while Federal Regulators weigh what to do about social media and kids parents of course are already wrestling with a long list of concerns one of the top worries the impact social media is having on our children's mental health according to the Pew Research Center 69 percent of adults and 81 percent of teens in the U.S use social media putting a large amount of the population at an increased risk of feeling anxious depressed or ill over their social media use Dr Frank McGeorge is here with the r
esults of a new survey and how families can better navigate this ever-changing digital world as adults struggle to put limits on their own social media use and recognize that certain content can have a negative impact on their mood and emotions they are painfully aware of the potential risks to their children experts say it's become a threat that kids can't and shouldn't manage on their own as Colin Rick's kid's interest in social media grows so do his worries about how it's affecting them they
start comparing themselves to other people and I think some of those platforms and the lack of restrictions it opens the door for that self-reflection probably too soon bullying and harmful content on social media can contribute to depression anxiety and decreased self-esteem a new National survey by the on our sleeves movement for children's mental health finds half of parents have noticed their children's mental health suffer due to social media use in the past year expecting a child whose bra
in is still under development to set their own boundaries and know when something is not right it's not fair pediatric psychologist Dr Ariana hoet recommends creating a clear plan as a family to establish Limits schedule regular check-ins and create ways to ask for help it's also important to take an active role in monitoring a child's engagement and watching content with them and then as you're doing that you can start those open-ended conversations why do you like following this person what is
funny about this how do you feel when you're on social media it's something that's already helped Colin build trust with his kids us as parents we're not going to always be there and so that's why those conversations are critical and very very important so they're able to respond to those moments effectively now this is truly Uncharted Territory for most parents so I strongly recommend you check out some of the free resources that on our sleeves has created we'll put the link with this story on
the Health page at click on detroit.com back to you hey Dr McGeorge thank you and social media can spark a real conversation with your child and that can go both ways you can share what you're following and talk about how things make you feel ultimately parents need to model good social media habits and that might mean placing some limits on yourself as well
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