Children are growing up in a digital age unlike anything they have experienced before. How do we determine when screen time is “enough” or when social media use is too much? Social media and technology help children stay connected with family, friends, and peers, but they can also feel overwhelmed by the amount of information. Excessive social media use can lead to problems like isolation, loneliness, and fewer face-to-face social connections. Here are some pros and cons of social media and technology use for children in today’s digital age.
Strong Points
It fosters healthy connections with others who share their identity, abilities and interests. It helps build self-esteem by highlighting skills, work and creativity. It’s an opportunity to develop digital literacy and safety skills. It’s a chance to explore interests and learn new things.
Cons
Social media can create unnecessary anxiety and disrupt children’s well-being; it can encourage bad habits such as unhealthy amounts of time scrolling through news feeds (known as “doom scrolling”) and making unrealistic comparisons with others; cyberbullying can have real-world consequences such as trauma, depression, insomnia or worse; and an over-reliance on digital interactions can make it harder to interact with peers in person.
Worried about your child’s interaction with technology? Try these conversation starters:
Think about how scrolling through your feed makes you feel. Does what your friends are sharing make you feel happy or depressed? Knowing how social media affects your child can help them decide if they need to change the way they use it.
Encourage people not to compare their daily lives with others’ online lives. People usually post about the bright spots in their lives. You don’t often see people sharing their daily struggles and disappointments. For example, you’re more likely to see a photo of a high school couple on a romantic date than a photo of them arguing during band practice. So, even if what you see is true, remember that it’s not the whole story.
Give people the space to unfollow or hide things from their feed that are stressing them out, and let them know they don’t have to feel bad about it. They can be informed without having to absorb all the information that comes their way.
Track the time your child spends on social media and technology. You can do so with an app or manually. If you or your child feel frustrated by the increasing amount of time, look for ways to make better use of that time. A comparison can help. For example, “Is it better to spend an hour on Facebook or an hour playing basketball?” or “Is it better to spend an hour watching videos or an hour learning guitar chords?”
Pursue things that make you feel good: Help your child find balance by focusing on the things that make them feel happy. Encourage your child to follow social media accounts that focus on their interests and what makes them laugh. Explore new topics together and see what you discover. Love unusual houseplants? There’s a group for that. Need some homework inspiration? You and your child are not alone.
Schedule time away. Make sure your child has time to disconnect. Close apps and turn off the TV. Read a book, go outside, play a game, exercise with the family, text a friend to invite them over. Make it something that supports your child and makes them feel like their time is worthwhile.
Help your children participate in activities outside of social media and technology to build meaningful social connections and set up positive social interactions that will last a lifetime.
We are here to help.
If you would like your child to meet with one of our behavioral health specialists to discuss social media and technology use or to learn more about monitoring your child’s mental health and wellness, please visit us online to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.