Social Media Sandbox With Chris Vollum

For parents to support their children’s safe social media use, it’s essential that they understand the social media landscape that their children are engaging in. It is important for parents to speak to their children about social media use, so that when they come to a difficult crossroads online, they can make the right choices.

Chris Vollum was the first guest speaker in our Greenwood Parent Series: Setting the Stage for Lifelong Wellness. Chris led two workshops on November 13, where parents got hands-on experience with the ins and outs of the most popular social media platforms.

Chris Vollum, a public speaker and IT professional with over 25 years of experience, ran a well-received social media workshop at Greenwood last year. The parents who attended the session wanted to learn more, so Chris tailored this year’s sessions around their feedback. To accommodate parents’ different schedules, Chris ran the workshop twice, in the morning and the evening; nearly 70 parents joined in!

Participants got a crash course in Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. Chris covered the basics—like how hashtags are used to organize topics and conversations—before moving on to look at some niche features that have a big impact on teen users’ experience.

For example, Chris talked about Snapchat “streaks.” Users earn streaks when they and a friend send each other at least one photo for multiple consecutive days. For each day the streak builds, users earn points and badges; if either of them fails to send a photo on a given day, the streak ends and resets to zero. As they build up longer streaks and see the ones that their friends have achieved, many teens report feeling pressured to respond; they don’t want to be the one who breaks the streak.

Learning about features like streaks was invaluable for parents. Without knowing about this feature, parents may have trouble fully understanding why their child feels pressured to check their Snapchat daily. Mechanisms on other platforms, like Instagram’s stories which disappear after 24 hours, contribute to this pressure to be online every day. Having an understanding of social media platforms and the ways they are designed to keep users coming back means parents are better equipped to work with their children to develop healthy habits and expectations around social media.

Setting expectations was a major theme throughout the presentation. Chris suggested ways that parents can ensure their child is using social media safely while keeping conflict to a minimum. Setting clear expectations and rules early on can help. Chris also stressed the importance of modelling good social media behaviours. For example, teach them to respect other people’s privacy and consent by ensuring you have their permission to post photos of them on your social media accounts.

Chris balanced this discussion of potential risks that come with social media by also discussing some benefits. For example, many young people are connecting with universities they are considering applying to via social channels. Through social media, they learn about student life and academic opportunities, helping them find the right fit.

A parent who attended commented on how useful it was to hear the potential for positive interactions, alongside the negative side of social media. They continued, “It is always fascinating to hear an experts’ view on things so current and relevant. I love that the school is so invested and knows that social media is a huge part of high school life.”

Parents left the session with a more comprehensive understanding of how different social media platforms work, and how they can work with their children to ensure that their social media use is healthy and safe.

Keep an eye out for details about upcoming sessions focusing on Teens and Well-being in our Greenwood Parent Series.