Last week, the American Psychological Association issued a health advisory on social media use in adolescents (). Cara Murphy, Psy.D., training director with Adler Community Health Services Division of Teen Wellness and Opportunity, shared insight for parents as it relates to this advisory. Dr. Murphy works with teens across Chicago, Ill., in high school and community-based settings, providing psychological services to those who might not otherwise receive them.
From Dr. Murphy: There are many parenting tips out there related to social media. In addition to understanding the apps, monitoring usage, teaching accountability, setting limits, and creating a social media plan, I recommend parents emphasize the importance of connection. Have honest conversations with your teens about social media. Listen to your teens. Validate how they are feeling. Model for your teen how to use social media in a positive way. Talk to your teen about how to use social media to explore passions and connect with others. Teens may say they are connecting with others because they have a lot of followers, DMs, likes, or posts. Help them not confuse this with deep, purposeful social interactions. Emphasize how important it is to put social media down to form meaningful in-person connections. Announcing on social media something positive that you experienced is not a replacement for sharing your feelings with your small circle of people who care about you. For example, getting 100+ likes on a post is not the same as jumping up and down in your living room with a few loved ones in excitement or pride over your accomplishment. In summary, in addition to all the tips we hear about regarding social media, it’s important to remember to connect with your teen and support them in forming and maintaining deep connections with others.
Dr. Murphy is available to discuss the new health advisory and share other insights and tips for parents regarding teens and social media use.
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