Social media has a dramatic influence on many young people and poses unique challenges for parents. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago recently polled nearly 3,000 current or recent parents of teenagers to better understand their most pressing concerns and challenges with social media, as well as trends in behavior exhibited by their children.
They found 58% of parents think social media has a net negative effect on their teens. 68% believe social media affects their teen’s ability to socialize normally and 67% have felt concerned their teen is addicted to social media. Top parental concerns regarding social media use: 1. Not sleeping enough 2. Not enough physical activity 3. Not enough focus on schoolwork 4. Unhealthy need for approval or attention 5. Not enough face-to-face interaction. Most concerning platforms: 1. Instagram 2. Snapchat 3. TikTok 4. Facebook 5. YouTube.63% of parents report their teen’s use of social media has increased during the pandemic, though more parents (45%) are appreciative of social media during this crisis than those who are increasingly concerned about it (39%). 80% of parents have set rules around phone and social media use, 43% have used an app to monitor or restrict device and internet use and 50% have censored their teen’s posts, at some point telling them to remove content.
