How to talk to your kids about social media

There’s no denying that social media is an important part of modern life, particularly for young people.

While social media can be a great tool for tweens and teens to connect with friends, there are also downsides. From cyberbullying and the normalisation of risky behaviours like sexting, to straining real-life relationships and breaching children’s privacy, navigating the online world can be tricky.

Here, we look at some of the positive and negative sides of social media, plus approaches for how your child can use it safely.

When used in a supervised, responsible way, social media can have a range of positive benefits for young people. These include:

• allowing them to access diverse perspectives
• helping provide instant or more accessible support when they’re feeling sad, anxious or having a difficult time
• providing an outlet for them to access a range of educational content
• allowing them to express creativity
• helping them connect and interact with friends and family, particularly when they live far away.

Research shows that, as well as smartphone use, social media use can heighten mental distress, including depression, plus self-harming and other detrimental behaviours in young people.¹

While there’s a range of reasons why a person might have a negative social media experience, some common things to look out for include:

Cyberbullying can involve harassment, teasing, embarrassment or intimidation through sending, posting or sharing negative, harmful or false content on digital platforms.

Children may be exposed to age-inappropriate or explicit content on social media. As well as being illegal, this can be detrimental to their wellbeing.²

Online platforms carry the risk of children encountering online predators, who may attempt to exploit their vulnerability or engage in grooming behaviours.

Excessive social media use can impact sleep and reduce time spent on other important activities, such as physical exercise and face-to-face interactions.³

Social media often unrealistically portrays other people’s lives. This can lead to a range of negative self-image problems, including disordered eating, social comparison and low self-esteem.⁴

Children might not fully understand the implications of sharing personal information online. This can lead to privacy breaches, identity theft or exploitation. Posting content that includes their real names, photos, locations or other personal information can make them an easy target for predators.

Creating boundaries around screen time can be an important part of safeguarding your child from the dangers of social media.

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care recommends:

• no screen time for children younger than 2
• no more than one hour per day of screen time for children aged 2 to 5
• no more than 2 hours per day of sedentary recreational screen time for those aged between 5 and 17 (not including schoolwork).⁵

To ensure that your child is safe online, you may consider:

• setting clear house rules and guidelines for social media use
• establishing open communication about the risks of social media
• using parental controls and privacy settings
• regular monitoring and guidance.

By talking with your child about social media, you may be able to help them:

• differentiate between reliable and unreliable sources
• understand the importance of protecting their personal information
• learn about setting boundaries and managing screen time
• learn the importance of treating others with respect online
• understand that what they see online doesn't always reflect reality.