With kids headed back to school in a few weeks, an expert says now would be the ideal time for parents to start weaning them off of social media so they’ll be able to better focus on their studies.
Gerta Bardhoshi, a professor of counselor education at the University of Iowa, says don’t try and force them to quit everything cold turkey, but do offer suggestions on how they can start breaking what may be a slight addiction to their electronic devices.
“There are certain apps or time limits that students themselves can install — or parents can install — to help limit the time and exposure to social media,” Bardhoshi says, “and having a specific shut-off time where they don’t engage in online activity can be really helpful to preserve their sleep.”
How much is too much social media? Teenagers themselves may know they may have a problem. A recent survey found one-third of teens say they are online “constantly,” while another third said they spend “too much time” on social media.
“If they’re finding it hard to stop, if they are neglecting other duties or activities, so maybe they’re not spending as much time with friends, they’re not doing chores, if their behavior is changing or if their mood is changing, so if they’re feeling irritable and angry,” she says, “those are all signs.”
Bardhoshi is director of research and training at the UI’s Scanlan Center for School Mental Health. She says parents should be somewhat lenient and not try to push their child into giving up all social media, at least not all at once.
“I don’t recommend going cold turkey because we know a lot of teens are using social media sometimes as a replacement for social connection and also as a way of relaxing,” Bardhoshi says. “So I would recommend slowly developing some additional coping skills while limiting time.”
Kids will model their parents’ behavior and Bardhoshi says that includes when moms and dads set good examples, and not-so-good examples.
“Having a phone at the table or being on social media when you’re interacting with your children teaches teens that that is absolutely an okay behavior to do,” she says.
Establishing healthy boundaries around phone and social media use, Bardhoshi says, can benefit the entire family.