Parents' Guide to Monitoring Social Media Use

If the internet was a place, would you let your child go alone?

Social media has become an integral part of the lives of children and adolescents. But while it provides opportunities for increased social connection and self-expression, numerous studies have shown that social media use can have significant negative impacts on teen mental health.

Protect your children’s mental health from the risks of social media use by putting these basic steps into practice. Doing so will create habits that will help them both now and in the future.

Step 1: Parental Monitoring

Parental monitoring involves tracking your child's online activities and interactions. Know what platforms they are on, and be aware of both the type of content they are consuming and the nature of conversations they are involved in. It may make for some difficult initial conversations, but research shows that parental monitoring and open communication can help reduce the negative impacts of social media on adolescent mental health. (McRae et al., 2020)

Step 2: Time Limits and “Screen-Free” Periods

Setting limits around social media use can also help protect your child's mental health. Establish daily time limits and set rules for “screen-free” periods such as dinner time, family time, or wind-down periods before bed. This can train your child to develop healthy habits around social media use that will yield positive results for years to come.

Step 3: Encourage Offline Activities

Encouraging your child to engage in offline activities can also significantly improve their psychological well-being. As increased physical activity correlates with better mental health, excessive social media use is correlated with decreased physical activity and increased sedentary behavior, both of which have a well-documented negative impact on mental health. (Carson et al., 2021). Your child’s participation in extracurricular activities, sports, or hobbies can help them develop skills, nurture friendships, and cultivate interests that will build self-esteem, reduce stress, and improve their overall mental health.

Step 4: Teach Your Child About Online Safety

Helping your child understand the importance of online safety will train them to step away from negative content or interactions before they turn into negative experiences. This includes teaching them about cyberbullying, online predators, and how to protect their personal information. Encourage them to report any negative experiences to you or another trusted adult. Cyberbullying is a common occurrence on social media, and has been shown to have a serious and lasting impact on teen mental health, resulting in an increased likelihood of depression and lower self-esteem (Beran & Li, 2021).

Step 5: Model Healthy Social Media Use

As a parent, you can model healthy social media use for your child. This includes setting boundaries around your own social media use, such as not using your phone during meals or before bed. It's also important to avoid oversharing personal information or engaging in negative behaviors such as cyberbullying, trolling, and sharing or engaging with divisive, inflammatory, or hateful rhetoric. Parents who model healthy social media use have children who are more likely to use social media in healthy ways and will have better mental health outcomes as a result (Madden et al., 2020).

Step 6: Encourage Open Communication

Encouraging your child to be open with you by explaining the risks and helping them understand that your desire for transparency is due to your concern for their well-being. Make sure that they feel heard and supported, so they know they can talk to you about any concerns they have. Establishing this rapport will help you identify negative behaviors or interactions that may be affecting their mental health.

Step 7: Seek Professional Help If Needed

If you feel your child may be experiencing negative mental health outcomes as a result of social media use, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. They may be struggling more than you realize. A mental health professional can help your child develop coping skills and strategies to manage the negative impacts of social media use. They can also provide support for any underlying conditions that may be exacerbated by spending too much time online.

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Social media can be a great tool for enriching the lives of adolescents, but it comes with significant risks to teen mental health. Parents can mitigate these risks by monitoring and limiting social media use, encouraging offline activities, teaching kids about online safety, encouraging open communication, and seeking professional help when needed.

Taking the above steps will not only help protect the mental health of adolescents who engage with social media, it will also teach them valuable lessons that will help them responsibly navigate an increasingly connected world for years to come.

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Daniel S. Holt is the founder of Washington based Anchorage Partners LLC

References:

Beran, T. N., & Li, Q. (2021). Cyberbullying: Its nature and impact in secondary school students. Journal of Educational Research, 114(1), 21-31. doi: 10.1080/00220671.2019.1630159

Carson, V., Hunter, S., Kuzik, N., Wiebe, S. A., Spence, J. C., Friedman, A., & Tremblay, M. S. (2021). Systematic review of sedentary behavior and mental health in children and adolescents. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 10(2), 173-191. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2020.07.006

Madden, M., Lenhart, A., Cortesi, S., Gasser, U., Duggan, M., Smith, A., & Beaton, M. (2020). Parenting in the digital age. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/01/30/parenting-in-the-digital-age/

McRae, K. N., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., & Richardson, B. (2020). Parental monitoring and communication as protective factors for adolescent social media use and psychosocial outcomes. Journal of Adolescence, 84, 168-177. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.09.011