37% of teens feel pressured to post content that will get a lot of likes on social media.
45% of teens feel overwhelmed by drama on social media.
About 70% of teens associate their social media use with positive emotions such as feeling included and confident.
All social media uses persuasive techniques to keep users engaged, and while it can help kids feel connected to friends and family - especially during times of isolation like extended school breaks - it's easy to get sucked in for longer periods than is healthy. If your teen has trouble logging off when they have other stuff to do or they just need a break, try using the parental controls built into your phone's operating system (Screen Time on iOS or the Family Link app on Android) to block access and set time limits on all the apps on your kid's phone. Another trick: Adjust or turn off notifications completely to calm the need to check the phone every few minutes.
Excessive social media usage can have detrimental effects on teens, particularly regarding body image and mental health. While social platforms can foster connections, they often employ persuasive techniques that can lead to excessive engagement. If your teen struggles to limit their overall social media usage, consider implementing strategies to manage their online time.
Some users curate their feed by posting only flattering content and deleting posts with insufficient likes. To maintain their online image, teens might share inappropriate content or reveal too much personal information.
Influencers can significantly impact teens' choices and behaviors. Understanding who your teen follows and why can provide insights into their role models and the products they promote.
Some teens use "likes" as a measure of self-worth and compare themselves to others. If your teen's social media activity shifts from enjoyable connection to a focus on perfection and anxiety, it's time to reassess their usage. Excessive scrolling through others' posts can negatively impact teens' well-being.
How to Talk About It
Discussion starters to talk about using social media safely with your child.
Ask:
What’s your favorite website or app? What do you like to do there?
Have you ever seen something online you didn’t want to see?
Do you ever talk to people you don’t know online? What do you talk about?
Can you show me which sites and apps you’re using?
Would you feel comfortable if I checked your accounts?
What kinds of things do you post?
How do you decide who to add as a friend?
How much personal information do you share online?
Reinforce:
It’s safest to only add people you know offline to your online circles. Ask kids to check their “friends” and “followers” lists to see who has access to their accounts. Encourage them to remove anyone they don’t know or trust. Children should also block or “unfriend” anyone bothering them.
Privacy settings are there to help make the experience safe! Teach kids and teens to use privacy settings. While they don’t guarantee complete privacy, they can help children control who sees what they share.
Today, one’s online reputation counts offline, too. Help children remove any personal or inappropriate images from social media and other accounts.
If it wouldn’t be OK to do or so offline, it’s not OK online, either. Help children and teens report any criminal behavior to the police and report inappropriate posts to the website or app -- most have a system in place to handle these complaints.
If anyone sends them an inappropriate sexual request, they should report it to https://report.cybertip.org.
Review of Parental Control Apps
There are plenty of articles out there reviewing these apps, and we highly recommend doing your research to find what works best for you and your family.