Teens and social media can seem daunting when we think about it. Remember to talk to them and keep the dialogue open. If your teen comes to you with a question or an issue, see it as an opportunity to grow your relationship and engage in conversation. Especially when it comes to social media, which teens can be a little possessive of, get excited when your teen comes to you! It means they trust you, and are looking for your insight. If you notice your teen doesn’t often come to you, feel free to ask them questions about what you can do to help them feel more safe with you. Most teens are excited to share about themselves and their needs when asked.
Keep the conversation going; build your relationship and start a dialogue. If your teen comes to you with a question or an issue, see it as an opportunity to grow your relationship and engage in conversation. Especially when it comes to social media, which teens can be a little possessive of, get excited when your teen comes to you!
The reality is that your teens are probably using social media. So, getting involved in their online life is a great way to get to know them on a deeper level, and foster an open dialogue. If you notice that they don’t often come to you with questions or concerns, ask them!
Encourage your teens to use the “Ten-Minute Rule” and the “Dinner Rule”. The Ten-Minute Rule says that if you’re going to post on social media, wait ten minutes after creating your post before sending it out into the world. This is a practical way to add patience, foresight, and wisdom to your online life. The Dinner Rule is the idea that you should only follow/be followed by people with whom you’d be willing to get a long one-on-one dinner with. If these rules don’t work for you, that’s okay. Ask your teen what “rules” they would like to make for themselves on social media to help them use the tool wisely.
“Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps an eye on you!”
Instilling wisdom in our children is one of the most important things we can do as parents. And when it comes to social media, the best thing we can do is teach our teens wisdom, and then more importantly, to love that wisdom as a gift and use it in their dealings with the Internet.
- Therapist Corner at Resolution Ranch Academy, a boarding school for troubled teens, provides weekly parenting guide topics. If you have a struggling teen that needs help please contact us here.
