OPINION: Social Media Should be Studied in School

For anyone living in denial, social media is here to stay. Yeah sure, in years to come it may be a little different but with the popularity of apps such as Instagram and TikTok at all time highs, employment in social media related fields skyrocketing and accessibility as easy as picking up a phone, we need to educate rather than issue blackout bans. A learning program designed for high schools that focuses on communication and social media is a valuable concept to explore and being seriously considered overseas with Florida currently debating a bill to include social media literacy in their school curriculum. 

MySpace was my first real foray into social media (MSN messenger the only notable other before that) and we had to access it on the bulky family PC with the cord running across the room for dial up internet. Photos, moody quotes and a track to represent how emo you were feeling at the time pretty much summed it up. 

Fast forward to today, multiple apps, multiple ways to connect and it’s no longer for staying in touch with our friends - it’s for gaining celeb status among strangers! 

You can shop on social media, build a career or like myself - find a husband! Social media is a formidable resource driven by technology that I think we need to cautiously lean into. 

My kids are only two and three years old. As a personal choice they have very limited presence on my social media. I don’t judge, don’t come at me, I have my reasons. However, I know very well the time will come when they want their own social media, whatever that evolves to be over the next 10ish or so years. 

I won’t say no. 

But, they will also go into it with knowledge. Knowledge of how it can impact and build their careers, safety considerations, how to deal with negativity, how to communicate effectively on socials and mental health issues associated with usage. I think that introducing these topics into Australian schooling would reduce some of the serious social issues we are currently experiencing as society blends the online and real worlds into one.