Technology Tips for Parents with Teens

Have you ever tried to get your child’s attention, when they’re scrolling through an endless stream of Instagram posts, Snapchat messages or TikTok videos? This can sometimes be easier said than done. 

Social media consumption has been highlighted as a significant factor impacting young people’s health. Comparison culture, fewer face to face interactions, hours of screen time, less physical activity, lowering attention spans, AI companionship, interactions with unknown people in the virtual world, the list goes on! Experts, like Jonathan Haidt (author of “The Anxious Generation”), have shown the correlation between how the creation of the smart phone, the forward-facing camera and social media platforms have significantly impacted the mental health of young people since approximately 2010. Haidt’s research explores how the technology uses a number of mechanisms to hook young people into various online arenas. He argues that these technologies are intentionally addictive, and young people's brains are being rewired in specific ways that are contrary to the way that humans have evolved for thousands of years, making us less healthy beings.

But what can we do about it? Technology is everywhere, integrated into almost every aspect of daily work, play and communication. Where is the help?

At Greenwood, we have been working to educate students to think critically about what is being consumed, participated in and engaged with online. This education is provided through a cross section of curriculum, including English, Media Arts, History and HPE courses. Additionally Greenwood has had guest speakers like Chris Vollum discuss positive Digital Citizenship, Jake Ernst discuss the importance of reducing screen time/social media consumption, and Jonathan Duviner discuss cyber security with students. 

Watch for upcoming sessions for parents/guardians and students on teens and social media later in the year. These sessions will be hosted by ConnectEd who Greenwood is currently partnering with and has recently provided a session for staff on supporting teens to develop social media literacy. 

Young people may need assistance when trying to reduce their use of these technologies that have become so prevalent in our lives. If you as a parent/guardian are interested in reducing the use of, or completely blocking designated apps, websites, content and screen time, below are some technological supports that adults can use to help set social media boundaries for young people. 

We have heard from some families that this type of resource would be helpful, so are sharing here some options collated by Jonathan Tepper, Greenwood’s Executive Director of Information Technology and Charles Jennings, Coordinator of Learning Technology. Please note that Greenwood does not specifically endorse any of these resources.

 

If your family has been looking for ways to decrease, deactivate, delete, downgrade or depart from social media or app consumption, we hope that the above platforms may offer a starting point for supporting the wellbeing of the young people in the Greenwood community.