Los Altos Elementary held a parent cyber safety meeting on Thursday, January 19, to discuss how children interact with social media and best practices parents can incorporate.
In this meeting the presenter spoke about common issues that kids and teens deal with online, what to look for, and how to help. The event began with attendees having an open discussion regarding what platforms their kids use, what the home rules around social media are, and what challenges they face.
Parents shared how many set time limits on devices and even collect devices at the end of the night. Parents also discussed how the culture of playing outside has changed and how that has had an impact on children spending more time on their devices.
After the discussion the presenter shared a video of real teens sharing their thoughts and struggles with social media. The video highlighted how social media impacts mental health, can often be a place of bullying, and can give teens the false idea that other people’s lives are a highlight reel since social media often only highlights people’s best moments.
With these struggles in mind, they offered four tips. First, lead with empathy by allowing kids and teens to share how they honestly feel and doing one’s best to try and understand. Second, combat comparison. Remind kids that social media feeds do not highlight every aspect of people’s lives, rather only the best parts. Third, use specific examples regarding how people curate their online content. For example, how a celebrity photoshops themselves or alters an image. Lastly, encourage connection over curation. Remind kids and teens to focus on fun and friendships both on and off the screen. Encourage them to connect with their friends in-person and remind them to spread positivity both on and off social media.
The meeting closed with attendees having another open discussion regarding how they can implement these tips at home. All attendees were also given a handout of resources for them to take home and refer to.