Summer break is upon us and even though our kids won’t be on campus with their friends every day, they can keep the social scene alive on their favorite social media sites.
In a CNN Special Report about the network’s study on social media and teens child development experts found some disconnects between what parents think they know about how their kids are feeling and how kids report they are actually feeling. Almost 94% of parents underestimated the amount of fighting that happens over social media and 60% underestimated how lonely, worried and depressed their kids were. Instagram posts of happy selfies present an image that can fool even us. Subtly hurtful comments on Twitter can elude us.
A Common Sense Media study found that "the majority of tweens say their parents know 'a lot' about what they do on social media. " But, as kids get a little older, that sentiment changes. In that same study "teens say only about one third of their parents know 'a lot' about what they do online or what they do on social media."
I believe in really connecting through in-person conversations with our kids and a good dose of quiet listening. Here are some questions to get the whole family started on sharing their experiences, beginning with yours:
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
Summer break is upon us and even though our kids won’t be on campus with their friends every day, they can keep the social scene alive on their favorite social media sites.
In a CNN Special Report about the network’s study on social media and teens child development experts found some disconnects between what parents think they know about how their kids are feeling and how kids report they are actually feeling. Almost 94% of parents underestimated the amount of fighting that happens over social media and 60% underestimated how lonely, worried and depressed their kids were. Instagram posts of happy selfies present an image that can fool even us. Subtly hurtful comments on Twitter can elude us.
A Common Sense Media study found that "the majority of tweens say their parents know 'a lot' about what they do on social media. " But, as kids get a little older, that sentiment changes. In that same study "teens say only about one third of their parents know 'a lot' about what they do online or what they do on social media."
I believe in really connecting through in-person conversations with our kids and a good dose of quiet listening. Here are some questions to get the whole family started on sharing their experiences, beginning with yours:
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
In today's TTT, I have an excerpt from a new Screenagers Podcast episode where author Peggy Ornstein discusses the trend among teens of choking during sexual encounters, also known as sexual strangulation. Today's youth are exposed to highly sexualized material that previous generations never encountered. From online pornography to intense sex scenes in movies and shows like “50 Shades of Grey,” “Euphoria,” and "The Idol" as well as explicit content pushed to them on social media. This exposure has repercussions.
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In the latest episode of The Screenagers Podcast, New York Times best-selling author and adolescent psychologist Lisa Damour, Ph.D., discusses how to have healthier conflicts with our kids. For this blog, I share some of the highlights of the podcast. These are just the tip of the iceberg because, in the episode, you will hear fascinating science, issues around phones and school, Lisa’s parenting rules, and many more tips on having productive and calmer conflicts around social media, video games, and more.
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With Thanksgiving week upon us, today’s blog is about the nuanced world of family gatherings, where warmth and tension often intermingle. Moving beyond the picture-perfect imagery of Hallmark cards, I have some strategies to cope with family dynamics that can escalate holiday stress. I also share 4 joy-enhancing activity ideas.
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.
