USE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS IN CHILDHOOD: Impacts on development in second and third childhood (Atena Editora)

Abstract

This article is focused on problems in the area of Developmental Psychology, regarding the understanding of the implications of the use of social networks by children in physical, psychosocial and cognitive development, in second and third childhood. The theme was addressed through an integrative bibliographical review, through which it was possible to understand aspects of human development, how children access social networks and how this implies development. According to the studies carried out, it was found that more and more children are present in the digital world, being exposed to different ways of expressing themselves, relating, communicating and interacting with different themes. In terms of access to social networks, it was found that the most accessed by this age group are Youtube, WhatsApp, Youtube Kids and Netflix. During the research, it was noticed impacts on the development of motor skills, physical imbalance, synesthetic experiences, melatonin production, identity construction, self-esteem, communication, control of emotions, learning process, memory and language development. Finally, in view of the different possible impacts on the child's development, recommendations were found for the time of exposure to screens in different age groups and also the need for guardians to monitor children's access to the digital environment.