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How Parents Can Actually Help Teens Navigate Social Media [1]
['Catherine Pearson']
Date: 2023-05-15
On Tuesday, the United States surgeon general, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, issued a public advisory warning of the risks of social media use to young people. Last week, the American Psychological Association echoed these concerns by issuing its first-ever guidance on social media use in adolescence, a roundup of 10 recommendations for educators, policymakers, tech companies and parents aimed at helping teens engage with the technology in a safe and positive way.
The group said that adolescents should be monitored for “problematic” social media use and that it was important to minimize teens’ exposure to cyberbullying, online hate and content that causes them to compare their physical appearance with the appearance of others. It also emphasized the importance of teaching teens digital citizenship and literacy.
At the same time, the A.P.A. acknowledged that tech companies had a role to play in all of this, urging them to consider whether features such as endless scrolling and the “like” button were developmentally appropriate for teens.
But as all parents know, the burden primarily falls on them to monitor and educate their children and to stay on top of technology that is quickly changing. And trying to do this can feel frustrating and ineffective.
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[1] Url:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/15/well/family/kids-social-media.html
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