Social media is a big part of a teenager’s life. According to the Australian Government:
- 86% of teenagers use YouTube
- 75% of teenagers use Facebook
- 70% of teenager use Instagram
- 67% of teenager use Snapchat
Social media isn’t all bad, it does have a range of benefits. They allow teens to create online identities, communicate with others and build social networks. These networks can provide teens with valuable support, especially helping those who experience exclusion or have disabilities or chronic illnesses.
Teenagers can also use social media for expression and creativity, especially on the ever-growing TikTok platform. Some platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can expose teens to important current events and teach them about a variety of topics, which can include healthy behaviours.
However, social media use can also negatively affect teens, distracting them, disrupting their sleep, and exposing them to bullying, rumour spreading, unrealistic views of other people’s lives and peer pressure.
The top threats for teenagers on social media
Social media has similar dangers to that of websites. In some cases, such as cyberbullying, the dangers are more acute, which means you need to be aware of the potential risks and what they can mean for your teen. The key risks are:
Cyberbullying — Young people have a long history of picking on one another, but today the taunts and abuse don’t stop at the school gates. Social media and online messaging can invade your teen’s world 24/7.
Sending sexual content — It’s easy to think that ‘sexting’ is concentrated to messaging platforms, but all social media applications have the potential to send or receive photographs. Snapchat and TikTok are social media applications centred around sending pictures and videos to one another! Whether it’s sending or receiving material, sending sexual content can lead to a lot of trouble. Depending on how far it goes and whether or not swapped material remains private, it can result in consequences ranging from severe reputational damage and mental health implications to child pornography charges.
Identity theft — You can find a lot of information about someone via their social media page — especially on Facebook. It might seem strange to worry about identity theft when your teen doesn’t have any credit or assets to steal. But cybercriminals like to take a teen’s blank slate of credit and open up accounts that can follow your child for years to come. The damage can impact your teen’s future by making it harder to do things like buy a car, rent an apartment, or get a job.
Pornography — While social media platforms do have in-built rules about pornographic material that provide more protection than other online sites, images and videos can sneak onto ‘timelines’ and pages. Exposure to pornography can have a lasting impact and hamper your teen’s ability to form healthy, loving relationships in the future. It also creates unrealistic expectations that may impact self-esteem and confuse a teenager’s understanding of romantic relationships.
Online predators — With so many ways to communicate on social media, sexual predators have various techniques that make their true identity hard to distinguish. For example, online predators often pose as peers in an attempt to connect with potential victims and even aim to radicalise children for extreme political purposes or religious groups.
Protecting your teenager online
The risks associated with social media are related to how the service is being used and how long it is being used for. One UK study of more than 12,000 13- to 16-year-olds found that using social media more than three times a day increased the likelihood of the teenager experiencing poor mental health and wellbeing. Another study found that social comparison and feedback-seeking by teens using social media was linked with depressive symptoms.
With that in mind, how should we protect our teen’s mental health on social media?
1) Open communication
First and foremost, parents who openly communicate with their children are more likely to experience open dialogue from their teen in response. Communication can allow a teenager to feel safer talking about issues that arise from social media and are less fearful of judgement or repercussions. During the difficult teenage years, your child will want to test boundaries and do and say things that you would not approve of. It’s important to remember that this is basic human nature and you should respect this, while letting your teenager know they can talk to you about anything.
2) Be ‘friends’ with your child on social media
Not every adult has social media, or actively uses it, however, you should be ‘friends’ with your teen so you have the ability to check and see their posts. Not only will this give you a chance to see what’s really going on in their mind, but you can also be aware of inappropriate online behaviour by them, or others interacting with your teen.
3) Alert your teenager to the anti-bullying services on each social media application
Cyberbullying is a well-known issue that can affect a teen’s mental health, and if detected, should not be tolerated or ignored. Social media companies are aware of the problems their own platforms cause and have developed anti-bullying software in response. For example, Facebook has an anti-bullying centre for teens and has created various settings to help track any potential abuse online. Instagram, Twitter and TikTok have set up similar guides. Inform your teenager of their existence and talk to them about which strategies they can implement to help protect them from cyberbullying.
4) Set up the ground rules
Identify internet safety rules that will help protect your teen. Include things like the dangers of sharing email accounts and online usernames and passwords. Identify social networking sites and apps that are safe to use and others that are off limits. Inform them about not accepting friend requests from strangers, not to click on links, or download material without first clearing it with an adult, and not to share inappropriate photos online.
5) Establish boundaries
Talk to your teen about how to avoid letting social media interfere with his or her activities, sleep, meals or homework. Encourage a bedtime routine that avoids electronic media use, and keep mobile phones and tablets out of teens’ bedrooms. Set an example by following these rules yourself. You can also implement rules – and check if the rules are being followed – by using the ‘parental controls’ both android and Apple devices have available. However, it’s important to trust your child enough to give them a little leash and to not violate their privacy without justifiable cause.
6) Encourage face-to-face contact with friends
While phones and social media applications keep humans connected like no other generation before it, they should not be used as substitutes for face-to-face interactions. A teen is still developing their social skills and learning more about who they are as a person. This development can suffer if they spend too much of their time on their phones, scrolling through pictures and videos, and conversing via an online messaging platform. Encouraging time outside and face-to-face (‘IRL’) interactions with their friends is especially important for those who have a social anxiety disorder.
7) Explain what is and what isn’t OK
In order to protect your teenager from the dangers of social media, it’s important to ensure they know what appropriate online behaviour looks like. Educate them on the damage they can cause someone else, discourage them from gossiping, spreading rumours, bullying or smearing someone’s reputation — online or otherwise. Talk to your teen about what is appropriate and safe to share on social media.
Despite every effort to protect your child online, sometimes the bad stuff still gets through. No matter how safe you think your teen’s internet behaviours are, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for signs that things may not be as secure as you’d like. Look for these warning signs that your teen may be in trouble. These can include:
- Secretive behaviour like hiding screens when you enter the room or trying to go online outside of supervision,
- creating new social media accounts,
- becoming sullen or withdrawn,
- losing interest in friends or activities or
- displaying strong emotional responses after going online.
If you do suspect your teenager is struggling, it’s important to check in and see how they’re feeling. Click here to learn more about how to start a conversation.
In its relatively short history, we’ve learned that social media may not always be beneficial for our teenager’s mental health, even while it has other benefits. But by setting boundaries, keeping lines of communication open, and educating our teenagers, they have a better chance of navigating the minefields and using social media platforms as a healthy and positive tool.
