Understanding the Impact of Influencers on Young Mindsđź’ˇ
Social media has drastically transformed the way many of us communicate, express ourselves, and receive information. A majority of today’s teens take in content daily from popular platforms like TikTok, YouTube, SnapChat, and Instagram, so it’s important to get a better understanding of how they are being impacted by digital influencers. Influencers are people who have a large following on social media platforms and are effectively influencing, for better or worse, the opinions and behaviors of their followers. They can be seen as trendsetters with aspirational lifestyles who have an effect on everything from what a young person buys to the way they talk. As you’re probably aware, influencers often present a perfectly curated version of their lives, which can lead to unhealthy comparisons for young people. And while influencers can have a positive impact on their followers, promoting messages like mental health support or body positivity, it can be helpful to take a look at the power they hold in the eyes of our kids and teens. Talking to your teen about influencers... By opening up the conversation surrounding social media influencers and their content with your child or teen, you’ll be helping them to absorb information more critically so that they’re better equipped to notice how it may be impacting their emotions and actions. Here are some tips to help you get started: Initiate the conversation. Check in with your child or teen about their relationship with social media. Ask how it makes them feel, what they enjoy most about it, and what they are finding challenging. Put away distractions so that you’re fully present for the conversation and help them to feel heard by repeating back what they’ve said. Take their experience seriously and try to understand what is going on from their perspective without attempting to jump right in and fix it. Navigating social media can be difficult for all of us, so let them know that they’re not alone in any struggles they’re experiencing and that they can always come and talk to you about their digital life. Discuss real life versus social media content. Take time to talk to your child about how influencers often present an altered version of reality online that does not include the real, messy aspects of life. They are also often paid to promote products, so their content may be influenced by sponsors. Influencers can also encourage unrealistic beauty standards thanks to filters, as well as materialism by urging followers to buy products that they endorse. Take time to scroll through social media with your child and point out what aspects do and do not reflect reality so that they can begin to do the same. Discuss unhelpful thoughts. Encourage your teen to begin to notice their thoughts as they scroll social media. Ask them if that voice inside of their head sometimes says critical things like, “I wish I looked like that” or “I’ll never be able to afford clothes as nice as theirs.” It’s completely normal to compare ourselves to others, especially when their lives look perfect online, but these thoughts can be painful to experience. Once they’re able to notice these unhelpful thoughts, teach your teen to try flipping them into more helpful thoughts like, “I love the way I dress” or “I know that this stuff isn’t real, and I like the way that I look.” It may feel forced at first, but simply noticing and negating unhelpful self-talk is a powerful way to help them feel their best. Clean up the feed together. Encourage your child to clean out the clutter from their social media feeds, just like they’d clean out their closet. Take notice of what accounts and content are bringing them joy or inspiring them, and which ones are causing them to feel like they’re not measuring up. Could they follow more accounts that focus on something they love, like art or nature? You can sit with them while they unfollow, block, or mute any content that is no longer making them feel their best. And you can even spring clean your feed right along with them to set a positive example and bring more mindfulness into your own digital world. Take tech breaks. Social media platforms are designed to keep us scrolling so it’s easy for young people to spend hours online each day. Create limits surrounding devices and set screen-free times and zones both inside and outside of your home. Encourage your child to prioritize real-life activities and connections with others. You can even come up with a list of tech-free activities that the entire family can turn to. Social media can be an excellent way for young people to connect with others, but it can also have a negative impact on the way that they feel. Be sure to check-in regularly with your child about their digital experiences and continue to open up conversations surrounding influencers, unhelpful thinking, and how they can access support. If you could use some help in navigating tech as a family, consider reaching out to a mental health professional.Top tips for helping your teen curate a healthier social media feed
That’s why it’s important to help your child better understand their relationship to social media now so that they can begin to build healthier habits for a lifetime. The risks of social media Social media app algorithms are designed to keep us hooked, so it’s understandable that your teen (and you!) can sometimes get sucked into endless scrolling sessions. The internet can be a fascinating place, introducing us to many things that we never would have experienced otherwise, but it can also begin to take away from the enjoyment of real-life moments and connections. We’re still learning more about how kids and teens are being impacted by apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, but recent studies have shown that spending three hours a day using social media was linked to a higher risk of mental health concerns for tweens and teens. And the Surgeon General has even issued an advisory about the effects of social media on youth mental health. Every child is different, but spending excessive amounts of time on social media may cause: Disruption in sleep patterns Decline in academic performance Less time spent connecting with friends and family Negative impact on body image An increased risk of cyberbullying, exposure to online predators, or catfishing Mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression We know that this list can be alarming, but rest assured that there are steps you can take to help your tween or teen have a healthier relationship with their social feeds. How to help your teen build healthier social media habits Since social media is likely here to stay, it’s important to have ongoing conversations with your child about how they can use these apps to positively enhance their lives. Here are some steps you can take right now: Have open, honest conversations. Frequently take time to talk to your teen about their relationship with social media, actively listening to their experiences while checking judgment and distractions at the door. You can start by asking thoughtful questions, like: What parts of social media do you enjoy? What parts do you like the least? How do you feel after spending time on social media? What role do you want social media to play in your day-to-day life? What does a healthy relationship with social media look like to you? Teach your teen to curate their feed. Explain to your child that it’s important to tend to your social media feeds like you would a garden, removing the weeds so that there is space for healthy crops to grow. Encourage them to notice as they scroll what content or accounts bring joy, inspiration, or connection. And ask them to pay attention to what brings up unhelpful thoughts or feelings. Then they can take some time to prune out what is not serving them well by unfollowing, blocking, or muting. You can connect by offering up an example of when online content impacted the way you felt and how you handled it. Talk about unhelpful thoughts. It can be easy to compare ourselves to other people’s perfectly-filtered images, but it’s not fair to compare our real, messy lives to highlight reels. Encourage your teen to notice when they hear that unhelpful voice inside their head, saying things like, “I’ll never look like that” or “My vacations are never that cool.” Being flooded with unrealistic beauty standards can take a toll on a young person’s sense of self, so help them to flip these thoughts into more positive ones like, “My body is healthy and strong, and I really like my sense of style.” Schedule tech breaks as a family. Remember to model healthy breaks from technology for your child. Can you work together to designate a chunk of time each day or week to unplug together? Maybe it’s taking Friday night as a “Tech Shabbat” where you can cook a meal together or have a family game night. Or maybe it’s Sunday morning so you can take a nature walk together. Can you create “screen-free zones” within your home, like the dinner table or your bedrooms? Help them prioritize hobbies, responsibilities, and IRL relationships. Explain to your teen that you understand it’s easy to get lost in a scrolling session and support them in better organizing their time. Help them to prioritize the things they have to do (like homework or chores), along with the things that they love to do (like spending time with friends or playing sports) before spending time on their screens. Teach online safety. Let your teen know that it’s easy for people to pretend that they are someone else online. Tell them to never share personal information online and to never agree to meet up with anyone that they don’t know. Encourage them to report and block all trolls and to come to you if anyone makes them feel uncomfortable or if they experience bullying online. Ensure they have a support system in place. Let your child know that so many people have complicated relationships with social media, and they are never alone. Encourage them to come to you if they are struggling. And consider reaching out to a mental health professional if you or your teen could use support in navigating the challenges surrounding social media. We know that it can be difficult to stay involved with all of your teen’s online activities, but by having frequent open and honest conversations about the impact of social media, you’re letting your child know that they can always come to you, no matter what. Remember that you don’t have to do this alone, so reach out to a mental health professional anytime you could use some extra support.
