Researchers in Michigan have revealed the top reasons children struggle to make friends. Experts at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital talked with 1,031 families and found that 19% of parents fear their child has no friends.
According to the poll, 90% of parents said they wanted to help their child make more friends. About 20% of parents said shyness or social awkwardness is the main issue for their child. Another 17% said groups of friends are already established, while 15% said other kids being mean is the main obstacle.
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Some parents are attributing the reasons to social media. They say kids are growing up differently than they used to, and don’t have to socialize in person as much as past generations.
Recently the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy put out a warning about the dangers social media can have on Generation Alpha, which is considered to be the first generation of “digital natives.”
The new study also found nearly two-thirds of parents said it’s important that their child’s friends come from families with similar religious or political views.
Researchers from C.S. Mott warned about that approach saying, “Limiting a child’s friends to only those from similar backgrounds may hamper the child’s ability and comfort in navigating diverse networks and working with a broad group of peers in the future.”
Karah Rucker
NEW RESEARCH REVEALS THE TOP REASONS TODAY’S CHILDREN STRUGGLE TO MAKE FRIENDS.
EXPERTS AT THE “C-S MOTT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL” IN MICHIGAN TALKED WITH MORE THAN 1-THOUSAND FAMILIES AND FOUND THAT 19 PERCENT OF PARENTS … FEAR THEIR CHILD HAS NO FRIENDS AT ALL.
90 PERCENT SAID THEY WANTED TO HELP THEIR CHILD MAKE MORE FRIENDS.
THE STUDY CITED SOME OF THE MOST COMMON HURDLES THAT ARE STOPPING KIDS FROM FORMING CONNECTIONS … WHICH INCLUDE …
SHYNESS OR SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS… ALREADY EXISTING FRIEND GROUPS … AND OTHER KIDS BEING MEAN.
MANY PARENTS ATTRIBUTED THESE REASONS TO SOCIAL MEDIA … SAYING THE KIDS OF TODAY ARE GROWING UP DIFFERENTLY AND DON’T HAVE TO SOCIALIZE IN PERSON AS MUCH AS PAST GENERATIONS.
RECENTLY THE U-S SURGEON GENERAL PUT OUT A WARNING ABOUT THE DANGERS SOCIAL MEDIA CAN HAVE ON ON ‘GEN ALPHA’ … WHICH IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE FIRST GENERATION OF SO-CALLED “DIGITAL NATIVES.”
THE NEW STUDY ALSO FOUND NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF PARENTS SAID IT’S IMPORTANT THEIR CHILD’S FRIENDS COME FROM FAMILIES WITH SIMILAR RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL VIEWS.
RESEARCHERS FROM THE STUDY WARNED ABOUT THIS APPROACH SAYING THAT …
“LIMITING A CHILD’S FRIENDS TO ONLY THOSE FROM SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS MAY HAMPER THE CHILD’S ABILITY AND COMFORT IN NAVIGATING DIVERSE NETWORKS AND WORKING WITH A BROAD GROUP OF PEERS IN THE FUTURE.” I’M KARAH RUCKER…
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