Technology has become prominent for users of all ages. Technology allows users to connect with friends and family through social media, provides immediate access to information, and entertainment (Wesolowski, 2018). However, social media can significantly affect one’s mental health. According to Abrams (2023), social media is linked to the activation of the brain’s reward centers. For children and teens who are seeking social rewards, it can significantly affect their self-image and potentially cause the development of mental health issues such as anxiety and/or depression. To assess your child’s readiness for social media, several key measures should be considered.
Identify if Your Child is Mature for Social Media
Understanding your child’s maturity level is vital in determining if your child is ready to join social media apps. Essential indicators that your child is mature enough to join social media apps include completing responsibilities without parental supervision, following rules and expectations at home and school, and their ability to resolve conflicts with others.
Identify if Your Child Can Fully Grasp the Understanding of Social Media
It’s essential to acknowledge and comprehend that social media users can create a facade that conceals an unflattering reality. Therefore, your child needs to understand that what is presented on social media may not always be genuine. Counselor KaTina explains it this way: “Social media at times appeals more to the emotional brain instead of the wise brain. Clients tend to respond to social media in similar ways they respond to automatic thoughts, in that they perceive posts as facts without verifying the evidence to determine whether they are true. Sometimes this shows up when clients have unrealistic expectations of happiness, meaning they view happiness as a destination rather than a series of moments to experience. Clients sometimes allow social media to define what life should look like for them, thus distracting them from creating the realistic life they need/deserve.”
Identify if There Are Any Issues with Their Social Skills and/or Communication Skills
It’s important to observe your child interacting and communicating with you and peers their age. “In therapy, social media often surfaces as a source of comparison, anxiety, or identity struggles, especially for teens. Helping families develop open communication about online experiences is key,” says Counselor Sam.
My child is ready for social media. How do I keep them safe?
If, after considering the points above, you believe your child is ready to use social media, it is essential to take steps to minimize risks.
- Set limits on screen time.
- Utilize parental controls
- Add your child as a friend on the social media apps
- Routinely check and monitor your child’s social media accounts to ensure there is age-appropriate content: As Counselor Jamie says, “Social Media shows up as a trigger for some clients due to their algorithm showing them triggering content.”
- Help your child find interests outside of social media
- Communicate and set expectations for your child regarding social media usage: “Model healthy boundaries with social media and have guidelines and rules that are clear for a child to understand,” says Counselor Jamie.
- Educate your child on potential risks of using social media, such as cyberbullying and chat rooms.
Is social media negatively affecting my child?
When your child is actively using social media, it is essential to check in regularly with them about what they are seeing and notice how it may be impacting them. A few signs to look for:
- Increase in the child’s irritability and frustrations
- Difficulty in maintaining focus on tasks at home and school
- Sleep issues (such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep)
- Low self-esteem (an increase in negative self-talk)
Conselor Chloe says, “I see social media showing up as an issue in therapy through comparison. Clients will often compare themselves to people on social media (people they know from school as well as famous people), and this places unrealistic expectations on themselves, which leads to low self-esteem and maybe even unrealistic expectations on how they view others, which can disrupt their social skills. I also see it causing increased anxiety. Clients become aware of things happening in the world that they have no control over and are too complex for them to comprehend at their age. Still, they experience more anxiety because they view the world that they live in as an unsafe place when they have too much access to social media.”
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References
Abrams, Z. (2023). Why young brains are especially vulnerable to social media. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2022/social-media-children-teens
Wesolowski, K. (2018). Children and cell phones: Weighing the risks and benefits. Nationwide Children’s Hospital. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2018/10/children-and-cell-phones