The organization says it is important to reduce young people’s exposure to cyberbullying, online hate crimes and content that makes them feel self-conscious. It also stresses the importance of teaching young people digital citizenship and the ability to choose content.
Photo: GI
Using social media with children
The American Psychological Association (APA) also acknowledges that tech companies have a role to play in all of this, urging them to consider whether features like endless content and “like” buttons are developmentally appropriate for teens.
But as all parents know, the burden falls primarily on the family to supervise andeducate their children and keep them up to date with new technologies.
“As both a parent and a psychologist myself, I realize that the demands placed on parents are beyond our capabilities,” says Laura Gray, a psychologist at Children's National Hospital in Washington.
So what are some practical strategies adults can use to help minimize the harmful effects of social media?
The APA recommends that adults closely monitor social media use in children ages 10 to 14. Dr. Gray agrees that this is an important time for parents to teach good habits.
A family might decide that their child will only have limited access to one social media app, she said. And for the first six months or so, parents should review their child’s profile and friend requests with them. The goal is to help them develop social media filtering skills.
As the mother of a 12-year-old, Dr. Gray knows how difficult it can be to provide such intensive supervision. But even spending just five minutes a day sitting with your child can make a positive difference.
Parents should also make sure all accounts are set to private. Girard Kelly, head of privacy at Common Sense Media, added that social media apps “are designed to learn everything they can about users so they can push personalized content that kids and teens will be drawn to.”
No phone after 9pm
Mitch Prinstein, APA’s chief science officer and co-chair of the advisory board, said it’s especially important to be firm with your kids at night. “Evening screen time can disrupt sleep and affect the development of a teenager’s brain,” he said.
Nearly every expert interviewed stressed the importance of keeping phones and tablets out of kids’ rooms at night. Jean Twenge, a psychologist who has spent years sounding the alarm about how social media is eroding the mental health of teens, agrees.
“We know from a lot of sleep research that people don’t get enough or deep sleep if their phones are within reach,” she says. Dr. Twenge recommends that all family members keep their phones in a shared space at night.
Helping teens understand how social media affects their brains is also important.
The human brain develops from back to front, says Dr. Frances Jensen, chair of neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. The middle part of the brain, which she describes as the “social brain,” is “actively building itself up during adolescence” and is the part most susceptible to outside influences.
But the frontal lobe of the brain, which governs decision-making, risk mitigation, and emotional regulation, is not fully developed until the late 20s. And teens are more susceptible to peer pressure and novelty-seeking, Jensen says, and they are not yet at the stage where they receive signals from the frontal lobe that it’s time to slow down or pause.
Dr Jensen urges parents to talk to their children about these brain changes and how they make them particularly vulnerable to some of the more negative effects of social media. She says all the content, feedback and stimulation available online “is very accessible to children right when their ‘social brain’ is developing”.
Jeff Hancock, founding director of the Stanford Social Media Lab, suggests parents ask their kids whether they are in control of social media, or whether they feel controlled by it.
Mr Hancock is teaching his 12-year-old to set timers for herself. She is learning to control when to stop using social media and to control her urges.
Parents should also ask their child if any of the accounts make them feel worse or less confident about themselves, said Dr. Jason Nagata, an adolescent medicine specialist at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco who specializes in treating eating disorders.
Don't judge or take away your child's phone.
Especially with teens, lead the conversation with curiosity, not judgment. Experts stress that it's important for parents to foster open dialogue throughout their children's lives.
Teens often assume that when parents ask them questions, they're trying to take away their phones, says Becky Lois, a child and adolescent psychologist at Hassenfeld Children's.
“The approach is really important,” she says. “We need to help kids understand why we’re asking questions. Let them know that we’re not accusing or criticizing or judging.” Make it clear to them that you’re asking because you’re curious about this aspect of their life, not because you want to impose on them, Dr. Lois recommends.
Dr Lois adds that it's important to “connect with children to learn about their lives and also to make sure they know they can safely share anything with their parents.”
Hoang Ton (according to NYT)
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