We have talked to countless parents about this topic. We’ve preached about being proactive until we’re blue in the face.
But the reality is that you may give in to your tween’s whining, sobbing, begging, and get them the phone.
Then, the begging for social media comes in.
We see our job to educate parents for the reality of the world we live in. We aren’t anti-tech or anti-phone.
We are all about educating yourself about the dangers of the internet, as well as the tricky balance of mental health.
Just this week, the Surgeon General has publicly announced that kids should not join social media until 13. While many apps have always had age-restrictions set to 13 years old, plenty of kids have found ways to circumnavigate these rules and suggestions.
We know from research that the exposure of social media, seeing what peers are doing 24/7, oversharing, screenshotting, inadvertent exposure to adult content…all messes with a teen’s identity development and self-esteem.
As a parent (and therapist) you may be asking: When is the right time to give my child a smartphone? With peer pressure mounting, friends getting phones younger and younger, and “everyone else has it” dynamics swirling, it can feel like you’re constantly behind the curve. But as a therapist working with kids, teens and neuro-divergent young people, I want to help you make a decision based on readiness, not just age or external pressure.
There’s parenting, and then there’s parenting in the digital age.
We’re the first generation raising children who’ve never known life without smartphones, group chats, YouTube, and AI. If you’ve ever watched your tween scrolling and wondered, “Is this normal?” or “What is this app?” you’re not alone.
Today Dr. Cory is joined by Kaliq Alexander from the Rainbow Collective for Change. They discuss the Rainbow Collective’s mission and how you can help your child to recognize the diversity in the world.
We are joined this week by Michele Chassner of the Hope Center run by KidsPeace outside of Raleigh, North Carolina. This is a behavioral health urgent care, but also has several services to help children from ages 3-20 with a variety of mental health needs. Michele talks to us about the trending mental health challenges for kids that are commonly appearing in her work and how these services can help. This is MUST LISTEN if you have kids in this age group!