1 Impacts of Social Media Use on School-going Children Aged 10-15 Topic Explanation Childhood and development experiences generally have persistent impacts on people's future lives. The world has experienced immense changes in the last decade, specifically in the dramatic adoption of social media networking and widespread technology use. Policymakers and other institutions that protect the welfare of children have a growing concern about the impact of social media usage on kids. Thus, this project examines the consequences of social media networking for school-going children in America aged between 10 and 15. Specifically, it implements a longitudinal survey study that examines the impacts of time spent chatting or scrolling social media platforms. It evaluates the factors against several outcomes, including school performance, attendance patterns, and family relationships. Research Questions a. Does spending more time chatting on social networks minimize a child’s contentment with different life aspects? b. Are the effects of time spent on social networks different in boys and girls? c. Are there any significant socioeconomic disadvantages stemming from children’s usage of the internet and related digital technologies? Relation to Foundational Theories Research Assumptions 2 The project assumes that the entire sample population utilizes social media platforms in an "always on" form that allows them to access Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram from different devices and at any time. It assumes that every child is constantly connected to the virtual communication framework, constantly checking feed, and responding to messages. Second, the project also believes that social media is the center of the sample's lives, reflecting the entire American school-going population. The assumption will be crucial in estimating the overall socioeconomic effects of internet and tech device usage among children aged 10-15. Methods The longitudinal survey utilizes data from a study by Martin et al. (2018) that assessed the behavior of 593 school-going children. The researchers calculate the percentage of children who started using social media before turning ten and those whose parents did not monitor their usage. Most importantly, most kids use the "always on" mode to continuously link with their friends, share photos and messages, and know what their peers are doing at specific times. The researchers obtain participants’ data from self-administered questionnaires from both children and parents to identify accurate household social media usage patterns. Likewise, the research by Baglari et al. (2020) investigates social media use practices of individuals who initiated use from 12-18 years. The paper is important as it evaluates social media usage patterns across different sites and, most importantly, boys and girls. The researchers used exploration sheets, interviews, and data sheets to obtain information from participants. Overall, the project will primarily analyze secondary research on social media usage patterns and subsequent effects on children’s subjective wellbeing. Sources Journal Articles 3 Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K. T., & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media use, and youth mental health. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 192(6), E136–E141. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190434 Baglari, H., Kumar Sharma, M., Marimuthu, P., & N, S. (2020). Pattern of social media use among youth: implication for social media literacy. Mental Health and Addiction Research, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.15761/mhar.1000189 Bloemen, N., & De Coninck, D. (2020). Social Media and Fear of Missing Out in Adolescents: The Role of Family Characteristics. Social Media + Society, 6(4), 205630512096551. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120965517 Caprì, T., Gugliandolo, M. C., Iannizzotto, G., Nucita, A., & Fabio, R. A. (2019). The influence of media usage on family functioning. Current Psychology. Published. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00204-1 Keles, B., McCrae, N., & Grealish, A. (2019). A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851 Martin, F., Wang, C., Petty, T., Wang, W., & Wilkins, P. (2018). Middle School Students’ Social Media Use. Educational Technology & Society, 21(1), 213–224. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26273881 4 Reid Chassiakos, Y. L., Radesky, J., Christakis, D., Moreno, M. A., & Cross, C. (2016). Children and Adolescents and Digital Media. Pediatrics, 138(5), e20162593. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2593 Trifiro, B. M., & Gerson, J. (2019). Social Media Usage Patterns: Research Note Regarding the Lack of Universal Validated Measures for Active and Passive Use. Social Media + Society, 5(2), 205630511984874. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119848743 Vidal, C., Lhaksampa, T., Miller, L., & Platt, R. (2020). Social media use and depression in adolescents: a scoping review. International Review of Psychiatry, 32(3), 235–253. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2020.1720623 Reports Buckingham, D. (2007). The Impact of the Media on Children and Young People with a particular focus on computer games and the internet. The Department for Children, Schools, and Families. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-impact-of-the-mediaon-children-and-young-with-BuckinghamWhiteman/b5c69e7e2ff07bb48fe6aa34f1f05bd3f449c92e Literature review The research by Martin et al. (2018) on 593 school-going kids reveals that 17% used social media before turning 10, 40% were not monitored by parents or guardians, while 40% accepted friendly requests from strangers. The study confirmed the assumption that most children use social media platforms constantly to connect with their friends and understand what they are doing. Consequently, children between the ages 10 and 15 are exposed to inappropriate content, 5 postings that hurt their self-esteem, bullying, and stalking patterns, which could ultimately affect their wellbeing. Thus, the study is crucial for estimating internet usage for school-going kids that can yield significant insight. Martin et al. (2018) acknowledge that social media usage has profound risks for kids between 10 and 15. They suggest that a weekly 3-hour use is enough to manifest depressive behavior among children, affecting numerous elements of their lives. Nonetheless, some studies show a low correlation between social media use and mental adjustments, meaning that some children use the internet positively for social relations. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate whether social media can have detrimental long-term consequences on anxious and lonely children. Likewise, Baglari et al. (2020) maintain that social media has made communication pretty easy for children aged 10-15. However, extensive exposure to different social networks cripples everyday activities, including sleep, psychological issues, and school performance. The researchers identify a study that proves a strong correlation between online attachments and hurdles in interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, a significant portion of social media addicts depicted sleep-related issues at least twice a week. Baglari et al. (2020) affirm that males and females maintain around 57% and 43% of global social media accounts, respectively. Men and boys are likely to find new relationships or engage in dating clubs, while girls are more likely to seek support and build their identity through different platforms. Thus, Baglari et al. (2020) confirm that female users spend more time on social media, specifically WhatsApp, than their male compatriots. Most importantly, young age is a significant variable for increased social media use, meaning that young girls between ages 10 and 15 are at a higher risk. 6 
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