NEW MEDIA’S POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON YOUTH

Contemporary living is marked by powerful presence and all present use of new technologies. We might boldly state that people might not function well without new media. We heedlessly witness large part of contemporary adolescent’s social and emotional development occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones. Many parents and caregivers today use technology incredibly well and feel comfortable and capable with the programs and online venues that their children and adolescents are using. Nevertheless, some parents and adults are concerned about adolescent’s overuse of new media due to their potential risks and negative impact on adolescent’s psycho-social development. Some parents and caregivers may find it difficult to relate to their digitally savvy youngsters online for valid reasons. Such people may lack some basic understanding of adolescents and the new forms of socialization which is happening online, which are integral to their children's lives. Adolescent’s limited capacity for self-regulation and susceptibility to peer pressure make youth particularly vulnerable and at risk for various risks as they navigate and experiment with social media. Primary aim of this paper is to shed some light on adolescent’s online behavior and choices given their physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral characteristics and discuss potential negative and positive impact of new media on youth, family and social participation.