Think back for a moment to some of your first romantic relationships or even crushes that you experienced as a teenager. Even though they could have gone either way and been excruciatingly beautiful or completely overwhelming and tumultuous, at least you didn’t have to add navigating social media into the mix amid all of that teenage mess.
According to the National Center For Health Research, almost 25% of teenagers surveyed admitted that they believe that social media has a “negative effect” on their mental health. When you put an almost addictive daily ritual with a young individual who is just trying to figure themselves and their sexuality and body image out, it can certainly make for a complex road to traverse.
If you’re looking for a helpful guide on how to navigate and talk to your teen about the vast world of social media and how it can affect anything from their sexuality to how they perceive their body, keep reading.
Stress the importance with your teen of only sharing things they’re comfortable sharing with their friends, significant others, and strangers.
When you’re a teenager who’s constantly active on social media exchanging thoughts, videos, and memes with your friends and loved ones during all hours of the day, putting yourself out there and sharing certain aspects of yourself can start to feel like second nature.
In terms of private photos and intimate discussions, it’s important to discuss with your teen that whether they’re receiving a request to share something from their significant other or someone who claims that they attend a nearby school whom they haven’t met yet, they should never concede or feel pressured to share anything of a sexual nature that they don’t feel comfortable sharing. There’s also their young age to consider as well as things like state child pornography laws that can come into play when things get shared on a more public level.
You may also want to remind them that whoever they choose to share themselves with online may not be in their lives forever and it’s difficult to determine where any photos may end up over time. So, they’re going to want to be mindful of what they’re sharing on social media and with whom because the internet is forever.
If you notice online behavior from your teen that you don’t feel comfortable with, open up a dialogue about safe online practices that still allow them space to be themselves.
As a parent of a teenager, there’s certainly value in allowing them to make and learn from their own mistakes as well as being a solid listening board they can come to when they’re feeling overwhelmed or life comes down a little too hard on them. With that said, you’re still their parent and if you happen to notice any online behavior from them that you’re not comfortable with, you have the right to say so.
Verywell Family notes your teen needs to learn their limits and what they’re comfortable sharing or receiving online through social media, but they are also still developing and may need you to come in with some basic rules and guidelines for their protection, especially if they come across people online who want to take advantage of them.
The publication also notes that some parents feel like setting up social media monitoring can help their teen follow a stricter decorum that won’t get them in trouble, but if that’s not your thing, just be sure to maintain an “open door policy” where nothing uncomfortable or unsavory is off limits and you remain aware of the goings-on of your teen’s online life.
Realistically, your teen could be sexting on some of these apps. It’s important not to shame them but rather discuss healthy boundaries and how these practices make them feel about themselves.
They say that teens grow up a lot faster these days. If your teen is getting a bit older and interested in the idea of dating or even being in a long-term committed relationship, there’s a chance that they might be using their phone or device for sexting.
Psych Central explains that due to several reasons, including hormones and their need to experiment and “seek attention,” your teen may send sexts that include intimate photos of themselves to someone they're interested in dating or even a stranger they started chatting with on Instagram.
The online organization also notes that social media apps like Snapchat might offer your teen a false sense of security because it deletes messages and photos after they’ve been seen. But teens need to be made aware of all of the possible complications, including coercion, blackmail, state child pornography laws, and online stalking, which very much exist.
Creating an open dialogue where you discuss healthy boundaries around their sense of experimentation without shame or anger is vital because then your teen is likely to feel more comfortable coming to you should something happen.
With supreme photo editing and professionally shot online ad campaigns, it’s important to talk about social media in relation to your teen’s body image and how they perceive themselves.
When you were a teenager growing up, the media that you consumed probably consisted mostly of teen magazines and the very beginning of MTV reality television shows. For teens in this modern age, that little device in their hands that they’re always scrolling through and forever consuming is constantly inundating them with images and photos of all kinds.
The Houston Chronicle explains that it’s vital to keep those lines of communication open with your teen, especially when it comes to what they consume online and where they spend their time on social media because then you can pause and ask them questions and discuss things like “unrealistic imagery” and “heavily edited ads and filtered photos.”
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The publication notes that you can also keep a handle on any thought patterns or habits that may be forming from spending too much time on social media and the development of “unrealistic expectations about [one’s] appearance” that can lead to eating disorders and a warped sense of body image that can affect their self-confidence, relationships, and sexual development.
Help your teen map out what’s misinformation and how they can find helpful advice and social media pages with important sexual health information.
Since most teens spend so much of their time on social media, it’s a must for them to pause and use their “critical thinking skills” toward the sources that they get information from, especially in regards to their health and well-being. As a parent, you can help them learn to think about if the source that is sharing is reliable and whether the educational information is backed by true experts or are they simply trying to sell something.
On the other hand, even though it’s often full of ads and people with an agenda, there are some useful sources on social media that your teen might find helpful to follow. You can encourage your teen to follow organizations like Planned Parenthood on Instagram because you know they’ll be privy to important sexual health information that’s factual and timely.
