SOCIAL MEDIA AT SCHOOL

MARY ANN L. ZATA

Because of the pandemic, learners have been making use of the internet and social media as avenue of learning.Before, we were all wary about the use of the worldwide web because of the dangers they pose to the mental health of learners. But the health crisis pushed us to make use of technological tools to advance learning.Social media can either be the source of awful or good news. It may become a bad influence to students nowadays, but there are also positive notes to using it.There is nothing wrong with giving students access to the internet, as long as it is within acceptable limits. The pandemic has widened our stance on the use of the internet and other tools of technology. Now, more than ever, students should be given access to the world, but they should know their responsibilities. We should prepare them to use caution and be thoughtful right from the beginning.Teenagers are on social media day in day out, in school or not, despite the fact that parents discourage them from using their phone too much.Now, there is Facebook, Instagram and TikTok where popularity is the name of the game in terms of likes and followers.But we must all be aware still that social media may not be a playground where students can get physically hurt, but they can be emotionally damaged. They still need guidance and help from parents and teachers.Students should learn about leaving digital footprint, what cyberbullying is and how it affects people, about IP addresses and posting anonymously, and many other important topics which may affect opportunities. They should also be made aware of the rights and responsibilities of digital citizens. There's nothing wrong with using the internet and social media – as long as we use them responsibly.

The author

—oOo—

is SHS Administrative Assistant

School

II at Angeles City National High