c:

Children and youth on social media (and on the internet, in general) is a problem, in most cases. It can be harmful to their mental health. Children and youth don’t have the mental maturity to “walk away” from something offensive or inhumane on the internet. It’s perfectly fine to use the Internet for schoolwork, connecting with friends and family, or for entertainment purposes. E.g., good-quality films, music, and etc. But there’s a fine line between beneficial usage and harmful usage. I personally didn’t know how to mentally surpass (or let go of) harmful content until I was in my late twenties. The bullying, the mean targeting of people and groups, and etc. Social media and the internet in general can be filled with highly offensive content, content that is psychologically damaging to the individual. Children simply don’t have the mental capacity to not let it effect them, or to let it go and not worry about it. We have freedom of expression/free speech in this country, and people say whatever they want, online and otherwise. But it can be hurtful and scarring; what we read and take in is sometimes hurtful and scarring. It’s often not until you grow up that you realize that it doesn’t matter in the slightest; what people say about you (or about someone else) doesn’t matter in the slightest. They’re just someone’s words, it doesn’t matter. You’re not able to make that disconnect until you’re much older, I think. When you’re very young and you’re seeing bullying all the time (and other negative imagery), it often gets to you. You’re negatively effected, you’re impressionable.