Social media is now a part of our daily lives. This rings more true for children and teens. A lot of their day-to-day involve the latest posts and connecting with their friends through social media platforms.
Technology has enabled easier access to a variety of content. This makes for a long list of concerns parents might have when it comes to their child’s social media use.
However, with the progress and requirement of technology, parents are left with the lingering question as to whether they should indeed restrict their child’s social media use. There are many avenues to explore about this which can help parents reach their answer.
A report produced by Common Sense Media observed a 17% increase in screen time among teens and tweens from 2015 to 2021. The average time spent online by teens was observed to be approximately 8 hours and 39 minutes.
The pandemic further increased this screen time, as schools were shut, and having online spaces allowed children to stay in touch with both their friends and school work.
However, it was also noted that children didn’t use their online time just for school. Children were found to spend most of their time watching videos and TV-related content.
When social media and screen time takes up activities such as playing outside, sleeping, or even doing household chores, it should stand as a sign of concern for the overuse of online time.
Social media overuse can also result in changes in your child’s behavior. Some signs to watch out for include being increasingly withdrawn, having occasional outbursts, changes in the way they dress, and a decline in school results.
How can I work with my child to limit social media use?
A Pew Research Center survey noted that only 32 % of parents of older teens were likely to talk to their children about their online screen time versus 49% of parents of younger teens.
While these statistics are heartening to see, there is still a large percentage of children who are using social media unsupervised.
To start with, parents need to model the behavior they wish to enforce with their children. This means they need to spend more time off their gadgets and doing activities throughout the house. Observing this example, it will be easier to impose restrictions on online screen time inside the house.
Additionally, parents should also encourage children to use their social media in neutral locations, such as the living room, so that parents can monitor their online activities. Children should know why parents need to overlook social media use. This means discussing online threats such as abuse, violations of privacy, bullying, online grooming, and catfishing.
Social media for children today is a private space for their personal expression. If parents intervene, it can seem like a breach of their trust and privacy. However, parents need to understand that social media brings along with it possible threats to both the physical and mental well-being of their children. Having an open dialogue and displaying safe online behaviors themselves, can help their children understand the limits as well as safe ways to use social media
Social media has also been reported to result in mental health struggles among children. Some of these include depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Watching out for these signs is also a way to know whether as a parent you need to start limiting social media use among your children.
The Bottom Line
Social media for children today is a private space for their personal expression. If parents intervene, it can seem like a breach of their trust and privacy. However, parents need to understand that social media brings along with it possible threats to both the physical and mental well-being of their children. Having an open dialogue and displaying safe online behaviors themselves, can help their children understand the limits as well as safe ways to use social media.