As parents of teenagers, we see our kids consuming social media all the time, but when is it too much? Researchers have found a startling correlation between social networking and mental health challenges amongst teens. Teen social media addiction is a serious issue that parents need to be aware of. Here’s why the teenage brain is so easily prone to social media addiction and what you can do as a parent to help prevent it.
How Teen Social Media Addiction Occurs
According to the Pew Research Center, 92% of teens go online daily, and 24% say they go online “almost constantly”. This frequent use of social media can be contributed to the dopamine-inducing social environments that these platforms provide.
Studies show that scrolling through social media can produce the same neural circuitry that both gambling and recreational drugs do. These chemical reactions actually rewire the developing teen brain causing a constant need for instant gratification. To put it simply, teens can easily develop a real addiction to social media.
How to Recognize Potential Teen Social Media Addiction
So how can parents recognize when their teen is in over their head? Here are some signs to pay attention to:
- When a teen spends increasing amounts of time online.
- When they’re not online, they constantly think about being online.
- They have trouble cutting down their use of social media, even when you give them time limits.
- They lie about the amount of time they spend online.
- They’re showing signs of anxiety and/or depression regarding time online.
What can parents do in the face of teen social media addiction?
What can we do as parents to help prevent our kids from developing unhealthy relationships with social media? Parents can have a significant positive impact on how their kids think about and use online platforms.
In a recent study conducted by CNN called #Being13, they found that parents who kept a close eye on their children’s social media accounts had a substantial effect on their mental health, virtually eliminating the negative impact on their teen from online conflict.
Follow these steps to open up the conversation about your teen’s social media use:
- Talk openly with your teen about social media and the feelings associated with their online use. They should understand that they can discuss their online lives with you and that you’re there to listen.
- Establish screen-free zones. These could be the dinner table, bedrooms, etc. Just make sure that everyone, including the adults, abides by these rules.
- Be a good role model. Set a good example by exhibiting the importance of unplugging regularly and finding offline activities to enjoy.
- Keep up with your teen’s social media accounts. For a young teen, help them in creating their first account and setting up privacy restrictions. For older teens, know which sites they’re on and talk with them about what’s appropriate and not appropriate to post. Creating ground rules and discussing the repercussions of certain online activity is vital in a healthy relationship with the internet.
- Take time to learn about social media. There’s the good, bad, and ugly, and it’s an important job as a parent to educate yourselves on all aspects. When you’re knowledgeable about the online world, it will help you to be proactive and educated when talking to your teen about what’s new and possibly dangerous in cyberspace. To get more important information about parenting and social media, check out our other blogs here.
As a parent, we often want to be able to control everything about how our teen interacts with social media in order to keep them safe, but the fact of the matter is, it’s often just not possible. Instead, help them create a positive sense of self and remain educated on the facts in order to keep them safe online.
