companies whistleblower Frances Haugen reiterated how the effects of social media are harmful to kids during last week’s hearing on Capitol Hill, raising concern among parenting” target=”_blank”>parents<” following her recent Fox News op-ed to discuss what parents should remain aware of when it comes to allowing their children access to social platforms.
“The scheme of human history has been completely changed by social media and these new platforms that have re-written what it’s like to be an adolescent and to want to fit in and connect,” she said.
Schlott advised parents to understand the generational disconnect surrounding technology and suggested that setting screen-time limits and engaging kids in being mindful about usage are better options than completely swearing off social media.
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“Not just being a tyrant and saying we don’t have social media in this household or we wait until a certain age,” she said. “But really talking to your children and engaging them in that process and making sure that we’re fortifying them with the skillset to ultimately self-regulate and to ultimately be mindful people in the digital age because these technologies are not going anywhere anytime soon.”
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The Gen-Zer shared a tip to consider using a feature on iPhone devices that allows parents to set time limits on certain apps, even though limits will differ for every kid. Schlott repeated that having a conversation about your child’s needs within a technological capacity is most important.
“As I look back now as a 21-year-old, there are many books and maybe a few languages I could’ve mastered in the time in the time that I spent just scrolling on my iPhone,” she said.
In her own experience, and of those in her generation, Schlott mentioned that photo-sharing app Instagram has had the largest negative impact on teen girls, as Facebook data reveals one in three have suffered a worsening in body image issues because of it.
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“Ultimately, what we’re seeing is a bombardment of a highlight reel of everyone else’s life,” she said. “Every woman who’s ever been a teen girl knows the desperation to look beautiful and to fit in. And beauty standards have gone from unrealistic to entirely unreal.”
