The influence of social networks on social development

--- Page 1 --- Title: The Influence of Social Networks on Social Development Outline Introduction These days, social media dominates modern life in tremendous measure. As information and communication technology keep expanding, social media is gradually showing its tremendous influence on society development as well as personal behavior. Social media user count has increased rapidly in last few years. Figures reveal that over 4.5 billion people globally are using social media, accounting for over 57% of the world''''s population. Along with networking and spreading information, people may express their ideas, attitudes, and behaviors via social media (Kim et al. 2023). Still, the expansion of social media begs many issues and creates several challenges. Unwise use of social media may have negative consequences on the regular development of persons and society. Social media is therefore having a rising impact on societal development as well as individual behavior; thus, appropriate management and guidance are necessary to maximize positive benefits. Body Paragraph 1: Social networks can have negative effects on children''''s social development if not properly controlled. Research by Kim et al. (2023) shows that children with delayed social development often have a lot of contact with social networks before the age of 2 and for more than 2 hours each day. Early and prolonged exposure limits time for children''''s and caregivers'''' interaction and communication as well as for imaginative play required for social development. Although the development of information and communication technology has brought many conveniences to life, it also has significant negative consequences on the development of children. Popular and attractive social networks have developed into a required part of every day life. However, especially for the social development of children, early and unregulated use of social media might have concerning consequences. Research by Kim et al. (2023) on the relationship between too early and prolonged social network exposure and delayed social development in children casts doubt on the involvement parents play in managing and regulating their social network use. Children need opportunity to interact directly with parents, relatives, and friends in order to develop in communication, cooperation, and sharing. Children might be limited in their exercise and development of these skills, but if they spend too much time on social media. Parents greatly help to properly control the time and content their children access on social media when they are actively involved with them throughout this process. Along with enabling parents know what their children are accessing, experiencing, and studying social networks with children presents possibilities to assist them utilize social networks responsibly and safely. Moreover concerning is the reality that young people using social media on their own lack adult interaction. Research by Kim et al. (2023) shows that children who observe social networks alone have more chance of delayed social development than those who watch with parents. Children who use social media alone have limited opportunity to engage with adults and gain social skills from them, which leads to poor understanding and handling of stressful social situations as well as insufficient help and guidance from adults when needed. Parents should therefore spend time connecting with their children while using social networks to guide and involve effectively, talking with them about the material they receive, answering their questions and concerns, and teaching them on how to behave responsibly on social networks. Parental involvement not only helps kids develop social skills but also gives situations where they could talk about and request support when facing difficulties. Therefore, it is obvious that social networks could have negative effects on the social development of children if not sufficiently controlled and monitored by parents. Therefore, parents should be aware of their participation in guiding and orienting their children when using social networks even as they actively aid and support their children in this process. Unless parents and children closely collaborate, social networks cannot genuinely become a useful tool for children''''s overall development. Social networks via smartphones are increasingly influencing students'''' lives and studies. For students especially, the continuous development of information and communication technology has transformed many facets of their existence. Smartphones have become a required tool for students'''' daily life as they can fast access social networks and the internet. Most Omani university and college students use their phones to access social networks for news updates, research, entertainment, and study, according a 2014 Al-Harrasi and Al-Badi survey. This suggests that social networks are becoming more and more flexible and popular tool for students in their lives and education. Using social media on smartphones helps students tremendously as well. By means of simplicity and accessibility anytime and anywhere, social networks help students to rapidly search for information, study materials, and connect with professors and peers. Students may exchange papers, trade information, discuss academic issues, and join online study groups on social networks. This helps students to grow in knowledge, ability, and educational process quality. Apart from the benefits social networks provide, students should also be informed about probable issues accessing social networks via smartphones. One interesting issue is the material''''s level of accuracy. On social media, anybody may post and share anything without verifying its accuracy. Students might thereby acquire erroneous, inaccurate, or even fraudulent information. Students therefore have to be able to evaluate and filter content, thereby avoiding reliance on unreliable data in their study and research. Another issue young people should be mindful of is information overload while using social media. Given the massive amount of constantly updated content on social media, students may rapidly feel overwhelmed and find it difficult to grasp all the important information. Spending too much time browsing social media might also lead to time lost, thereby affecting the learning efficacy and work efficiency of pupils. Students have to learn how to use social networks alone and for certain goals, properly plan their time, avoid reading useless content. Although social networks surely provide benefits for students as well as negatives, it is hard to argue that they are not now absolutely necessary for their way of life and education. Al-Harrasi and Al-Badi (2014) assert that social media platforms improve social skills, enable students'''' learning experiences, and simplify the access to learning materials. Social media could, however, also