The influence of social media on children’s education: a narrative review of the literature on the roles of parents and teachers

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital technologies has profoundly transformed the ways in which children and adolescents communicate, learn and socialise. Social media now plays a significant role in their daily lives and has a considerable influence on their cognitive, social, emotional and academic development. This narrative review of the literature examines the positive and negative effects of social media on children’s education, whilst highlighting the complementary roles of parents and teachers in guiding its use. Drawing on Piaget’s theories of cognitive development, Vygotsky’s theory of sociocultural learning and Bandura’s theory of social learning, the study analyses the mechanisms through which social media influence the behaviours, learning and social interactions of young users. The findings from the literature indicate that social media can promote access to knowledge, the development of digital skills, creativity and collaborative learning. However, they also present significant risks such as distraction from schoolwork, cyberbullying, digital addiction, exposure to inappropriate content and mental health issues. The conclusions highlight the need for close collaboration between families and schools to promote responsible, critical and safe use of social media among children.

Keywords: social media; children’s digital education; parental roles; teachers’ responsibilities; cyberbullying; digital citizenship.

Received Date: August 17, 2026

Accepted Date: September 09, 2026

Published Date: October 01, 2026

Available Online at: https://www.ijsrisjournal.com/index.php/ojsfiles/article/view/958