Why is social media a new concern for parents?
It’s 2024 and teens are becoming more dependent on technology.
So much so that they’ve created multiple accounts on various social platforms.
Adolescents enjoy social media because they are able to communicate with their friends, families and their favorite celebrities.
Why is social media dangerous?
We all know the internet can also be dangerous. There are adolescents who create OnlyFans and snapchat accounts to carry out their impulsive behaviors.
This day in age, more teens are experiencing more sexualized behaviors.
Some have even created social accounts to share their own content.
What are sexualized behaviors?
Sexualized behaviors is defined as the involvement of sexual actions that are developmentally inappropriate and may cause harm to others.
According to the Alliance Health Plan Organization; “sexual behaviors may be based on coercive, intrusive, or abusive actions toward another person”(Alliance Health Plan, 2024).
In simpler terms they are sending nudes, sexting and/or may participate in impulsive sexual acts.
These impulsive behaviors can be a symptom of a mental health disorder.
Although sexualized behaviors are common in teens, one must monitor their actions.
They are at high risk of becoming juvenile sex offenders or becoming victims of abuse themselves.
Snapchat was created to facilitate conversation with friends. Unfortunately, adolescents are using social media to display sexual curiosity.
Social media has a serious issue among young adolescents. Meaning that some have used to establish threats, cyberbullying, and even sending inappropriate images.
Not only that but it causes them to be hypervigilant for their social status.
Some tend to be so focused on their status that they tend to get less sleep, get less face to face attention, vulnerability to scams, access to inappropriate content, and exposing them to a sedentary lifestyle.
Social media can turn into a serious addiction.
What should we do?
We can start by limiting their access to social media.
There are ways to set parental controls so that your kids are not exposed to inappropriate content.
There are also apps in which they can lock websites, so that they can focus on their real life experiences.
It’s important that they are not glued to their screens.
Start by doing a simple Google search to find the best app that fits your immediate needs.
There are a variety of free and paid apps that can enhance your parental supervision.
You can even take their electronic devices during breakfast, lunch and/or dinner so that they can start to communicate their concerns.
Technology can turn into a serious addiction
And it is important for parents to set clear limitations.
Yes, we need access to technology to do our daily activities but it is okay to take a break.
Set an alarm for yourself so that you can process the events of the day.
Your mind needs time to process so that you don’t feel so overwhelmed.
Social media can instigate eating disorders, the need to compare self to others and/or susceptibility to monetary scams.
It would be beneficial to teach them about how to be safe online.
Teach them how to identify warning signs, set privacy locks, memorize emergency numbers, always tell someone where you are going and never walk alone.
There are a variety of ways to ensure safety.
Social media can be dangerous if not monitored.
Remind your kids that social media should not control your life and it is important to experience real life moments.
Teach them to spend time with friends and family.
Our brains rely on human interaction to function and a computerized screen is not the best way to keep in touch.
Schedule a friend or family date to remind yourself of the importance of human interaction.
Reference:
Alliance Health Plan Organization. (2024). Adolescents with sexualized behavior –. alliancehealthplan.org. https://www.alliancehealthplan.org/document-library/60275/
This post was written by Jasmine P., and published by Convenient Counseling Services.
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