We have 3 teenagers at home - anyone else got a young person who seems to be permanently stuck to their smartphone?
Ever wondered how to cultivate resilience in teens to help them to navigate the challenges of their online life? I've been looking at this a lot recently so thought I'd share some learnings with my lovely LinkedIn connections... 🙂
First some stats.....
According to research, 60% of teens view social media as impacting negatively on their life.
55% of 16 year olds consider themselves addicted to their smart phone.
Young people really want the adults in their life to help them with their social media usage
A quarter of young people didn't feel able to go to their parents with an online problem and didn't feel that an adult could help even if they did.
This says to me that our young people want help...
What issues are young people facing online?
Bullying that follows them everywhere their smart phone goes
Unrealistic views on body image
Fear of missing out - everyone else seems to be having such a great time and everyone else has 'everything'
Fake news and fake information.
Does your teen have a problem?
Have you noticed your teen...
Being withdrawn
Changes in sleep, diet and behaviour
Are they more irritable, anxious or tearful?
Changes in friendship groups - perhaps they don't want to go to things anymore?
As a parent, how can you help?
Be the kind of parent/carer your teen feels they can talk to. Be available, be none judgemental, listen when they are talking, try not to interrupt or compare them to you as a teen or other people.
Arm yourself with knowledge - get on these social media platforms and learn the lingo.
Familiarise yourself with the safety mechanisms and settings built into these platforms and make sure your teen has a safe set-up.
Negotiate social media rules and screen time - talk to them first though and listen - don't just tell! Work together.
Model good behaviour yourself. Do you sit there during meal times and conversations replying to emails and texts? Maybe set boundaries for yourself and your family - phone-
free time or places.
Make sure your teen keeps active in their daily life.
Talk to your teen about AI and how images can be doctored - real life examples are great. Even Kardashian's probably don't actually look like Kardashian's in real life!!!!
Encourage teens to have a wide reach of where they can get their information from. Teach them to question everything - are people who they say they are? The teenage lad/girl who they are chatting to could be someone very different.
Make those 'embarrassing' chats about the dangers of online grooming and inappropriate content the norm.
Look for positives...
Social media can be a great tool for cultivating ideas, meeting people, building networks, charity events so remember, it's not all negative.
The best thing to do is be open and honest with your young person and hopefully, they'll reciprocate... 🙂
Where to get help if you need it...
BBC: Own It
NSPCC
National Online Safety
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