Managing Social Media

When the buzz of the day lulls for a moment, and a hint of boredom crosses the mind, what happens? For many teens and adults, they reach for their phone to check social media, scrolling through endless posts and videos, flooding their minds with a never-ending series of influences. When the work day ends and it’s time to relax, many turn on the TV. There are countless streaming platforms, with each show or movie offering entertainment through a new lens. Media is more accessible than ever, and teens are being constantly bombarded by images and messages that influence the way they see the world around them. 

Around 9 in 10 teens report near-constant social media use. According to Social Learning Theory, people learn behavior from the environment around them, and for most teenagers, that environment includes multiple media platforms. Every single post they look at and episode they watch sends a message to them about reality. All too often, those messages include what is acceptable regarding alcohol and substance use. One study found that teen boys’ favorite TV shows very frequently depicted alcohol use by adults and teenagers. This sends the message to youth that underage drinking is low-risk and acceptable, and it can lead to the assumption that more of their peers are using alcohol than actually are. It’s important to talk to your children about media use and set guidelines for them regarding media access.  

Parents can help their children by limiting their media use and creating times when they don’t have access to social media. One simple way to do this is to put phones away at bedtime. This keeps teens from staying up late on their device and from struggling to sleep because of that screentime. Other rules could include not having phones at the dinner table and not bringing them to school. Educators can limit phone use in the classroom to increase learning and interactions between students. Blocking social media apps during school time or at bedtime is another way to limit time being spent with unpredictable images, captions, and videos.  

Because teens learn from their environment, modeling limited phone use is another way to encourage them. If parents are constantly on their phones or talking about social media, their children will follow their lead. It’s important to have meaningful conversations with teens about the consequences of spending time on social media. Hold conversations in a way that won’t make a child defensive, emphasizing that they can choose how much time they spend on social media outside a parent’s limits. Discuss the facts and encourage them to make healthy choices. Young people have an important decision to make each day about how they will allow media to influence them, and parents have an opportunity to help guide them in the right direction.