Social Media plays a big role in middle childhood development with both positive and negative effects. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems theory provides us a framework through which we can access the role of social media in middle childhood development. According to Urie Bronfenbrenner, everything in a child's environment affects how the child grows and develops character (Bronfenbrenner, 2009) . Social media has major cognitive , physical and social effects on middle childhood development.
Social media affects middle childhood development on all levels of the individual's ecological environment. Social media has cognitive, psychological, social and physical impacts on middle childhood development. Being highly addictive, social media affects cognitive development in a major way. Teenagers are constantly checking their social media sites subconsciously looking for dopamine releases that are triggered in brain reward centers when they get likes or shares. This, in turn, affects their moods and how they feel about themselves.
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The addiction to social media causes side effects such as social withdrawal and lack of sleep. Additionally, the stress caused by constant researching and online bullies can harm an individual's physical health. Research has linked social media addiction with brain atrophy in the grey matter areas where processing occurs. Middle-aged children are especially more susceptible to cognitive change because their developing brains are still relatively plastic ( Goodyear , 2019) .
Social media acts as a medium in which individuals and groups express cultural beliefs which in turn influence the youth who spend most of their time online. All the places and relationships they get involved in shape their personality because they simply react to how they are treated and develop the behaviors into character traits (Bronfenbrenner, 2009) . The need to fit it becomes emotional baggage to most middle-aged kids and a prime cause of anxiety and depression. Compulsive use of social media also alters metabolism. For example, looking at foods online has been associated with overeating. The habit of constantly looking at screens is a catalyst dormancy. Lack of exercise, in turn, leads to a reduction in insulin production, gaining weight and generally poor physical health.
Smartphone and computer screens produce blue light which affects normal cardiac rhythm cycles by triggering brain centres that keep it awake. Consequently, the frequent use of social media causes irregular sleep patterns on users. The screens also increase the risk of vision problems that are associated with prolonged screen time. The amount of time spent on social media sites averages to several hours a day per teenager. Social media has become an alternative to productive routines such as study, work or sports. The constant distraction offers unlimited entertainment in the form of photos and videos that some youth spend substantial amounts of time viewing each day resulting in poor grades in school.
Other cognitive changes that happen as a result of social media include a reduction in concentration and the inability to multitask. The constant switching of focus on social media sites slowly trains the brain to filter unimportant information and worsens our ability to focus on multiple activities simultaneously. From research, heavy media multitaskers are more susceptible to irrelevant environmental stimuli and representations in memory ( Tettegah, 2016) . Heavy social media users develop short attention spans and are less likely to store information in their memory.
I mmersion in social media delays emotional and social development leading to poor mental health. The social influence of comparisons and cyberbullying affects their self-esteem and decreases person to person interactions. Teenagers develop an obsession with self and posting endless selfies which increases narcissism in youngsters. They constantly have their moods affected by the amount of appreciation their photos receive in comparison to their friends. This makes the kids more self-centered and they start living under the notion that the world revolves around them which is a precursor to dysfunctional emotional conditions later in life ( Tettegah, 2016) . Therefore, teenagers get affected by the pressure of having to post and react to their friend's posts out of the fear of missing out on the jokes, activities, and gossip on social media. The fear of missing out is a known contributor to depression and anxiety.
Social media can affect a child positively too. Spending time online helps the child to pick up the necessary technical skills needed to navigate a digital future. Also, having an elaborate network of friends and acquaintances sets them up for opportunities and meaningful connections. The youth can use social media to interact broadly and express themselves creatively in ways that were impossible before. Using social media for study groups can also accelerate learning through the sharing of ideas and resources. Peer to peer learning has proven to be more effective than a student to teacher lectures, social media offers a platform where students can communicate and learn from each other. Peers can connect and network with others having the same interests.
Social also helps kids and young adults maintain long-term friendships with each other by expressing how they feel through posts, comments, and likes. Even when they can no longer meet in person they can still who each other empathy and share good moods ( Goodyear , 2019) . Finally, social media offers a platform for individuals to influence their communities and help bring about positive change. It can be used for fundraising campaigns, political debates, and cultural events. It keeps the public updated with current events and acts as a powerful tool for sharing concise and relevant information about the latest happenings around the world.
In conclusion social media has proven positive and negative impacts on middle childhood development. From cognitive changes that are similar to drug addiction to virtual social connections that represent real life relationships. Social media, therefore, cannot be classified as a good or evil tool but that the awareness of its effects will help us make better day to day decisions on how and when to use it. .
References
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2009). Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design . Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Goodyear, V. A., & In Armour, K. M. (2019). Young people, social media and health .
Tettegah, S. Y. (2016). Emotions, technology, and social media .
