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Opinion | Schools determined to keep social media out of the classroom are not doing students any favours
- Schools that see social media as a waste of time and a detriment to pupils’ learning are out of step with our rapidly digitalising world
- Given the number of young people dreaming of a career in online content creation, we need teachers to help students safely explore digital spaces
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The negative effects of social media are well documented, from disrupting sleep to creating unrealistic expectations about how people should look and live. The harm it can do to young people is particularly alarming.
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It’s understandable, then, that most teachers don’t want social media invading their classrooms. In Hong Kong, social media was blamed for the drop in students’ academic performance during school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic. It distracted students from online lessons and increased their isolation.
But outside the school gates, the world has increasingly embraced social media over the past decade.
Companies use social media platforms to reach new customers and expand their businesses. Just recently, the Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo began live-streaming shows on Douyin to promote its goods.
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For better or worse, social media has also become instrumental in political activities, from election campaigns to the January 6 Capitol riots in the US last year. Currently in China, internet users are flocking to the decentralised social media platform Mastodon to discuss sensitive issues.
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