James Donaldson on Mental Health - Social Media and Self-Doubt

Social media and teenagers: How to help What can parents do to help kids build a safe and reasonable relationship with social media before they’re out on their own?

Don’t underestimate the role social media plays in the lives of teenagers.

Visual images are very powerful, and teenagers today, the things that happen online — slights, break-ups, likes, or negative comments — are very real.

When you talk about social media make sure you’re really listening and be careful not to dismiss or minimize their experiences.

Encourage them to think outside the (crop) box.

When you talk to your child about social media, encourage them to explore it in a more critical way.

A great way to start is to try asking them what they think has been cropped or edited out of their friends’ “perfect” pictures and why.

That can lead to larger questions.

Do you think your friends are really the people they appear to be online?

What is it about getting “likes” that feels good?