Young children need the guidance and encouragement of adults, to help them bloom to their full potential. Developing those skills today, in an era of technology and social media, is a challenge. The ideal approach is for parents, guardians, and child caregivers to remain engaged in child’s social media interactions to promote development of key skills.
The Role of Social Media in Skills Development
For adults, it’s vital to understand the role of social media. Staff and administrators at Silver Spring elementary school appreciate the relevance of technology in development of young minds, especially in a post-COVID learning environment. As technology has become ubiquitous, it has morphed into a powerful “influencer” on how young children learn, and how they build their portfolio of skills.
Increasingly, early childhood educators are seeing evidence that children are spending more time on social media platforms. Many in-person interactions have transitioned online. Adults, who influence the child’s life, must learn how to leverage those platforms to develop their child’s talents.
Targeted Skill-building Applications
Social Media is great for kids to stay in touch with friends and family. However, Silver Spring MD summer camp counselors have seen firsthand how social media use can help build a child’s ability to communicate, using limited character text messages. Supervising adults can help young children, who have a talent for graphics and imagery, learn how to use social media to add to their communication repertoire.
When applied constructively, these new-age tools help kids build on their varied talents:
– The use of imaginative captions on social media graphics;
– Writing and editing blogs on their favorite topics
– Producing short-clip video content
…these are talents that young minds can use in the real world of tomorrow. And the only way they’ll build those talent banks is by using them on social media today.
Pushing Skills Development Further
Parents and caregivers can accelerate skills development when they enroll their children in other in-person activities at summer camp in Silver Spring MD, where they will also cultivate other talents and skills. Counsellors and organizers at such events highlight the safe use of technology, as well as the benefits of joining credible, moderated, networks and social platforms, that help kids grow their talents in meaningful ways.
While there are far greater benefits, in developing their talents and skills through social media use – if left unmonitored – it can also have a deleterious impact on young kids. Therefore, Silver Spring elementary school staff, constantly highlight the importance of close monitoring and supervision of children’s use of social media.