I thank my daughter, Tessa, for this guest blog. She wrote it as the introduction to a paper for a college course this past Spring. The paper had to deal with screen time issues.
Tessa discusses TikTok and, most importantly, links to 7 TikTok posts that came into her feed.
When watched with your child, these clips provide a unique, and I would add an awesome, way to have a conversation about TikTok and related media without having to look directly at your child’s feed (if they have TikTok).
As opposed to looking at your teen’s feed with them, which can often cause them to feel defensive or irritated, this greatly decreases that from happening.
Keep in mind that Instagram Reels, YouTube shorts, and Snapchat media all now provide short videos that are essentially the same as TikTok videos. (Are we the least bit surprised?)
After reading Tessa’s blog and the clips she shares, be sure to look at the “Questions to get the conversation started” at the end. I have created questions that accompany each of the TikTok videos.
*Of note, some of the TikToks mentioned have sensitive issues, so you may want to preview these quick 7 TikToks and decide which to share with your child.
As the seasons rapidly change, how I will spend my summer manifests in my mind.
I’m lying on a faded beach towel, the UV is a level eight, and my left hand holds a drink regulating my temperature through clanking ice cubes. My gaze stays glued to my right hand. I swipe up on TikTok. An 8-second video of Emma Chamberlain and Kendall Jenner mixing an Espresso Martini plays out. I swipe up again with no reaction. I don’t think I blink my eyes.
A young woman with the “angel number” 111 floating on the screen recites my future month’s expected emotional experience. Swipe. One couple salsa dances to reggaeton. Swipe. A 6-second Matt Rife stand-up sketch on autism. Swipe. Alix Earle’s “get-ready-with-me”. Swipe. An 8-second flash of a young boy shot in Gaza. Swipe. Pookie and Jett’s “outfit of the day”.
TikTok makes it difficult for us to discriminate between what is important and what is less important. TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and other short-form content feeds make it challenging for users to discern between types of information: trendy, fake, click-bait, cultural, politically incorrect, trivial, distressing, and capitalistic.
The rapid-fire succession of juxtaposing content numbs the human brain through a sort of sensory overload. The lines between entertainment, education, and serious issues become blurred. This can lead to desensitization or a lack of critical thinking about the content being consumed. I am curious about how that mental shift can carry over to other vital times when thorough, critical thinking is required.
I eventually began to wonder to myself how short-form media content became so well curated and catchy that three hours have passed, and my barely sunscreened body has become lobster red.
Reading non-fiction to understand the inner workings and motivations behind big-tech companies empowered me to critically rethink my actions towards my average of 150 habitual phone pick-ups per day. Four books published as recently as March 2024 are great choices to pick up instead of swiping up on TikTok this summer.
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I thank my daughter, Tessa, for this guest blog. She wrote it as the introduction to a paper for a college course this past Spring. The paper had to deal with screen time issues.
Tessa discusses TikTok and, most importantly, links to 7 TikTok posts that came into her feed.
When watched with your child, these clips provide a unique, and I would add an awesome, way to have a conversation about TikTok and related media without having to look directly at your child’s feed (if they have TikTok).
As opposed to looking at your teen’s feed with them, which can often cause them to feel defensive or irritated, this greatly decreases that from happening.
Keep in mind that Instagram Reels, YouTube shorts, and Snapchat media all now provide short videos that are essentially the same as TikTok videos. (Are we the least bit surprised?)
After reading Tessa’s blog and the clips she shares, be sure to look at the “Questions to get the conversation started” at the end. I have created questions that accompany each of the TikTok videos.
*Of note, some of the TikToks mentioned have sensitive issues, so you may want to preview these quick 7 TikToks and decide which to share with your child.
As the seasons rapidly change, how I will spend my summer manifests in my mind.
I’m lying on a faded beach towel, the UV is a level eight, and my left hand holds a drink regulating my temperature through clanking ice cubes. My gaze stays glued to my right hand. I swipe up on TikTok. An 8-second video of Emma Chamberlain and Kendall Jenner mixing an Espresso Martini plays out. I swipe up again with no reaction. I don’t think I blink my eyes.
Many young people are overwhelmed by constant social media use, which can displace important activities like sleep, schoolwork, and friendships. Over 200 school districts are suing platforms like Meta for harms related to social media addiction. The blog covers what problematic social media use is from a clinical perspective and how our kids can talk with a friend (or family member) if they are worried their friend might have some level of problematic use.
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A week ago, Instagram announced changes to its rules for “Teen Accounts.” All new teen users will be defaulted into these accounts, and current teen users will transition over the next two months. Instagram’s head of Products, discussed these changes, and one comment surprised me. She mentioned that teens aged 13 to 16 will need parental permission to have a public account, hoping this would encourage dialogue between teens and parents about social media use. However, I feel this still puts too much responsibility on parents when we need broader societal solutions. I discuss this and the rest of the changes in today's blog.
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We have created a table that compares the 4 most common social media platforms and the specific ways they are similar and different. Spoiler alert, they are way more similar than different. It makes perfect sense since companies see what young people use on other apps and incorporate such features into their own apps.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