cause time lost, distraction, and student disdain of their homework. This suggests that social networks entail some prospective risks that should be stressed and regulated even when they provide many opportunities for learning and networking. If students wish to maximize their benefits and minimize negative consequences, they have to use social networks carefully and deliberately. Students have to therefore actively search for and choose relevant content, clearly explain why they use social networks, and control their time on social media. Students should also use social media learning aid tools and features to join academic groups, apply time management strategies, and network experts in fields of interest. By smart and careful targeting of social networks, students may maximize benefits and minimize negative impacts. Social networks accessible by smartphones so significantly affect students'''' lives and study. Social networks can influence individuals'''' prosocial behavior, requiring organizations to have appropriate policies and programs to promote a positive online culture. The 2024 overview of studies on the prosocial behavior of developing adults in real-world environments by Hui et al. shows how much social networks impact this behavior. Social care organizations find this challenging as they cannot exactly copy content from offline campaigns to online platforms. Instead, they have to "understand" their audience, as offline non-profit organizations also must do. By means of social media, young people might develop in prosocial behavior and helping tendencies. Bhadra and Kumar (2023) assert that, more than they negatively affect users, social media considerably increases prosocial behavior. This realization offers opportunity for businesses and educators to change current policies to utilize the ability of social networks to inspire students'''' prosocial behavior. Nevertheless, appropriate regulations and policies are needed to motivate the responsible and efficient use of social networks. The development of information and communication technology creates a new environment for social interaction and influence. Many people, especially the young, social networks—with their capacity to connect and spread knowledge—have become essential parts of daily life. Apart from the benefits social networks provide, using them also has potential detrimental consequences on users'''' attitudes and behavior. In this context, investigating and understanding how social networks influence prosocial behavior becomes even more crucial than it has ever been. Social networks significantly affect the prosocial behavior of emerging adults, concludes the 2024 review by Hui et al. From the behavior of this target population in real-world environments, researchers have seen that social networks greatly impact and change the way individuals interact and behave with others. This result offers new opportunities as well as challenges for social service organizations aiming to reach and influence their target audience. Companies should "understand" their consumers more fully than just copying content from offline ads and straightly applying it on web platforms. This demands an understanding of the needs, interests, and behaviors of consumers on social networks, just as offline non-profit organizations learn about and handle the demands of their clientele. Knowing the characteristics and psychology of the target audience helps businesses design more effective engagement and communication strategies, therefore improving the impact and spread of positive social messages. Apart from offering a way of interaction and communication, social networks have great influence to form and promote youthful prosocial behavior. Research by Bhadra and Kumar (2023) indicates that young people who use social media help and share with others, therefore enhancing their sense of social duty as well as their inclination. Young people have the opportunity to be exposed to many social problems by means of activities involving knowledge-sharing, active involvement in discussions, and responding to online campaigns, therefore promoting positive impressions and attitudes toward the society. Bhadra and Kumar (2023) stress that even if their negative consequences—such as the spread of erroneous information or bad behavior—cannot be denied, social networks still greatly serve to promote prosocial behavior. This gives teachers and social organizations opportunity to inspire and encourage young people via social media channels. Changing current rules and policies will assist to create a healthy online environment that encourages student engagement and social activity contribution. Conclusion In conclusion, social media is gradually shaping society development and human behavior, therefore offering both opportunities and challenges. Especially the younger generation, social media has become a crucial part of many people''''s lives as it lets one connect and share knowledge. Social media use, however, also has risks and negative consequences for the development of children, pupils, and online society. Early and prolonged social media exposure, fewer interaction with parents and classmates, which results in delayed social skill development, may all pose problems for children. Students also cope with problems like inaccurate facts, information overload, and social media wasted time. The good impact of social media will be maximized by appropriate management and guidance from parents, companies, educational institutions, and social groupings. Parents should monitor and guide their children to make wise and healthy use of social media. Schools and social organizations have to create policies and educational programs to raise awareness of social media usage among their students and provide them with skills. Strong collaboration among stakeholders is simultaneously necessary to create a decent online environment that promotes the overall development of individuals and society. References Al-Harrasi, A. S., & Al-Badi, A. H. (2014). The impact of social networking: A study of the influence of smartphones on college students. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 7(2), 129-135. Bhadra, S., & Kumar, S. (2023). Impact of social media on forming individual''''s prosocial behavior and related challenges among youths in college. Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry, 39(2), 153-161. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijsp.ijsp_309_20 Hui, E., Singh, S., Lin, P. K. F., & Dillon, D. (2024). Social media influence on emerging adults'''' prosocial behavior: A systematic review. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 46(4), 239-265. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2024.2342396 Kim, S. K., Wi, D. S., & Kim, K. M. (2023). Effect of media exposure on social development in children. Global Pediatric Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X231159224 --- Page 2 ---

