Finding a Healthy Balance with Social Media

Have you noticed your child feeling less motivated at home, school or social gatherings?

Have you noticed your child's self-esteem or confidence levels drop lately?

If you answered “yes”, “maybe” or “I guess so” to any of the questions above; your child may be affected by the amount of time they are spending on Social Media. You may be asking yourself, “how’s social media related to how my child is feeling?” Which is what we will be diving into, analyzing, and then exploring some healthy alternatives.

Most phones have a way to look at how much time one has been spending on their phone. If they have an iPhone for example, it’s called “screen time”. To find this information you can go to their homepage and scroll all the way to the left. Once you have scrolled to the left, if you scroll up you will be able to see their “Screen Time”. Their screen time shares the amount of time your child has been active on their device. Not only that but the phone has the capability of categorizing the “Screen Time”. You will see it categorized as either Social, Productivity & Finance, or Entertainment and it shows which applications they use the most.

This can be helpful in figuring out if your child is spending too much time on social media.

“With the development of social networks, the time children and adolescents spend in front of the computer screens has significantly increased. This has led to the further reduction of the intensity of interpersonal communication both in the family and in the wider social environment. Although social networks enable an individual to interact with a large number of people, these interactions are shallow and cannot adequately replace everyday face-to-face communication” (Pantic, 2014).

So many changes are taking place.

In the past decade, an increase in social networking has created a new era of social communication for all of us and especially for youth.

No longer is meeting, interacting, learning, or providing services done only in person. Everything can be done online.

During the current Covid-19 Pandemic we have seen the rise of online activity in areas such as the Department of Commerce, Education, Labor, and Social Networking. In other words, this pandemic has increased the amount of time that we interact with our electronic devices. The pandemic has not been the first global event in history, but it has been the first global event where we have had such power to connect in the palm of our hands.

As human beings, we need social interactions in our daily lives. For many of us, having to quarantine drove us to try to find ways to find that social interaction that seemed to disappear so quickly. Now that things are slowly going back to normal (a new normal) we are having to adapt to new changes.

For some youth this transition may be smooth, but for others, it may take some time to adjust.

In these past two-and-a-half years, it has felt as if we were taken inside an airplane that was being constructed as it was being flown. No instructions and a lot of turbulence. In other words, we have all been witnessing a worldwide traumatic event without any instructions on how to navigate it.

Why does my child’s self-esteem and confidence seem lower lately?

In this era of online social networking, we have found our children and even ourselves trying to stay up to date with all the current events and trends.

Due to many traumatic events, such as mass shootings, political unrest and the pandemic, it's hard not to constantly pay attention to the news.

There are also so many social media trends that captivate the attention of our children. There is so much happening every day on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Discord and other platforms. This flow of constant information and entertainment can be addictive and dangerous for all of us if we don’t find a healthy balance.

Every social media platform has influencers, which are people or organizations who have an expert level of knowledge or social influence in their field. Influencers often share content that tries to sell us an ideal life that can create anxiety and unhappiness.

For some young people, this may not be a big issue, but for others, it becomes an unachievable goal that blurs reality. Our children have grown up with this reality and it leads to some serious challenges.

So, how can I help my child find a healthy balance?

In order to help your child live a more balanced life, they need to understand how to make positive changes. In many ways, children are a reflection of their parents or guardians and they are certainly paying attention.

As parents or guardians, it’s important that we lead by example and maintain healthy habits for ourselves.

Here is a list of things that may be impacting your child’s motivation, self-esteem, and confidence.

1. How much sleep and rest is your child getting each night?

   1. You may need to help your child by encouraging them to put their electronic devices to sleep first; so that it gives their eyes, brain, and body some rest.

   2. Not getting enough sleep has a significant impact on your child’s functioning. This can cause a child to be less attentive and focused during daily activities.

   3. Sleeping is essential for our minds and bodies. Good sleep hygiene is challenging, but so important, especially during the teen years.

2. What kind of eating habits does your child have?

   1. Make sure that your child is getting enough nutrients in their bodies by having at least three meals per day.

   2. Eating healthy food regularly is necessary for their bodies and minds. Not eating enough or eating unhealthy foods will affect their energy levels and their moods.

3. How much time is your child spending online?

   1. In order to create change, it’s important to understand how much time your child is actually spending online, socializing, playing games, watching videos and even doing homework.

   2. Most kids and teens need help regulating their amount of screen time. They often don’t want these limits, but they are necessary.

   3. Also, children need both a physical and a mental break from being indoors so much. Spending time in nature, changing up routines and socializing with people in real life are all important.

4. How is your personal self-care?

   1. Self-care isn’t just about getting massages, manicures or pedicures. It involves engaging in activities that meet your personal needs. Self-care can include things like fishing, playing an instrument, dancing, cooking, painting, going to the gym, reading, hiking or trying out something new. Even playing video games counts as self-care!

   2. Make sure you have good boundaries between your work and your family time. This can be especially tough for people who often work from home. Life is busy and full. You want to be careful to avoid burnout. Healthy boundaries will benefit your family and also set a good example.

   3. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to care for your children the way you want to.

It’s vital to truly understand your child and their needs, both physically and emotionally.

If your child can tell you what they need and accept your help, they will end up feeling less stressed and anxious.

If you are having trouble supporting your child in making positive changes, counseling can help.

Parent coaching, individual counseling and even family counseling can be useful.

If you or your child needs help, feel free to reach out to us today!