Social media addiction is peaking at the moment, and is expected to go out of parents’ hands. According to Common Sense Media, 38% of children aged between 8-12 years reported using social media. The same report showed these “tweens” have an average screen time of 4 hours and 44 minutes a day.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that social media has a more negative impact than positive points. Therefore, we’ll share all that you can do as a parent to get your child off-socials.
Let’s begin with the negative effects and signs of social media addiction.
The Negative Effects of Social Media
Social media platforms are designed to be addictive. The algorithms promote interesting content that releases dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical. In simple words, getting likes, comments, and ‘approval’ from people online makes users feel rewarded.
Therefore, they seek more of that ‘reward’ which leads to addiction. A 2011 report identified a phenomenon called “Facebook depression” that happens in teens due to excessive time spent on social media. Authors reported symptoms of depression, fear of missing out, and social comparison.
Additionally, the research reported an increased risk of cyberbullying and privacy breach with technology. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep children away from social media for numerous reasons.
Signs of Social Media Addiction in Children
Social media addiction doesn’t take long to build up. Here are 7 signs of social media addiction in children:
1. Excessive time on social media
The biggest sign of social media addiction is excessive time spent on screen. Notice if your child is neglecting their daily activities to spend “5 more minutes” there. You should also consider if they scroll online while eating or studying.
2. Isolation
Is your child spending more time in their room than usual? Are they apparently ignoring their friends and family? If yes, that’s another sign to look after.
According to a study, young adults who spent more time on social media became more isolated. The main reason why this happens is the way social media works — a small picture of life. Users become so engaged that they forget their reality.
3. Irritability and mood swings
Isolation can cause feelings of loneliness. Thus, making children feel irritated with quick mood changes. For example, a child using 6 hours of Instagram may feel irritated to perform basic tasks, such as bathing.
4. Boredom without a screen
Social media is addictive — enough to cause boredom without it. Let’s say you took away from your child’s phone for an hour to make them enjoy extracurricular activities. But instead, they feel bored without their phone. So, they do nothing.
5. Difficulty concentrating
Connecting to our previous point, children have a difficult time concentrating as they constantly seek social media content. Whether it’s while studying, eating food, or doing extracurricular activities, they cannot focus.
It’s because of the constant urge to check what the trends are upto. The anxiety to check the phone at every chance makes it hard to focus.
Also Read: How Short-Form Content Is Damaging Your Kid’s Mental & Physical Health
6. Disturbed sleep
The constant urge to check what others are upto may even affect your child’s sleep negatively. Night times are for sleep. However, watching content online can replace your child’s sleep cycle.
It can also cause anger issues, irritability, and anxiety in children and teenagers. In fact, disturbed sleep cycles may make them sleepless at most times. This can bring psychological, physical, and emotional distress.
7. Secretive online behaviour
If you see that your child is behaving suspiciously on their phone, it’s probably best to take a step forward. Online grooming and bullying happens frequently nowadays. So, it’s best to take action on time than later.
How to Save Your Child From Social Media?
The initial stage of getting your child or teen off social media will be hard. They might not talk to you and get irritated, but you can get it in control with these tips:
1. Comfort them and talk.
Avoid getting aggressive to your child or taking away their phone in one instance. Doing so can make them stubborn. Instead, comfort them first and then talk.
Show them how their excess social media usage is causing more damage to their life and studies than good. Let them know that they are capable of doing better than this. Get involved with them, but slow.
2. Set clear rules at home.
Create rules at home for screen time and smartphone usage. Not only your kids, but make other adults follow the same rules.
You can set rules such as “No Screen After 9 PM” and “No Screens While Eating”. This will help them learn to be in the present moment and improve their sleep schedules.
3. Watch your child.
Keep a quiet eye on your child. Check when they are using their smartphone, how much they’re using it, and who they are talking to. Ensure that they don’t come across any wrong people online.
4. Use parental control tools.
Parental control tools can help you track your child’s online activity, screen time, and also restrict what they can access online. Two free parental control tools that you can use are Google Family Link and Kaspersky Safe Kids.
5. Create a strict routine.
Create a routine for everyone at your home, especially your children. Make them go to bed, wake up, study, play indoor/outdoor games, and use screens at pre-decided times.
When they know what to do at a time, it will gradually make them leave the phone on the table. Remember that creating a routine will take time. Don’t expect them to follow a routine in a day.
6. Promote offline activities.
Encourage your child to play indoor or outdoor games, as per their preference. Give them options to choose from — such as carrom, ludo, racing, football, etc. You can also include these activities in their routine.
So, in moments when they use their phone, they will be learning new things.
Lastly, you need to ensure that you’re the most influential person to your child. So, as you ask them to have a low screen time, ensure that you do too! Over time, all of this will help with your child’s social media addiction.
Lastly, emphasise your role as a parent to be a positive light. Slowly, make them get off of social media completely.
Conclusion
To sum up everything, social media addiction is rising quickly in children and teens. It’s important for parents to address this as a real problem, and take actions early on. Deal with them calmly and have patience in the journey.
