Youth Social Media Risks

Worth Your Time!

Resource Recommendations to Help You Parent and Mentor Most Effectively

**This Week’s Recommendation:**

**"Surgeon General's Warning! Social Media Poses 'Profound Risk of Harm' to Children and Adolescents"**
**Article by Defend Young Minds**
**Read It** ***Here***

The authors "provide you with the information you need to understand exactly what type of content is harming our kids’ mental health and in what ways," as well as "give you 5 crucial tips to minimize harm and safeguard your kids' mental health and well-being."

Why It's Worth Your Time

"According to a Pew Research survey, up to 95% of teens ages 13–17 are using some form of social networking site... Nearly 40% of children ages 8–12 use social media... This widespread use requires parents to be aware of social media risks and take steps to protect their child's well-being."

How To Use It

Get informed.

This is a solid introductory article, and it also includes other helpful links.
We can't ask the right questions if we're clueless about social media's role in teens' lives, which may be VERY different from its role in our own lives!

Apply it to the preteens/teens in your own life.

What are the specific effects (which may or may not be listed in the article) social media may be having on them?

Be proactive.

Consider taking one or more of the five steps they list at the end of the article.
Engage in conversations with the preteens/teens in your life.

Ask how their peers use social media (both good ways and bad ways) and how they see it affecting those peers. [Remember: It's usually best to ask them about their peers before you ask them about themselves!]
Ask them, "What's the craziest thing you've heard about a peer doing using social media?"
Ask them about their own social media use and how they think it affects them. [Hint: Don't ask them if they think it affects them. Ask them how they think it affects them.]
Ask them if there's anything they'd like you to do to help them. You might be surprised at their answer. Many teens are aware of the negative affects social media has on them but don't know what to do about it!