An analysis on the impact of social media on the children's minds in modern Sri Lankan society

Today, the number of children spending their daily time on social media in Sri Lanka has grown exponentially. Therefore, this research was conducted with the aim of analytically studying the impact of social media on the minds of Sri Lankan children. The research problem focuses on what kind of impact social media has on the minds of Sri Lankan children. Data analysis used a mixed methodology of qualitative and quantitative methods with a sample of 180 children from the Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara districts in the Western Province. Questionnaires, observation, and semi-structured interview methods were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Based on the results of the data analysis, it was found that children use different social media platforms at different stages, and imitating the characters and activities of social media content creates a dependent personality in the child. It was clear that 46% of the respondents indicated that social media affected the child in a positive way, 27% indicated in a negative way, and 26% of the respondents did not have an idea about the kind of effect of social media on their children's minds. Accordingly, by verifying the research hypothesis and research problem that social media affects the mind of the Sri Lankan child, it was concluded that social media affects the mind of the Sri Lankan child. The research provides an in-depth study of the child's daily routine changes, the new social and human contexts that are formed due to the mental change in the child, and measures for the control and prevention of negative effects.