Nurturing Your Child’s Social Health in the Digital Era

Kids are being raised in a digital age unlike any other ever known. How do we know when “enough is enough” screen time or when there is too much social media usage? Social media and technology can help your child stay connected to family, friends and peers, but all that information can also be overwhelming. Excessive use of social media can lead to issues like isolation, loneliness and reduced in-person social connections. Here are some pros and cons for your child’s use of social media and technology in today’s digital era.

• Can promote healthy connections with others who share identities, abilities and interests.
• Highlight skills, work and creativity which can lead to improved self-esteem.
• Opportunity to develop digital literacy and safety skills.
• Explore interests and learn new ones.

• Social media can disrupt their well-being by creating unnecessary angst.
• Bad habits such as scrolling their newsfeed, also known as "doom-scrolling," for an unhealthy amount of time or making unrealistic comparisons to others.
• Cyberbullying can have real-world consequences, such as trauma, depression, insomnia or worse.
• Over-reliance on digital interaction can make it more difficult to socialize in person with peers.

Think about how scrolling through your feeds makes you feel. Does seeing what friends are sharing make you happy? Or does it make you feel down? When you know how social media affects your child, you can help them decide if they need to change how they use it. Encourage them to refrain from comparing their everyday life to someone else’s online life. People usually post about the shiny parts of their lives. It’s less common to see people sharing daily struggles or disappointments. You’re more likely to see pictures of a high school couple’s romantic date, for example, than pictures of the argument they had during band practice. So even if what you’re seeing is a true story, remember that it’s never the whole story. Give them space to unfollow or hide feeds that stress them out. Make sure they understand that they don’t have to feel bad about doing it. They can still be informed without absorbing all the info that comes their way. Track the time your child spends using social media or technology. You can track with an app or manually. If you or your child don’t like how those minutes add up, look for better ways for them to use that time. Sometimes it can help to draw a comparison. For example, “Spend an hour on Facebook, or spend an hour playing basketball?” or “Spend an hour watching videos, or spend an hour learning guitar chords?” Follow the feel-good stuff. Try to help your child find balance by focusing on things that make them feel happy. Guide them to follow social media accounts focused on their interests or things that make them laugh. Explore new topics together to see what you find. Love strange houseplants? There’s a group for that. Want tips for homework help? You and your child are not alone. Set a time to step away. Make sure your child reserves time to disconnect. Have them close their apps and turn off the TV. Read a book, get outside, play games, exercise with family or text a friend and invite them over. Make sure it’s something that feels supportive and worth their time. Help your child engage in other activities outside of social media and technology to make meaningful social connections to help your child’s positive social interactions last a lifetime.

If you would like your child to meet with one of our behavioral health specialists to discuss social media and technology usage or learn more about monitoring your children’s mental health and wellness, visit us online and schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.