Teens should receive training before entering the world of social media, says the APA

CNN
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The American Psychological Association is asking teens to get some training before they enter the sometimes fun but sometimes tense world of social media, according to new recommendations released Tuesday.

“Social media is not inherently harmful or beneficial to our youth,” said APA President Dr. Thema Bryant. “Just as we require young people to be trained to get a driver’s license, our young people need instruction in the safe and healthy use of social media.”

Bryant assembled an advisory panel to review the scientific literature on social media use and make recommendations for healthy use by teens, according to an APA news release.

The American Psychological Association’s Health Council on Adolescent Social Media Use has released 10 recommendations to guide educators, parents, policymakers, health and mental health professionals, technology companies, and teens.

The recommendations emphasize that teens should receive instruction in social media literacy and psychological development before joining social media, as well as occasional training to reinforce their knowledge as they go along, all to minimize potential harm.

They also advise that the use of social networks be adapted to the developmental stage of the child and that adults control it in the case of younger children.

Imposing limitations is also important when it comes to content that promotes self-harm, eating disorder behavior, discrimination, hate, cyber bullyingor that focuses primarily on beauty, according to the statement.

The recommendations also encourage limitations on when teens use social media, so as not to interfere with sleep or physical activity.

Optimal social media use will not look the same across all children, which is why the panel said the recommendations need to be combined with knowledge of individual strengths, weaknesses and context.

“Age-appropriate use of social media should be based on each adolescent’s level of maturity (eg, self-regulation skills, intellectual development, understanding of risks) and home environment,” the statement said.

As a clinical physician, Ohio-based psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour said she often recommends that families set different rules, even for different children in their household.

“The number one guideline when setting rules for kids is that it’s important to know your child,” she said.

There was also a lack of sufficient research on the use of social media by “youth from racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, socioeconomic, or differently-abled populations, and/or youth with chronic developmental or health conditions.” says the statement.

The APA also called for more investment in research funds to access more data.

Given the available research, the APA cannot say whether social media is helpful or harmful to young people, especially considering the risks of harmful content and the rewards of healthy socializing.

“Some parents vilify all social media as offering no value in a young person’s life, when it’s clear there are many benefits to learning to use social media tools creatively, appropriately and responsibly,” he said. michelle icardparent educator and author of “Fourteen Talks at Fourteen: The Essential Conversations You Should Have With Your Kids Before They Start High School.”

“At the same time, without proper mentoring and guidance, of course it can be detrimental,” he added.

But the APA will continue to monitor developments in current and future platform research, said Dr. Arthur C. Evans Jr., APA executive director.

“We hope these recommendations are helpful as we all try to keep up with the rapidly changing social media ecosystem,” he said.

When it comes to teens, safety is something we should do with them, not with them, said Damour, author of “The Emotional Life of Adolescents: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Teens.”

“I think this advisory provides parents with a roadmap for the kinds of helpful conversations they could have with their teens about how to use social media safely,” she said.

But how do you convince a teen to engage in safer use of social media? It’s about collaboration, Damour said.

“It is extremely important that we help tweens and teens understand that social media platforms have only one goal, which is to get their attention in order to make money,” he said. “We have excellent research showing that when adolescents are alerted to how adults are manipulating them, they become more resilient.”

It’s adults’ job to keep up with teens’ social media practices to make sure the content they see on these platforms is appropriate, she added. Social media feeds can generate dangerous content, so it’s important to know what to talk about with your teen.

“We want us, as adults, to be very aware of the content and rules in the digital environments where children spend time,” Damour said.

Teenagers experience much of their social lives on social media, and instead of being ashamed, we need to engage with the younger generation, he said.

“Rather than being against social media, the ad supports parents and is in favor of activities that we know promote healthy growth in children,” Damour added.