This is the last post in my series, How to Use Technology to Teach Your Children. I’ve covered several different aspects of helping your kids learn through technical means. Today, I want to talk about educating your children through the use of social media.
Depending on the age of your children, you will give them access to a social media account at some point. Even though these accounts were originally designed for social reasons, there are plenty of ways these platforms can be used to educate your children.
Here are some of the ways that your child can learn through social media.
Exposure to Other Ways of Living
Never before have we had a front row seat to one another’s lives. I’m not saying that we all post everything that happens in a day on social media, but a lot that goes on gets put up there. When your child is scrolling through their feed, they are being exposed to how other people do life.
It can be very helpful for your child to see what is going on in other’s lives. This can give them conversation starter for when they are with their friends. It can also provide a new perspective and spark ideas.
Access to Interesting Information
On Facebook for example, paid promotions come up in your feed. While it is a bit annoying to have those promotions there, at times, the information is very interesting. Facebook has done a better job in recent years showing valuable information to users based off of their preferences.
There is a good chance that your child will be shown articles and other interesting information while they scroll through. I know that I’ve clicked on several articles that were helpful to me. You will need to guide your kids in deciding which links to click and which ones they should avoid.
Know What Other Children Are Capable Of
One of the things I love best about YouTube is that I can show my children what other kids their age are capable of. It is inspiring to children to see other kids doing things that are incredible.
On a regular basis, my kids are able to watch videos of young people teaching them how to do new things. Origami is on the top of the list for my boys, but there are plenty of other skills being demonstrated by younger people.
Learn To Take Pictures
By the time your child is on social media outlets, they likely have access to a cell phone. It is amazing how easy it is to take pictures and edit them with a normal phone. This is a valuable skill that your child can play around with.
Instagram is great at helping children see other’s creativity when it comes to taking photographs. This gives them great exposure to art.
I’m not ready to let my children have social media accounts, but they use the internet in many different ways to learn.
