As the end of the school year approaches, it’s worthwhile reviewing how to best approach your child’s social media use in advance of the upcoming summer break. Social media has become the new “best friend” for many children and adolescents and even adults. You can hardly go to a restaurant without seeing someone on their smart phone watching something—unfortunately, usually it is a child or teenager.
Dr. Liz Thompson, Psy.D. is on the advisory team at Meg’s Legacy.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than one-third of 13–17-year-olds reported using social medial sites almost constantly in 2022, and research shows those numbers continue to climb. And, although social media platforms set a minimum age of 13 to sign up, 38% of children 8-12 say they use social media.
Social media is addictive! Amnesty International published a disturbing study in November 2023 about the dangers of TikTok. This platform collects information about users and then uses that algorithm to provide more videos about the same topic. Amnesty International found that when children or teens wanted to watch something on mental health, diet or even self-harm, they were inundated with those kinds of videos.
The study found that the incidence of depression, suicidality, negative body image and self-harm increased with the use of social media programs such as TikTok.
Another study on social media published in 2024 found
- 40% of teens reported content on social media caused them to worry about their body image
- A significant correlation between when kids receive their first phone and the onset of Body Dysmorphic disorder
- As a result of excessive exposure to social media, teens who view themselves as skinny or fat are twice as likely to attempt or think about suicide than their normal weight peers
Recently in Wisconsin, a 16-year-old pregnant teenager ran away with the 40-year-old father from Alabama whom she met on social media.
Clearly, there is a problem. The use of social media can be dangerous for children.
So, what can parents do? Here are some suggestions:
- Create rules about the use of media
- Limit the amount of time on social media
- Limit where social media can be used
- Set an example
- If you want your child to stay off social media, do the same thing
- Talk to your child about what they are doing on social media
- Ask about the platforms they are on
- Ask them what they gain from those platforms
- Discuss appropriateness of posts
- Monitor what your child posts on social media
- This is not like looking at their journal. Social media is a public platform, so you are allowed to see what they post
- If they post inappropriate pictures or disturbing posts, talk to them about this. Explain why this might be a problem.
