JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — New guidelines recommend parents of young teens keep a closer eye on their social media use as experts have become increasingly concerned with its toll on mental health.
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The guidelines (Health advisory on social media use in adolescence (apa.org)), released in May by the American Psychological Association, said parents have to step in and have discussions with their kids at 10-years-old.
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“There’s a lot out there and it’s so hard to control and manage,” Maggie Kincaid said. Her 10-year-old daughter is just starting to use social media accounts. “She presses. She wants them. We talk about it. We’ll talk about it again next year and see how it goes but we really try to limit those.”
Dr. Jeff Goldhagen, the chief of the division of Community and Societal Pediatrics at UF Health, said studies show a dramatic increase in a link between social media and depression in teens.
“It’s critically important that we use this resource appropriately, but it does present challenges,” he said and added that young teens should not have more than two hours of screen time. “It’s the quality of screen time as well as the quantity of screen time.”
The APA said children are better off using social media for support, especially if they’re facing isolation. The organization recommends talking to your kids about privacy policies and the dangers of sharing data. It also said parents can give more privacy to teens themselves as they get older.
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“The balance between privacy and doing what’s in their best interest — protecting them from exploitation. That has to do with starting early,” Goldhagen said.
