May 2023

Guiding Your Children Through Social Media Use with Rickelle Hicks, LMFT

Today, it can be hard to navigate social media with your children/ teens. Understanding what is the best for them in this ever changing world can be hard. We know that as parents you are hearing so many opinions. Today our behavioral health specialist Rickelle Hicks, LMFT dives into some tips on how to handle social media/phone use with your children!

1: "Wait 'Till 8th"

There is a concept right now called 'Wait 'Til 8th' . Our behavioral health specialists support waiting as long as absolutely possible to give your kids a phone. There are other alternatives for younger kids to stay in communication with you including Gizmo watches, Gabb phones and other devices connected with your cell phone carrier that can be linked to your account.

2: Bedtime Activity

Make sure your teen turns in their phone to you before bedtime. Research also reflects that nighttime use of phones was linked to sleep and mood issues.

3: Boundaries

Set clear boundaries based on safety. If those boundaries are crossed by your teen, the consequences need to be explicit also. For example, if they are direct messaging with someone they do not actually know, help them understand that many pedophiles troll adolescent accounts disguising themselves as someone who your teen would want to connect with.

4: Time Limits

Set time limits. Kids should not have access to their phones at all times. Cell phones are like the smallest slot machines. They create dopamine hits when something affirming or positive notifies them, and at the very same time, cortisol dumps when they don't receive the amount of attention they would have wanted from something posted.

5: Open Conversations

Talk with your kids about their feelings regarding social media. Try and make emotional language something accepted and normal in your home. Much of where anxiety and depression root from are feelings that are not externalized. Help your kids know that nothing is off limits for them to ask you about or express to you about how social media is impacting them. Offer to facilitate face-to-face hangouts for your kids and their friends. Absolutely nothing can replace real time relationships.

Bottom Line: The biggest thing to remember with social media is these are PSEUDO-relationships. Real, face-to-face relationships can never, ever be replaced. Encourage actual, real life opportunities for your teen to connect with their friends.Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram are all forums for teenagers to express themselves. It's truly become a cultural language. The problem starts to happen when kids start defining their identity on other's feedback to them on these platforms. We have all heard the stories of kids measuring how many likes and hearts they receive as a correlation to their self-worth.

If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Rickelle Hicks, call the office at (970) 609-7337 for more details.