1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,007 As a parent of teenagers , I know it's 3 00:00:12,007 --> 00:00:14,062 important to have conversations with 4 00:00:14,062 --> 00:00:16,173 your kids about social media . I want 5 00:00:16,173 --> 00:00:18,229 to take a minute to share a few tips 6 00:00:18,229 --> 00:00:20,340 with how to use social media safely . 7 00:00:20,340 --> 00:00:22,396 If your adolescents are using social 8 00:00:22,396 --> 00:00:22,270 media , they should be encouraged to 9 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,502 use functions that create opportunities 10 00:00:24,502 --> 00:00:26,613 for social support to promote healthy 11 00:00:26,613 --> 00:00:29,110 socialization in certain circumstances . 12 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:31,287 There's evidence that social media may 13 00:00:31,287 --> 00:00:33,342 be beneficial for teens experiencing 14 00:00:33,342 --> 00:00:35,287 mental health crises or members of 15 00:00:35,287 --> 00:00:37,120 marginalized groups that may not 16 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,287 otherwise have access to peers similar 17 00:00:39,287 --> 00:00:41,231 to them . Unfortunately , specific 18 00:00:41,231 --> 00:00:43,009 features of common social media 19 00:00:43,009 --> 00:00:44,898 platforms such as the like button 20 00:00:44,898 --> 00:00:47,120 recommended content , unrestricted time 21 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:47,119 limits and endless scrolling are not 22 00:00:47,130 --> 00:00:49,297 necessarily tailored to the social and 23 00:00:49,297 --> 00:00:51,463 cognitive abilities of most adolescent 24 00:00:51,463 --> 00:00:53,519 users . It's also possible that data 25 00:00:53,519 --> 00:00:55,519 captured by the behaviors on social 26 00:00:55,519 --> 00:00:57,741 media can be used stored or shared with 27 00:00:57,741 --> 00:00:59,519 others for commercial and other 28 00:00:59,519 --> 00:01:01,463 purposes . For this reason , early 29 00:01:01,463 --> 00:01:03,408 teens in the 10 to 14 year old age 30 00:01:03,408 --> 00:01:05,186 range should have ongoing adult 31 00:01:05,186 --> 00:01:07,019 monitoring review discussion and 32 00:01:07,019 --> 00:01:09,074 coaching around social media content 33 00:01:09,074 --> 00:01:11,241 autonomy can be gradually increased as 34 00:01:11,241 --> 00:01:13,408 kids gain digital literacy skills , as 35 00:01:13,408 --> 00:01:15,574 long as you're balancing this with any 36 00:01:15,574 --> 00:01:17,630 privacy concerns a digital footprint 37 00:01:17,630 --> 00:01:19,463 created by your child can remain 38 00:01:19,463 --> 00:01:21,630 searchable indefinitely . Don't forget 39 00:01:21,630 --> 00:01:23,797 the importance of adult modeling , use 40 00:01:23,797 --> 00:01:23,220 of social media in your child's 41 00:01:23,230 --> 00:01:25,174 presence can shift their attitudes 42 00:01:25,174 --> 00:01:27,174 towards social media and may impact 43 00:01:27,174 --> 00:01:29,119 your child's use of social media . 44 00:01:29,119 --> 00:01:31,341 Research suggests that a combination of 45 00:01:31,341 --> 00:01:33,563 social media limits and boundaries . In 46 00:01:33,563 --> 00:01:35,730 addition to adult child discussion and 47 00:01:35,730 --> 00:01:37,897 coaching around social media use leads 48 00:01:37,897 --> 00:01:37,720 to the best outcomes for youth . 49 00:01:37,870 --> 00:01:39,814 Evidence suggests that adolescents 50 00:01:39,814 --> 00:01:41,814 should not be exposed to content on 51 00:01:41,814 --> 00:01:43,870 social media that depicts illegal or 52 00:01:43,870 --> 00:01:46,092 harmful behaviors such as anything that 53 00:01:46,092 --> 00:01:48,314 encourages or instructs youth to engage 54 00:01:48,314 --> 00:01:50,148 in self harm or harm to others . 55 00:01:50,148 --> 00:01:52,314 Similarly , research demonstrates that 56 00:01:52,314 --> 00:01:52,019 adolescents exposed to online 57 00:01:52,029 --> 00:01:54,140 discrimination and hate is associated 58 00:01:54,140 --> 00:01:55,807 with increases in anxiety and 59 00:01:55,807 --> 00:01:57,862 depressive symptoms . Cyber bullying 60 00:01:57,862 --> 00:02:00,029 and harassment can also be more severe 61 00:02:00,029 --> 00:02:02,196 than offline bullying and can increase 62 00:02:02,196 --> 00:02:04,251 the risk of adolescent mental health 63 00:02:04,251 --> 00:02:06,307 problems . If you allow social media 64 00:02:06,307 --> 00:02:08,418 for your teenagers , it's recommended 65 00:02:08,418 --> 00:02:08,179 that you routinely screen them for 66 00:02:08,190 --> 00:02:10,412 signs of problematic social media use . 67 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,129 This can look like addiction with 68 00:02:13,129 --> 00:02:15,296 impaired engagement in daily roles and 69 00:02:15,296 --> 00:02:17,296 routines , repeatedly spending more 70 00:02:17,296 --> 00:02:19,240 time or strong cravings for use of 71 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,129 social media , lying or deceptive 72 00:02:21,129 --> 00:02:23,240 behaviors to retain access or loss of 73 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,462 disruption of significant relationships 74 00:02:25,462 --> 00:02:27,462 or educational opportunities . Also 75 00:02:27,462 --> 00:02:29,351 make sure to limit you to prevent 76 00:02:29,351 --> 00:02:29,339 interference with sleep and physical 77 00:02:29,350 --> 00:02:31,639 activity . This is a hard topic but 78 00:02:31,649 --> 00:02:33,649 there are resources to help parents 79 00:02:33,649 --> 00:02:35,427 navigate social media with your 80 00:02:35,427 --> 00:02:37,649 teenager . I hope this has been helpful 81 00:02:37,649 --> 00:02:37,669 to give you a starting point .