Celebrity influence on social media is stronger than ever before. Ever wonder if following celebrities on social media is bad for you? In this video, we review what research says about people following influencers. The results say some interesting things about us and society. Maybe you’ll even unfollow celebrities after watching it!
A few days ago, the American Psychological Association released recommendations on social media use for adolescents. This was long overdue. Parents have been scratching their heads on how to deal with their teens’ social media use for over a decade. After all, they didn’t have the experience of using social media as teens themselves. The health advisory finally provided helpful, research–backed guidelines. But they missed one key element.
The most important thing you can do to minimize the damage of social media for your children is to have a strong relationship with them. The guidelines provided by the APA – which covers things like teaching digital literacy, reducing exposure to inappropriate material, and limiting social comparison – all assume that your child wants to talk to you about this stuff. But if they don’t feel comfortable talking to you, all they will do is nod along when you talk about the guidelines.
So how can you make sure that your child wants to talk to you about their social media use? Here are three guidelines we believe can help you with this:
Put yourself in your teen’s shoes. Who would you more likely approach? A parent who reprimands and preaches to you every time you bring up bad social media experiences? Or a parent who listens and provides guidance? Setting limits is an important element of parenting. But if you don’t couple that with a warm relationship that fosters communication, your child will likely seek support from someone else.
As the APA social media guidelines point out, social media use isn’t inherently good or bad. When talking to your teen about their social media use, make sure to point out the positive aspects of it as well. This can include finding people with shared interests, learning about in-person social events they can attend, and sharing funny material with family and friends. By doing this, your child will recognize you are being more honest about social media. This will help when you talk about the negative aspects.
Younger children tend to do better with simple limits and instructions. Teens are much different. They are becoming more independent and want to be respected as their own individual. To make them feel this way, ask them questions about their social media use so they can express their own opinions about it. This will make them feel heard and understood. This will also keep the door open for them to approach you in the future.
A few questions to ask are:
These simple steps can be a good foundation for your child wanting to approach you about problems they encounter using social media. Remember – if your child doesn’t want to talk to you about social media, then these guidelines will only be helpful to you.
In this YouTube video, the Director of the Center for Technology Wellness goes over a key concept that must be assessed before starting porn addiction counseling. Learn more about porn addiction signs here.
Check out the video below!
Early on in my career, I worked at residential facility for children who struggled with mental illness so much that they couldn’t live with their families. And one thing particularly stuck out to me during my time there – many of the children didn’t have hobbies. And if they did, they often revolved around electronics like video games or cell phones.
Because of this, my teammates and I made a strong effort to introduce different types of activities and experiences to the children in our dorm. Our daily schedule was filled with activities like soccer, going to the side yard, playing cards, listening to music, or traveling out into Chicago. The fundamental reasoning for this came down to a simple idea – the more hobbies a person develops, the healthier they will be.
After leaving Chicago, I began reading more about technology addiction and wellness. And in most studies determining criteria for things like video game disorder and social media disorder there was one thing that almost always made the list – displacement.
Displacement refers to the idea that when people are addicted to technology, they begin to displace activities that once brought them fulfillment. Instead of going to the park with a loved one, a person might choose to play video games. Instead of doing their homework or chores, a child might stay on their phone for the evening. Understanding displacement leads to an important question – what’s more harmful: technology or the displacement that occurs when someone uses technology?
The answer depends on the person and context. But in my experience, people drastically underestimate the negative effects of displacement, and, on the flip side, the potential ways that hobbies can prevent technology addiction.
Combining my experiences in residential treatment and researching tech addictions, I’ve come up with an idea that could be beneficial to prevent and address technology addictions – recreational diversity.
Recreational diversity comes down to two basic actions anyone can take – increase your hobbies and diversify them. Research strongly suggests that having more hobbies contributes to improved mental health. One research study even suggested that having hobbies could reduce mortality more than having a purpose in life.
When it comes to preventing and addressing technology addictions, introducing or reintroducing hobbies could redisplace the time lost to electronics. This would not only reduce problematic technology use, but it could also provide the extensive mental health benefits associated with engaging in fulfilling hobbies.
Diversifying hobbies takes it a step further. In addition to increasing the number of hobbies, a person can benefit from making sure that those hobbies don’t fall into the same category. For example, a person who has 4 hobbies that center around sports is benefiting from physical exercise, but they might be lacking experiences that make them feel connected to others.
On the other hand, a person who enjoys several and different types of hobbies will be more likely to experience diverse experiences that can fulfill complex psychological needs. And because people who feel fulfilled are less likely to gravitate towards technology in problematic ways, engaging in recreational diversity will also likely reduce the chances of developing a technology addiction.
In the case of the children that I worked with in the residential program, I witnessed the positive effects of encouraging them to participate in a variety of activities that balanced comfort and challenge. They became more physically active and healthy. They found artistic ways to express their emotions. And they began making sacrifices for each other. And, as a bonus, it reduced their technology consumption in way that didn’t seem like a punishment and gave them an opportunity to experience the true point of hobbies – to experience meaningful and fulfilling moments.
Need help for technology addiction for yourself or child? Request a free consultation or call 267-293-9903.
Wonder what’s the definition of social media addiction? Check out this YouTube video to learn more about it!
One of the questions I get most from parents is, “When should I give my child a phone?” I always respond with the same question, “How will you know when they are mature enough to handle it?”
Giving children a device shouldn’t depend on age. Children develop in different ways, and some take more time to handle certain things than others. To make sure your child is ready for a tech device, considering asking yourself these questions:
If the answers to these questions are no, consider ways you can teach your child the skills necessary to handle some type of tech. And the answers are mostly yes, have conversations about what needs to happen in order for them to get and continue using that device.
Download our free 5 Essential Steps to Spend Less Time on Your Phone workbook and receive additional resources and information!
If you or a loved one is struggling with technology addiction, please call (267) 293-9903 or click here request a free consultation.