Title: The Influence of Social Networks on Social Development Outline

1 Introduction

These days, social media dominates modern life in tremendous measure As information and communication technology keep expanding, social media is gradually showing its tremendous influence on society development as well as personal behavior Social media user count has increased rapidly in last few years Figures reveal that over 4.5 billion people globally are using social media, accounting for over 57% of the world's population Along with networking and spreading information, people may express their ideas, attitudes, and behaviors via social media (Kim et al 2023) Still, the expansion of social media begs many issues and creates several challenges Unwise use of social media may have negative consequences on the regular development of persons and society Social media is therefore having a rising impact on societal development as well as individual behavior; thus, appropriate management and guidance are necessary to maximize positive benefits

2 Body Paragraph 1:

Social networks can have negative effects on children's social development if not properly controlled Research by Kim et al (2023) shows that children with delayed social

development often have a lot of contact with social networks before the age of 2 and for more than 2 hours each day Early and prolonged exposure limits time for children's and caregivers'

interaction and communication as well as for imaginative play required for social development Although the development of information and communication technology has brought many conveniences to life, it also has significant negative consequences on the development of children Popular and attractive social networks have developed into a required part of every day life However, especially for the social development of children, early and unregulated use of social media might have concerning consequences Research by Kim et al (2023) on the relationship between too early and prolonged social network exposure and delayed social development in children casts doubt on the involvement parents play in managing and regulating their social network use Children need opportunity to interact directly with parents, relatives, and friends in order to develop in communication, cooperation, and sharing Children might be

limited in their exercise and development of these skills, but if they spend too much time on social media Parents greatly help to properly control the time and content their children access

on social media when they are actively involved with them throughout this process Along with enabling parents know what their children are accessing, experiencing, and studying social networks with children presents possibilities to assist them utilize social networks responsibly and safely Moreover concerning is the reality that young people using social media on their own lack adult interaction Research by Kim et al (2023) shows that children who observe social networks alone have more chance of delayed social development than those who watch with parents Children who use social media alone have limited opportunity to engage with adults and gain social skills from them, which leads to poor understanding and handling of stressful social situations as well as insufficient help and guidance from adults when needed Parents should therefore spend time connecting with their children while using social networks to guide and involve effectively, talking with them about the material they receive, answering their questions and concerns, and teaching them on how to behave responsibly on social networks Parental involvement not only helps kids develop social skills but also gives situations where they could talk about and request support when facing difficulties Therefore, it is obvious that social networks could have negative effects on the social development of children if not sufficiently controlled and monitored by parents Therefore, parents should be aware of their participation in guiding and orienting their children when using social networks even as they actively aid and support their children in this process Unless parents and children closely collaborate, social networks cannot genuinely become a useful tool for children's overall development

Social networks via smartphones are increasingly influencing students' lives and studies For students especially, the continuous development of information and communication

technology has transformed many facets of their existence Smartphones have become a required tool for students' daily life as they can fast access social networks and the internet Most Omani university and college students use their phones to access social networks for news updates, research, entertainment, and study, according a 2014 Al-Harrasi and Al-Badi survey This suggests that social networks are becoming more and more flexible and popular tool for students

in their lives and education Using social media on smartphones helps students tremendously as well By means of simplicity and accessibility anytime and anywhere, social networks help

students to rapidly search for information, study materials, and connect with professors and peers Students may exchange papers, trade information, discuss academic issues, and join online study groups on social networks This helps students to grow in knowledge, ability, and educational process quality Apart from the benefits social networks provide, students should also be informed about probable issues accessing social networks via smartphones One interesting issue is the material's level of accuracy On social media, anybody may post and share anything without verifying its accuracy Students might thereby acquire erroneous, inaccurate, or even fraudulent information Students therefore have to be able to evaluate and filter content, thereby avoiding reliance on unreliable data in their study and research Another issue young people should be mindful of is information overload while using social media Given the massive amount of constantly updated content on social media, students may rapidly feel overwhelmed and find it difficult to grasp all the important information Spending too much time browsing social media might also lead to time lost, thereby affecting the learning efficacy and work efficiency of pupils Students have to learn how to use social networks alone and for certain goals, properly plan their time, avoid reading useless content Although social networks surely provide benefits for students as well as negatives, it is hard to argue that they are not now absolutely necessary for their way of life and education Al-Harrasi and Al-Badi (2014) assert that social media platforms improve social skills, enable students' learning experiences, and simplify the access to learning materials Social media could, however, also cause time lost, distraction, and student disdain of their homework This suggests that social networks entail some prospective risks that should be stressed and regulated even when they provide many opportunities for learning and networking If students wish to maximize their benefits and minimize negative consequences, they have to use social networks carefully and deliberately Students have to therefore actively search for and choose relevant content, clearly explain why they use social networks, and control their time on social media Students should also use social media learning aid tools and features to join academic groups, apply time management strategies, and network experts in fields of interest By smart and careful targeting of social networks, students may maximize benefits and minimize negative impacts Social networks accessible by smartphones so significantly affect students' lives and study

