It can be a difficult to understand why your teenager uses social media so much. It might seem like they’re always online, and always distracted from the life in front of them. This page will help you learn more about social media and teens, why it matters to them, and what the risks and benefits of social media can be.

Why teens use social media?

Social media is a way for teenagers to stay in touch with their friends. Teens have always talked after school, long before social media – hanging out at the bus stop, at the local park, chatting on the phone – now they just have a different platform to do so.

It is an important part of socialising and connection in the modern world. Teenagers and social media use is increasing, the main reasons teenagers regularly use social media include:

• talking to friends
• joining in on group conversations
• learning about current events and staying up to date with online content
• meeting new people
• not having anything to do, or feeling bored
• feeling like they might miss out if they aren’t always up to date with social media.

What are the benefits of social media for teenagers?

Being socially connected is very important for the psychological development of your child, and in this day and age, the online environment is where they get a lot of this. By connecting with others through social media, your child could:

• develop better social skills
• feel less isolated
• learn about new cultural and societal ideas and issues
• bond with their friends
• have fun
• be creative and share their own ideas with friends
• be better equipped to be active citizens in society
• develop real world skills to help them become more independent
• learn about world events and current affairs outside of their immediate environment.

What are the risks of using social media?

Like any form of social engagement, social media comes with risks. Some of the most common risks include:

• spending too much time online and being disconnected from the real world
• being the victim of online bullying
• damaging your online reputation
• having your personal information shared online
• being harassed or annoyed by someone you do not want attention from
• being the victim of an online scam
• having reduced self-esteem (for some teenagers).

Just like in the offline world, there are things you can do to protect your child from these risks. It’s important to prepare them for how to respond if these things do occur. Check out our ‘things to try’ for tips and ideas on minimising the risk of using social media.

Sometimes teenagers can feel a ‘compulsion’ to check their social media accounts frequently, but this is generally only in extreme cases. Helping your teenager to develop positive habits like taking regular breaks from checking social media, and making sure notifications are turned off so that their mobile device isn’t distracting can help reduce the compulsion to check in with social media so often.

When to know if something is wrong

Whatever your child is doing, it’s important to be aware of their behaviour and their wellbeing. If you notice big changes in:

• their energy levels and enthusiasm for offline life
• their engagement in normal conversation
• the amount of time they spend doing other activities, like sport, homework, and other hobbies
• their self esteem and sense of self worth,

Then it might be good to talk to them about their use of social media.

Versuade Pakistan – Fareeha Robert