As a parent or teacher, have you ever asked yourself, ‘What if social media never existed?’. At Zeeko, we often reflect on this question having built a business based entirely on protecting and educating our young people on social media and internet safety. As parents ourselves and many of our colleagues having children, it is a driving force to further protect our children and yours from the dangers of social media. In this blog, we explore what life would be like if we never had the option to communicate online.
What would it be like? Communication: Young people would rely more on face-to-face interaction, phone calls, emails, and text messages for communication. This might lead to deeper, more meaningful conversations, as well as strong interpersonal connections. Information Sharing: Without social media platforms, information dissemination would be slower and less widespread. Young people could potentially gain more confidence by expressing themselves in real life rather than from behind a screen. Online extroverts are often introverts in social settings. Social Interactions: Social gatherings might become more common as young people seek out physical interactions to replace the virtual interactions provided by social media. This could lead to stronger community bonds and a greater sense of belonging. Privacy: Privacy concerns would likely be reduced, as people wouldn't be constantly sharing personal information and updates online. This would remove some anxiety for parents, as much anxiety comes from worrying about what information their children share online. However, privacy could remain an issue with other forms of communication and technology, but could arguably be more controlled. Productivity: Some argue that without the distractions of social media, people would be more productive in their personal and professional lives. Especially for young people who have exams coming up, removing the escapism of social media could be highly beneficial.  However, others might find different distractions or ways to procrastinate.  Entertainment: Without social media, young people might spend more time engaging in other forms of entertainment such as reading books, watching movies and TV shows, playing sports, or pursuing hobbies. Overall, life without social media would likely be less connected in some ways, but it could also foster stronger in-person relationships and a greater focus on real-world experiences.
Are there benefits? While there are many reasons why life for young people could be better if social media had not been invented. There are some benefits and opportunities for our children. Here are our top 3 benefits. Community Building: Social media allows young people to find like-minded individuals and communities with shared interests, identities, or experiences. This can foster a sense of belonging and support, particularly for students who may feel isolated or marginalized. Career Opportunities: Social media can be a valuable tool for young people to explore career opportunities, build professional networks, and showcase their skills and accomplishments to potential employers. Platforms like LinkedIn are particularly useful for students seeking internships, job opportunities, or professional connections. Social media itself now provides many opportunities to be employed in a company or to be self-employed through influencing, social media management and more. Creativity and Self-Expression: Social media platforms offer young people a space to express themselves creatively through writing, art, photography, video, and other forms of content creation. This can help them develop their communication skills, showcase their talents, and build confidence.
The Bottom Line The bottom line is that social media does exist, so prevalently that it’s hard to now remember a time when it didn’t. As we all navigate our way through an ever-expanding world of social media, focusing on what we can control is key. What we can control is what we instil in our children as we raise them. Here are some of the key qualities that children need to learn to be able to successfully navigate social media as they get older. Key Qualities 
  1. Empathy
  2. Independence
  3. Courtesy
  4. Respect
  5. Responsibility
  6. Gratitude
Internet Safety Seminars Zeeko Education provides virtual and on-site Internet safety training to suit every school’s needs. Some of our packages also include parent seminars to ensure you are up to date with the most relevant information for your child, their class, and their age group. Our bookings are now open for the next academic year. Slots are filling up for September and October already. If you are a teacher looking to book a seminar, simply fill out the form here.