential to future prospects. Social media isn’t the center of my life and I don’t partake in its use all the time, so whenever I post something on my page I am very mindful of who will see it and how they will react to it. My social media accounts wouldn’t be an accurate representation of myself since I portray an informal personality and tone to my friends and peers.

Looking into my Facebook is essential to understanding how I act on social media. As said earlier I am very selective with how I portray myself on social media since I am mindful of who will be viewing it. At first glance, the first thing that would appear on Facebook is my profile picture and the cover photo behind it. These two images can sum up how an entire person’s page can appear and to employers could be the deciding factor between being hired or being passed up. This is how I have set up my profile, based on this I give my Facebook page is set up in a professional way to appeal to a professional crowd. Since I am in the job market, this is how I have set up most of my social media accounts. I chose this picture for the sole purpose of appearing attractive to recruiters. In general, I do not post many things on my page other than occasionally updating the profile picture or linking a video I liked. Looking at the intro on my page I have listed my current and previous job titles. I put these here so that it would correspond better with my resume so no discrepancies would be viewed between where I’ve worked and when. I make sure to regularly update this to keep the information accurate to my professional work life. In general the only posts anyone could view on my page are post of me being mentioned on other people’s pages. My Facebook page would likely best describe my professional and academic identity better than anything since for me that is exactly what I use it for. I doesn’t however describe me in reality, I do many activities and hang out with friends but I have yet to ever post anything about it on any of my social media outlets. In reality, I keep those experiences to myself because I don’t feel the need to share my life online. (Nicolas Marin, Facebook).

The other social media giant that I use regularly is LinkedIn. This site is used for business connections and job searching that I use regularly to reach connections for future job ventures. I currently work as an internal audit intern and I keep connections with the many county officials I meet there as to hopefully help obtain a job after college. Keeping a professional appearance on LinkedIn is absolutely essential in obtaining interview for various internships around the Richmond Area. In keeping with my professional and academic identity online, my profile picture on LinkedIn is the same as the profile picture on my Facebook Page. I also have my resume word for word on my page as to accurately depict my work and educational history for any employers. My LinkedIn page is a poor representation of my real personality. In reality I am a very informal person, but an informal LinkedIn profile doesn’t help anyone (Nicolas Marin, LinkedIn).

To sum up my identity on social media, my social media outlets do not represent me at all. I do not partake in the social media craze that sweeps the modern world. I view social media as a tool and nothing more. I have used this tool to obtain job interviews and positions, I don’t feel the need for it to do anything more. If someone wants to know my real personality the best way to do that is in person, because looking through my social media outlets would only give them the false professional identity that I have created online.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

https://www.facebook.com/nicolas.marin.773981

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-marin-bab501150/