Digital Smarts - Why Teens are Hooked on Social Media

Eighth-graders who participated in a CNN-backed study of social media habits cite their desire to see whether their posts were being liked or commented on as a primary driver for compulsive social media checking, bordering on addiction. More than 200 eighth graders from across the country allowed their social media feeds to be studied by child development experts who partnered with CNN. This is the first large scale study to analyze what kids actually say to each other on social media and why it matters so deeply to them.

So what can parents do about social media and the stress it puts on kids? Encourage your kids to put down their phones and do something else –play sports, go shopping, head outside and just have fun another way. Parents also need to get on these networks and see what it is like. Parents need to understand what it is like to be “liked” online and, on the flip side, to be excluded or to suffer some not-so-positive comments. And, as always, keep talking.  If you see your child is down and out after being on their device, ask them about it. Teens have always been concerned about popularity, but it takes on a whole new dimension when they can measure their status in likes, shares and comments. Parents can and should help their kids keep it all in perspective.