Responsible Social Media Use

Social media use in today's society is inevitable. Your children are going to be scrolling, posting, and engaging in all forms of social media. As parents, it is your job to teach and encourage responsible social media use. Try some of the below methods with your own children.

Start Conversations Early & Teach Digital Citizenship

Today's teenagers are getting access to cell phones and computers at a very young age. Parents should introduce digital citizenship to their children as early as possible. Here are some important topics to discuss with your adolescent.

Set boundaries on what is acceptable to post (Express that you cannot post private information such as phone number, address, schools attended, SSN, bank information, and more)
Do not share passwords
Make sure locations systems are turned off
Set accounts to private
Speak openly about the consequences of cyberbullying, sexting, and inappropriate posts. ONCE POSTED IT WILL BE ON THE INTERNET FOREVER!

Set Limits

It is important to set limits to the amount of screen time and social media time your children have.

Adolescents need time away from social media for academics and peer socialization.

Make it a point each day to encourage a social media break, putting down your phones and connecting with each other or the outdoors.

You can encourage physical activity and technology-free activities such as reading or drawing.

It is also important to make sure your teens log off of all social media before bed, as they require adequate sleep each night.

Monitor Social Media Use

It is also important and beneficial to monitor your adolescent's social media accounts. While you may be met with some annoyance, it is crucial to ensure your teen is being safe online.

Ways to monitor include:

Knowing all usernames and passwords for the social media apps they use (Spot check occasionally to ensure proper use)
Following your children's accounts (try not to comment or embarrass them)
See who they are following and who follows them (Stress the importance of having private accounts and not accepting follow requests from strangers)

Be a Role Model

By now you should understand the potential dangers of social media use and be armed with the knowledge of how to use it responsibly.

It is easy to preach something and stress the rules without actually following them.

As we know, adolescents are very impressionable. One of the most influential things in an adolescent's life is their parents. They are much more likely to listen to something if they see you abiding by your words.

Choose to lead by example, put down your phone and take to self-reflect, spend time outdoors, exercise, engage with your family, and more.

"WHAT YOU DO HAS FAR GREATER IMPACT THAN WHAT YOU SAY"

Unconditional Love and Support

Overall, one important thing you can do to help prevent social media from damaging your daughter's self-esteem and identity formation is to show unconditional love and support for your child.

Ensure them that they are valued, loved, and more than enough. Reiterate that they do not need to change who they are to fit in or be liked. Help them build up their self-confidence and self-esteem.

Encourage them to try new things and explore their hobbies and interests even if they aren't popular amongst their peers or society. Create opportunities for them to positively form their new identities.

Celebrate their uniqueness and cherish this complex but rewarding period of adolescence.

Always be in your child's corner, and make sure they know you will love and support them no matter what.

"Education and increased awareness of how social media influences well-being is key for those who grow up in our current social media reality."

Kristina Miljeteig and Tilmann von Soest

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