BENEFITS AND DANGERS OF TEEN TECHNOLOGY USE

[Editor’s note: This advice comes from Robbie’s Hope: “A movement. An uprising of teens to help other teens. We’ve made it our mission to stop the suicide epidemic that’s taking the lives of our friends.”]

Benefits:

There certainly are benefits of using technology for teens, such as:

• Staying in touch when not physically together. Video messaging and video calls done through Zoom, FaceTime or group chats can connect teens to other teens and parents/trusted adults when physically not together.
• Promoting creativity. Technology can be used to efficiently promote creativity, which can help minimize anxiety, depression and other distressed emotions for teens.
• Improving learning. Technology can provide school and classroom materials that can enhance learning. It can also help teens stay organized and take notes.
• Creating and listening to music, which can be relaxing and improve a teen’s mental state.

Dangers:

Technology can also negatively impact mental health. Remember, these dangers have been identified by teens for teens. Some of the most important ones include:

• Posting to social media. Following the number of likes on a post can be harmful. When using social media, focus on posting the true self, not what would generate the most likes. Post both the perfect and the not so perfect. Practice self-control when posting on social media. Do not overrepresent yourself, and don’t hide imperfect parts of yourself.
• Following others on social media. When viewing posts of others on social media, make sure to remember that it is not the whole story. For example, teen girls can be influenced by older girls who post in swimsuits or other revealing clothes. Don’t compare yourself to these pictures. They are only pictures and do not represent reality.
• Cyberbullying does exist. It’s important to educate yourself about the dangers of cyberbullying and how it can impact your mental health. Also, if you see any type of cyberbullying occurring to someone else, do something about it. Don’t be a bystander! Ignoring bullying on social media or texts is the same as watching it happen in person and doing nothing about it. (It can be helpful to watch the movie Cyberbully.)
• Beware of sexting. While it’s more prevalent in middle school than high school, it can exist across both. It is harmful for a variety of obvious reasons, including ruining self-confidence and reputations (sadly, mostly for girls), and it can put teens into situations that they simply aren’t prepared for. Therefore, it’s important for parents to start dialogues with their teens early to acknowledge the potential that they will be, or already have been, subject to this difficult issue so they can help them understand how best to handle and avoid it in the future.

SIGNS OF TECHNOLOGY ABUSE

Below are some general red flags for parents to watch out for so they can identify if their teen is engaging in the unhealthy use of technology. Remember, you’re not looking for a single instance of technology abuse but rather a pattern of repeated incidents that indicate a problem.

• Excessive dependence on the phone. Measure weekly versus daily use. If there are signs of significant use or activity along with any signs of anxiety, depression or suicide, an important conversation needs to occur. Use apps or functions to self-monitor total screen time. (Check the Resources section at the end of the handbook for suggested apps.)
• Increase in dependence for online reaffirmation from social media apps, which could create an unhealthy usage of technology. A teen could possibly shy away from real-life interactions and instead look for more instant gratification online.
• Using technology during group gatherings rather than living in the moment and being present with others.
• You find or notice your teen engaging in online pornography. While this can be an uncomfortable topic to talk about, it is nonetheless relevant. Pornography is a persistent and readily available temptation, especially for males. The following tips are helpful recommendations for how best to address this issue with your teen and talking points to cover:

1. Porn is an objectification of the same or opposite sex in an unhealthy way.
2. It can lead to other behaviors that are demeaning and damaging to another person’s mental health.
3. Sexual health is an important topic and should be a regular conversation between adults and teens

Some danger signs              A teen does some of these things:

• Says “I wish I had more followers”
• Constantly checks likes
• Has negative self-talk about his or her image
• Has a highly emotionally charged reaction if the phone is taken away
• Resists setting personal limits on screen time (daily or weekly)

These pages are from Robbie’s Hope’s Technology Handbook and are posted here with permission from Robbie’s Hope.

Please also remember the new national crisis and suicide lifeline: 988–if you or someone you know needs immediate help.

Like most of the pictures on TeensParentsTeachers, the picture posted with this article is courtesy of a free download from Pixabay.com.