I ran across a very interesting study last week about parents and social media. The gist of the study is that “teenagers who are connected to their parents on social media feel closer to their parents in real life.”
This makes sense to me because whether we like it or not and whether we think it is good or not, students value social media connections. They not only value them but actually find real meaning in them. Parents ought to take advantage of this and jump into social media. Unfortunately, according to the study, only 16% of parents are interacting with their kids through social media on a daily basis. As parents, we are missing a huge opportunity here!
Secondly, I am continually shocked by parents who do not know what their kids are doing online. I’m not a isolationist by any means but the Internet can be a dangerous place and the decisions that students make on what to post can stick with them forever.
Also, why in the world do we let our children into social arenas in which children and adults mix regularly–in which normal people and creeptastic people regularly mix, without keeping an eye on them? At the risk of offending parents…GET ONLINE AND OBSERVE YOUR KIDS!
So, now that I’ve yelled at you…I bet you’re wondering what social media apps you should get involved with. Well, I’m glad you asked. Here are (in my opinion) the most popular social media apps with teens…
1. Snap Chat: This is one of the only social media sites that scares me. Kids taking pictures and videos of themselves and send them to friends. The trick is that the pictures delete after only a few seconds leaving no trace of the images. A recipe for awesomeness…nope. I would recommend at least a conversation with your child about this app. I know quite a few parents who have banned this app. The worst thing about it is that you can’t monitor it.
2. Teens love Twitter. One of the reasons is that most parents aren’t on it. I personally use Twitter constantly. You’ll be dismayed by the stream-of-consciousness style of communication that teens often use but it will help you connect with your kid and you’ll learn a lot about the way he and his friends process life.
3. Instagram is fantastic. It’s all about sharing photos and videos. There are simple editing tools that make you look like a photography pro. You can also share photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook all at once. One of the great features of Instagram, Vine, Facebook and others is that you can “like” your kid’s posts or pictures without making an obnoxious comment that embarrasses her. “Liking” is an easy way to show support, approval or simply that you’re paying attention without being intrusive.
4. This app is very much like Instagram except exclusively video. Before Instagram added video it was the video app of choice for students. It may fall out of favor but for now many teens are still on it.
5. Many teens shy away from using Facebook for anything other than pictures because Facebook is so huge. And, most parents are already on Facebook so students go to other social media outlets to hide. If you aren’t on Facebook or are but aren’t friends with your kid you need to get on!
So if you’re a parents, get involved with social media. Leverage social media to help you invest in your kids’ lives. If you do, according to the study I read, it may actually deepen your relationships with your children.
