We all want to feel loved.
We all want to be seen and heard for who we are.
When we are beside our spouse, with our parents, amongst our family, friends, classmates and co-workers, we want to be acknowledged as a worthy person.
As young people, the human brain is developing and learning to be able to live in an adult world. The need to feel loved and accepted is especially strong in teenagers. Many teens have turned to social media in an attempt to feel known, connected, and loved. This is evident by the number of teenagers using social media. Universally, up to 95% of teenagers ages 13-17 use social media and as many as one-third say they are addicted!
Social media provides a false feeling of love and acceptance, and this is having an impact on teen(and adult’) mental health. The US Surgeon General, as well as the leaders of six national medical organizations are expressing concerns of the impact social media is having on the mental health of our teenagers.
To learn more about this pertinent topic, here is the report: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/23/surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-about-effects-social-media-use-has-youth-mental-health.html
Are the kids in your life using your phone or computer, or have you banned them completely till they are older? No matter which side you fall on, the cautions to be wary of are present. This article, written from the perspective of a formerly addicted teen, will teach, or remind, you of the importance for your involvement as a parent in their phone usage.
3 Precautions to Consider Before Letting Your Child Join Social Media (covenanteyes.com)
In January 2024, leading tech executives faced the Senate Judiciary committee. Their topic?
The harm social media has on children. The executive’s reaction? “All of the tech leaders said their platforms have increased efforts to remove dangerous content.” Yet, the execs have NOT agreed to supporting bipartisan legislation to ACTUALLY put measures in place to help kids be less addicted and safe from explicit content. Here is the article: https://wng.org/sift/social-media-ceos-questioned-about-safety-measures-for-children-1706735222; or listen to the podcast version (with typed transcript) here:https://wng.org/podcasts/culture-friday-tech-billionaires-know-social-media-is-harmful-1706834292
As we have said before, TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN, face to face, about their media usage and how they are treating their phones. The Lord did not rebuke even the greatest of sinners, He spoke to them with love and a word of instruction that they would learn to live by. May we look to this example, and the guidance of The Word, to stand firm on our morals when dealing with our children’s internet and media usage.
*Please note, that although we have found valuable information from an external web page for our blog post, we do not endorse all information, religious views and opinions posted on these third-party websites