{"id":73413,"date":"2024-07-05T01:24:45","date_gmt":"2024-07-05T05:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=73413"},"modified":"2024-07-05T01:24:45","modified_gmt":"2024-07-05T05:24:45","slug":"what-can-you-do-if-you-think-your-teen-already-has-unhealthy-social-media-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-can-you-do-if-you-think-your-teen-already-has-unhealthy-social-media-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"What can you do if you think your teen already has unhealthy social media habits?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Many parents\u00a0are worried<\/a>\u00a0about how much their children use social media and what content they might encounter while using it.<\/p>\n

Amid proposals to\u00a0ban teenagers under 16yrs<\/a>\u00a0from social media and calls to\u00a0better educate them<\/a>\u00a0about being safe online, how can you tell if your child\u2019s social media use is already a problem? And what steps can take to help if there is an issue?<\/p>\n

It is easy to get hooked<\/strong><\/h4>\n

These platforms are designed in a way that\u00a0releases dopamine<\/a>\u00a0(the \u201cfeel-good\u201d hormone) for users. This can make it especially difficult for adolescents to resist.<\/p>\n

As\u00a0psychologists explain<\/a>, from the onset of puberty until the mid-20\u2019s, our brains are hypersensitive to\u00a0social feedback<\/a>\u00a0and stimuli.<\/p>\n

This means young people are more likely to engage in behaviours that can lead to praise or attention from peers and others. So it can be harder for a young person to resist responding to notifications or \u201clikes\u201d. Young people also are developing their impulse control, which can have implications for their scrolling habits and make it harder for them to stop.<\/p>\n

There are benefits and risks<\/strong><\/h4>\n

There are certainly many\u00a0benefits to social media use<\/a>, such as social connection, information and support. But there are also risks.<\/p>\n

Although it is not necessarily causal,\u00a0there are links<\/a>\u00a0between social media use and depression, anxiety, stress, sleep disorders, many aspects of cyberbullying and\u00a0body image issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So it is understandable if parents have concerns about their children\u2019s use of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat.<\/p>\n

Are we talking about a \u2018problem\u2019 or an \u2018addiction\u2019?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Often terms such as\u00a0\u201cproblematic\u201d and \u201caddiction\u201d<\/a>\u00a0are\u00a0used interchangeably<\/a>\u00a0when talking about social media use.<\/p>\n

But there is no consensus among experts about how to differentiate between them or even if they should be differentiated.<\/p>\n

Although\u00a0some researchers argue<\/a>\u00a0social media addiction presents in similar ways to other behavioural addictions such as gambling, it is not recognised as a clinical disorder.<\/p>\n

We need to be careful about referring to social media use\u00a0as a clinical disorder or addiction<\/a>. It can be more helpful to use terms such as \u201cproblematic\u201d or \u201cunhealthy\u201d until we know more.<\/p>\n

Is there any advice on how much time is OK?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Australian\u00a0guidelines suggest<\/a>\u00a0children and young people between five and 17 should spend no more than two hours of sedentary recreational screen time per day (not including school work).<\/p>\n

But as the\u00a0eSafety Commissioner notes<\/a>, there is no \u201cmagic figure\u201d. It depends on a range of factors such as a child\u2019s maturity and age, the\u00a0type and quality of content<\/a>\u00a0they are consuming and if it involves\u00a0watching alone or with a carer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are no specific guidelines around social media use.<\/p>\n

How can you tell if there\u2019s a problem?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Keeping track of what teenagers are doing online can be very difficult, especially if they have their own devices.<\/p>\n

So it means parents and carers will have to carefully consider their own child\u2019s situation and behaviour to work out if there is a issue. Things that can suggest a young person\u2019s use of social media\u00a0has become a problem<\/a>\u00a0include:<\/p>\n