Social networks can influence individuals' prosocial behavior, requiring organizations to have appropriate policies and programs to promote a positive online culture The 2024 overview of studies on the prosocial behavior of developing adults in

real-world environments by Hui et al shows how much social networks impact this behavior Social care organizations find this challenging as they cannot exactly copy content from offline campaigns to online platforms Instead, they have to "understand" their audience, as offline non-profit organizations also must do By means of social media, young people might develop in prosocial behavior and helping tendencies Bhadra and Kumar (2023) assert that, more than they negatively affect users, social media considerably increases prosocial behavior This realization offers opportunity for businesses and educators to change current policies to utilize the ability of social networks to inspire students' prosocial behavior Nevertheless, appropriate regulations and policies are needed to motivate the responsible and efficient use of social networks The development of information and communication technology creates a new environment for social interaction and influence Many people, especially the young, social networks—with their capacity to connect and spread knowledge—have become essential parts of daily life Apart from the benefits social networks provide, using them also has potential detrimental consequences on users' attitudes and behavior In this context, investigating and understanding how social networks influence prosocial behavior becomes even more crucial than it has ever been Social networks significantly affect the prosocial behavior of emerging adults, concludes the 2024 review by Hui et al From the behavior of this target population in real-world environments, researchers have seen that social networks greatly impact and change the way individuals interact and behave with others This result offers new opportunities as well as challenges for social service organizations aiming to reach and influence their target audience Companies should "understand" their consumers more fully than just copying content from offline ads and straightly applying it on web platforms This demands an understanding of the needs, interests, and behaviors of consumers on social networks, just as offline non-profit organizations learn about and handle the demands of their clientele Knowing the characteristics and psychology of the target audience helps businesses design more effective engagement and communication strategies, therefore improving the impact and spread of positive social messages Apart from offering a way of interaction and communication, social networks have great influence to form and promote youthful prosocial behavior Research by Bhadra and Kumar (2023) indicates that

young people who use social media help and share with others, therefore enhancing their sense

of social duty as well as their inclination Young people have the opportunity to be exposed to many social problems by means of activities involving knowledge-sharing, active involvement in discussions, and responding to online campaigns, therefore promoting positive impressions and attitudes toward the society Bhadra and Kumar (2023) stress that even if their negative consequences—such as the spread of erroneous information or bad behavior—cannot be denied, social networks still greatly serve to promote prosocial behavior This gives teachers and social organizations opportunity to inspire and encourage young people via social media channels Changing current rules and policies will assist to create a healthy online environment that encourages student engagement and social activity contribution

Conclusion

In conclusion, social media is gradually shaping society development and human behavior, therefore offering both opportunities and challenges Especially the younger generation, social media has become a crucial part of many people's lives as it lets one connect and share knowledge Social media use, however, also has risks and negative consequences for the development of children, pupils, and online society Early and prolonged social media exposure, fewer interaction with parents and classmates, which results in delayed social skill development, may all pose problems for children Students also cope with problems like inaccurate facts, information overload, and social media wasted time The good impact of social media will be maximized by appropriate management and guidance from parents, companies, educational institutions, and social groupings Parents should monitor and guide their children to make wise and healthy use of social media Schools and social organizations have to create policies and educational programs to raise awareness of social media usage among their students and provide them with skills Strong collaboration among stakeholders is simultaneously necessary to create a decent online environment that promotes the overall development of individuals and society

1 Al-Harrasi, A S., & Al-Badi, A H (2014) The impact of social networking: A study of the

influence of smartphones on college students Contemporary Issues in Education Research,

7(2), 129-135

2 Bhadra, S., & Kumar, S (2023) Impact of social media on forming individual's prosocial

behavior and related challenges among youths in college Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry, 39(2), 153-161 https://doi.org/10.4103/ijsp.ijsp_309_20

3 Hui, E., Singh, S., Lin, P K F., & Dillon, D (2024) Social media influence on emerging

adults' prosocial behavior: A systematic review Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 46(4),

239-265 https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2024.2342396

4 Kim, S K., Wi, D S., & Kim, K M (2023) Effect of media exposure on social development

in children Global Pediatric Health, 10 https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X231159224