CHALLENGES OF EDUCATION IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

<doi>10.24250/jpe/SI/2026/RDC/</doi>

Abstract

Throughout history, education has faced constant
challenges, such as access to educational opportunities,
social inequalities, and maintaining a balance between
freedom and discipline. However, over the past 20 years,
entirely new challenges have emerged in our society,
including within the educational environment. Rapid and,
at times, unrestricted access to the internet, smartphones,
and social media has had a profound impact on the
environment in which children grow up, interact, and
engage in dialogue within educational contexts.
Consequently, schools must recognize these emerging
dynamics and adapt to the challenges of the present day.
This article, grounded in the specialized literature, is based
on a theoretical analysis that focuses on three elements.
The first element examines how digital platforms have been
designed to capture and sustain attention. The second area
brings together research on the intensive use of social
media and students' mental well-being. The final aspect
analyzes the pedagogical approaches needed to develop
competencies in the digitalized world in which we live. In
conclusion, this paper does not condemn modern
technology, viewing it in most cases as a tool that can be
beneficial but also harmful when misused. Its positive
effects can be quantified based on how it is used and
integrated into the educational process in a balanced and
responsible manner. Thus, schools are not meant to ban
technology per se, nor should they accommodate it
indiscriminately. Aware of the effects of technological
abuse, the educational process is called upon to develop
skills such as attention management, critical use of
information, and the development of social-emotional
competencies. This article is not the result of extensive,
experimentally validated empirical research, but is
conceptual in nature, based on contemporary studies in the
context of the challenges posed by the virtual world.