Navigating Social Media with Your

Teens & Tweens

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WMHS Students

Rosella Buscaino, Grace McHugh, Alexis Manzi & Wisely Chea

Galvin School Adjustment Counselor

Dorie Blieden, M.Ed

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Parent University | March 25, 2023

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Popular Social Media Sites

Instagram

• Main features: Photo/video sharing to a feed, reels, direct messages (DM’s) & stories (short video clips)
• Demographic: Mostly middle & high school aged students�

Snapchat

• Main Features: Instant messages and pictures that disappear, streaks, snap scores, stories, memories & “My Eyes Only”
• Demographic: Younger middle school aged students; sports/general activity group chats; college aged students, especially in relation to parties

Popular Social Media Sites

TikTok

• Main Features: Short videos (ten to 60 seconds); trends, challenges, dance videos & comedy
• Demographics: more popular to post amongst middle school aged students, but most trends browse the FYP (for you page).�

BeReal

• Main Features: Users receive a notification at a random time of day where they then have two minutes to take a selfie and a back camera photo of what they’re doing. If they choose to wait to post a picture until they’re doing something more fun, they’re friends will be notified.
• Demographics: Mostly used among high school and college students.

Unpopular Sites

Unpopular Social Media Sites

Facebook

• Seen as a site for older generations & used mostly to stay in contact with family members

Twitter

• Mostly used among high school students

Tumblr

• Used to explore niche interests (shows, music, etc.), has fallen out of use over the years

Reddit

• Similar to Tumblr it is used to explore uncommon interests or general knowledge on a topic but not really heavily used amongst teens

YouTube

• Videos consisting of of music videos, educational content, vlogs, gaming and reviews
• The relationships that do form from watcher to content creator are usually parasocial relationships

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Instagram

• Instagram, like all the platforms we’re going to mention, has an addictive algorithm which, with its endless stream of content to scroll through, keeps people hooked
• Instagram can act as a highlight reel for the lives of those who use it, but it can be hard for young kids to recognize that this is just a portion of real life
• Comparing likes & follows only make comparison problems worse
• The parent company of Instagram, Facebook (Meta), also recognizes the platform causes confidence issues in teen girls:
• “Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse”
• While instagram does not create serious mental health conditions like eating disorders, if a child is already struggling with issues around body image, food, etc., the platform can promote content which only feeds into problems that are starting to form

Snapchat

• Snapchat is ideal for hiding things from the adults in your life
• Chats disappear immediately if not saved which allows for things like harassment or illicit conversations to remain inaccessible to parents
• The “My Eyes Only” section of memories could potentially be used to house inappropriate content
• SendIts - Anonymous messaging function (can create an environment for bullying)
• This is a separate extension and is not part of the actual app
• Rating or TBH
• A trend that can be used for bullying and can cause kids to compare themselves to others, affecting their self esteem
• Filters
• While most are just funny/strange, some filters actually change the shape of your face, eye color, etc. and is teaching children that they have to alter the way they look.

TikTok

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TikTok

• TikTok’s main appeal is it’s FYP where you are only scrolling through content curated by an algorithm by the app based on your activity
• The random & somewhat unregulatable nature of the content on TikTok can expose kids to especially harmful content if not monitored�
• The app mostly promotes challenges or trends; whatever is considered popular at the moment�
• Some examples of trends include:
• Get ready with me / GRWM
• A Day in the Life
• Hauls (ex: shopping, Amazon, etc)
• Pranking people in public, sometimes even faking crimes, in order to get a reaction�
• All of these trends mentioned can be dangerous or create a sense of FOMO which can lead to feelings of anxiety, inadequacy, and depression

TikTok

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Group Texting

• While not necessarily a social media platform, group texting has becoming increasingly popular among younger aged middle school students�
• Participants will add a classmate to the chat, tease them (‘spamming’), and then kick them out�
• Once kicked out, there is no way to enter back in unless someone invites you to join again

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• This creates a sense of isolation and an environment for bullying

Social Media & Mental Health

Negative Aspects of Social Media

• Many studies have found a strong link between excessive social media use and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts
• Social media promotes:
• Negative thoughts about life or appearance
• Fear of missing out (FOMO) and social media addiction
• Isolation: A study at the University of Pennsylvania found that high usage of Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram increases rather decreases feelings of loneliness. Conversely, the study found that reducing social media usage can actually make you feel less lonely and isolated and improve your overall wellbeing.
• Depression and anxiety, cyber-bullying, and self-absorption

Causes of Unhealthy Social Media Use

• FOMO
• Kids are constantly worried they may miss something if they aren’t on social media (gossip, invitation, important conversation, etc.)�
• Using social media as a security blanket
• Students use social media to escape feelings of anxiety or awkwardness when in social situations, which in turn prohibits them from learning how to deal with social anxiety and isolates them even further�
• Masks other potential problems
• Stress, depression, or boredom

Signs of Unhealthy Social Media Use

• How do I know if my child needs a break from social media?
• Spending more time on social media then with friends or engaging in activities they once enjoyed
• Comparing themselves unfavorably to others they see on social media
• Experiencing cyberbullying
• Engaging in risky behaviors in order to obtain likes/comments
• Play risky pranks, engage in cyberbullying, or post mature content
• Suffering from sleep problems
• Increase in anxiety and depression
• Increased anger/dysregulation if phone is taken away

Social Media Cycle

Teen starts using social media

Starts spending more time on social media, sleeping less, seeing friends less.

Mood worsens due to increase in phone use and decrease in sleep/face to face experiences.

Worsening mental health - Socially anxious or depressed youth with little coping strategies.

Helping the Kids in Your LIfe Navigate Social Media

• Educate yourself
• Look into what apps your kids might be using & how they function
• Age restrictions
• Make sure to try and follow age restrictions on apps
• Time restrictions
• Look into adding a time restriction
• Downside to time restrictions?
• Talk to your child about underlying issues
• Anxiety/depression
• Conflicts in school

• Content filters
• In the settings of certain apps you can filter out certain tags or keywords
• Lead by example
• Set the tone: Begin your conversation in a calm and neutral tone.
• Teach your child how social media is not an accurate reflection of people’s lives.

Q&A?

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• What are other trends are you seeing?�
• What functions of apps do you not understand/need more help navigating?�
• What concerns do you have now?�
• Any questions specific for the students presenting? Ms. Blieden?

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