Parenting Tips: Here's how social media impacts your teenage kids

From WhatsApp to Instagram, social media is a prominent part of everybody’s life today, teenagers are no exception. They share information and images via social media that allows them to communicate and document everything they do. This seems fine until the time your kid starts sharing information with people he or she doesn’t even know in person, which happens quite often. 

Sharing information on the internet can make them a victim of sexting, cyberbullying and online predators which can have a bad impact on their mental health and wellbeing. Here’s the thing, teenage is a tender age when kids press the boundaries and take risks, without thinking about the consequences. They don’t think too much before sharing personal information via social media. However, social media shouldn’t be completely taken away from your teenager. The more you will stop them the more angsty your kid will get. 

The key here is to set some boundaries and have a friendly conversation with your child to keep them safe. But for that, you need to understand how social media can affect them. 

1. Depression 

Social media is an open forum to state your opinions and people often use it as a way to demean or insult their counterparts. This can happen to your teenager and they can fall prey to social abuse. The constant need to be accepted by others can drive your kid into the state of emotional disturbance. 

2. Virtual Friends and Obsession

Social media connects people and teenagers today meet most of their friends online, often referred to as virtual friends. They get attached to them and feel upset when they don’t reply or talk to them. They take it too seriously which does not end well. 

Parents should have a healthy conversation to guide them on how to deal with such situations. 

3. Anxiety 

Social media has a weird culture that nobody understands but tries to follow. One thing becomes a trend and you see everybody doing it. Teens are often emotionally and mentally invested in their social media accounts. They feel the pressure to have perfect photos, videos and well-written posts, which can make them anxious. 

4. Cyberbullying 

One of the major threats that exist when it comes to social media is cyberbullying. A cyberbully is defined as a person who uses technology to harass, embarrass, intimidate or stalk someone. Victims of cyberbullying often end with mental health problems like stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and prone to suicidal thoughts. 

5. Sleep Deprivation 

Teenagers are constantly worried about what their friends are posting online. So, they get up late and keep a track of everything if not prompted to stop. 

6. Low self-esteem 

There are many influencers on social media and chances are your kid is following them religiously. In such a case, they try to copy or mimic the people they admire which is not a problem if done healthily. However, most of the time, this imitation negatively impacts their self-respect and dignity.  

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