Talk to Teens about Social Media
Parents want to begin conversations with children at young ages about their social media use. These discussions need to change and adapt as children get older. Here are some main points to consider when you speak with your teen:
01
Know Your Child
Teenagers are going to have positive and negative experiences on social media. Recognize your child's strengths and weaknesses, which can impact their behavior online and their reactions to posts. Talk about ways they would handle different situations should they occur.
02
Establish Clear Rules
Make explicit rules such as time limits and expectations for behavior. Be clear about consequences for transgressions and make sure to enforce them.
03
Put Content in Perspective
Social media has teens comparing themselves to others or being painfully aware when they are excluded. Talk about how the content is affecting them, validate their feelings, and don’t minimize their experience. Help them to frame the situation from another viewpoint.
04
Be Familiar with Sites
Have an open dialogue with your kids about the sites they are using and new trends. Approach your child as the expert, which can engage them to talk more freely about the benefits and risks of various sites.
05
Monitoring
The level of monitoring will be dependent on a teen's age, but all teenagers should be monitored in some way. As you consider monitoring, think about how they have been with their technology. Be transparent and let teens know you will be watching, and how, so trust isn’t broken. Friending your child on social media allows you to check on them. Always talk offline if there are concerns.
57%
of teens feel the need to respond to messages immediately.
(Pew Research Center, 2018)
42%
of teens feel anxious without their cell phones.
(Pew Research Center, 2018)
72%
of parents feel teens are distracted by cell phones when they try to talk to them.
(Pew Research Center, 2018)
Help Your Children
Teens today are digital natives, but it is important to teach them to balance their lives offline.
Disconnect
Set aside tech-free time when no screens are allowed. Encourage other activities to keep teens grounded in real life.
Communicate
Encourage teens to have conversations offline to develop skills such as listening, nonverbal communication, and managing emotions.
Better Sleep
Have cell phones out of bedrooms at night and do not use them as an alarm clock.