Neurobehavioral researchers at Rush University Medical Center(RNBC) in Chicago have found three key factors in a child’s behavior that can lead to social rejection.

According to the study, a child who experiences social rejection ( some form of rejection by their peers like getting bullied and snubbed by peers) is likely suffer from academic failure, drop out of school, experience depression or anxiety, and experiment with drugs.

Findings from the pair of studies indicate that the ability to pick up on non-verbal cues and social cues in social interaction as well as recognize the meaning and respond appropriately to them are key to helping children develop skills to maintain friendships and avoid a host of problems in later life.

A national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that young people( especially minority youth) from 8 to 18 year old spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes a day with smart phone, computer, television or other electronic devices. This is more than 53 hours a week.

Also, the study found that heavy media use is associated with several negatives, including behavior problems and lower grades.

The study surveyed more than 2,000 students in grades 3 to 12 between October 2008 and May 2009. The report says that the heaviest media users are black and Hispanic youths and pre-teens (ages 11 to 14).

While social networking sites can increase circle of friends, The Federal Trade Commission is urging Teens/kids not to post information about themselves online that they don’t want the whole world to know.

Here are some tips Kids can do to socialize safely online:

• Think about how different sites work before deciding to join a site. Some sites will allow only a defined community of users to access posted content; others allow anyone and everyone to view postings.
• Think about keeping some control over the information you post.