THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE USE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS IN CONTEMPORARY EDUCATION

Abstract

This work aims to foster debate about the negative impacts resulting from the excessive use of social networks in the learning process, with special emphasis on children enrolled in basic education. Increasingly integrated into the daily lives of contemporary society, social networks have promoted profound transformations in the forms of communication, social interaction, and access to information, directly influencing the ways of learning and teaching.
In the educational context, it is observed that the indiscriminate use of these technologies has caused significant effects, such as dispersion of attention, reduced concentration capacity, difficulties in carrying out in-depth readings, impairments in textual comprehension and, consequently, low academic performance. These effects become even more significant when considering the initial stages of cognitive development, in which pedagogical mediation is fundamental for the construction of knowledge.
The proposed discussion is based on a theoretical and critical analysis of works by renowned authors such as Zygmunt Bauman, Manuel Castells, and Marc Prensky, in addition to incorporating contemporary statistical data that highlight the growing presence of digital technologies in school life. The research results indicate that, although social networks have significant potential to enrich pedagogical practices and expand learning possibilities, their inappropriate and uncontrolled use has contributed to a worrying reduction in the capacity for cognitive development among children and young people.
This reality imposes new challenges on school institutions and education professionals, who already face complex demands arising from rapid social, cultural, and technological transformations. In this sense, teachers and schools are urged to urgently develop and implement innovative pedagogical strategies that enable the conscious, critical, and pedagogical use of digital technologies. Given this scenario, the importance of a critical digital education becomes evident, one that aims to train students capable of understanding, analyzing, and discerning the risks and benefits associated with the use of social networks in the school environment. Thus, this work contributes to strengthening theoretical and practical reflections that aim to promote a more balanced, conscious educational process aligned with the demands of contemporary society.