Parents & Social Media: Doing The “Right” Things

Technology and social media are tools we all use. (Weekly screen time alerts are most definitely letting some of us know that our screen usage is up in the last year!) Our young people are turning to social media to stay in contact with their friends, peers, and dating partners. And while we may feel pressure as parents to heavily regulate and monitor screen time and social media use, we need to remember that social media is helping our youth stay connected to the people who are important to them. Instead of feeling obligated to ask them to put their phones away, what if we asked ourselves these questions before intervening?

• How is social media allowing my child(ren) to stay connected?

• What makes social media appealing to them?

• If a global health crisis happened when I was their age, what resources would I have wished were available to me so that I could have stayed in touch with my friends?

• How important were my friendships to me when I was their age?

At Ophelia’s Place, one of the things that we hear frequently is that parents feel so much pressure to do all the “right things” when it comes to monitoring social media and screen time. Maintaining boundaries with technology is important, and so is flexibility. After all, we are living in a global pandemic and our emotional and mental health should be a first priority. Staying connected to the people who are important to us helps.

If your child is on their phone more than they should be or you feel that you should be monitoring their screen time because it’s the “right thing to do,” remember to be gentle with yourself – we’re all still figuring this out, and you ARE doing all of the “right things.” 

For more advice on managing family life during COVID-19 check out our website for further blog posts, and stay up to date on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.