NEW: Teen Social Media Course for Parents
Earlier this year I sent out a survey to parents about their biggest concerns parenting teens today. The # 1 topic that parents were concerned about was, unsurprisingly, healthy social media use.
When I asked parents to elaborate, here’s what they said their concerns were:
Too much access to the internet
Navigating helping him stay safe and giving him independence (including on social media)
Balancing screen time
Social media and youtube--how to encourage safe consumption
Navigating social media and healthy teen relationships
Knowing that they are online in ways that are hard to always monitor
Effects of social media on self-esteem; kids makes poor choices with their phones (pics, videos, messaging)
Parents are coming from so many different places around their approach to phones, social media, etc - it's hard to know when I'm being just an anxious parent vs. too lax
Trying to keep up with digital trends to help teach healthy behaviors
I used everything I learned from parents in the survey to develop Teens on their Phones - a course for parents about how to help their teens navigate healthy social media use without the usual stress, scare tactics, or unrealistic expectations.
What is Teens on their Phones?
Teens on their Phones is a self-paced course that covers 6 big topics parents need to know about to help their teen have a healthy relationship with social media. The recorded video lessons are for parents to watch at their own pace and there is also a workbook that is for parents and teens to complete together that corresponds to each video lesson.
What Makes this Course Different
Teens on their Phones embodies my philosophy of both/and, meaning that I believe we can see both the positives and recognize the risks of teen social media use. I find that a lot of the advice out there for parents focuses solely on the negatives and encourages total bans or specific age limits for social media use. Teens on their Phones encourage parents to partner and connect with your teen about how and why they use social media so they can set boundaries together that make sense for your teen and your family.
That means:
no scare tactics
total bans are totally optional
taking teen’s thoughts and feelings into account is a top priority
You know your teen and your family best. Teens on their Phones gives you the evidence-based information you need to make the best decisions that work for you.
What Folks will Learn
The course includes 6 comprehensive modules that cover the following topics:
Reframe How You Think about Social Media - how to shift your thinking for “social media is scary” to getting curious about how and why your teen using social media
How to Start (or Continue) the Conversation - the best approach for getting your teen talking about social media so you can start to get on the same page
Identify and Incorporate Values - exploring what you and your teen’s personal values are and how to incorporate them into how to show up online
All About Boundaries - here’s where you explore (together with your teen!) what boundaries make sense for them and how you’ll work together to adhere to those boundaries
Social Media and Relationships (Parts 1 and 2) - how social media impact both friendships and dating relationships for teens - both for better and for worse. Here we also dig into digital dating abuse - how to recognize it and address it.
Real Risks and Warning Signs - sometimes we’re so focused on screen time that we miss some of the other risks and warning signs to look out for. This section covers disordered eating, sleep, and artificial intelligence.
The course covers key questions like:
Is it a good idea to take away my teen’s phone as a punishment?
Should I monitor my teen’s phone (either via an app or just by checking their phone manually)?
How do I set social media boundaries for my teen that they’ll actually follow?
What are the risks and warning signs I should look out for when my teen is using social media?
How can I help my teen navigate friendships and dating relationships in a world where social media is a massive part of their social life?
Lesson Preview: All About Boundaries
For a sample of what to expect in the course and a taste of my approach to teen social media use, check out this highlight reel from one of my favorite sections in the course: All About Boundaries.
Example workbook prompts from this section include:
For parents:
What would you like to change about YOUR social media/phone use?
Share with your teen a time when you shared something on social media or sent a text when you were upset/tired/angry. What happened? Did you need to make a repair? Were there any consequences?
For teens:
What would you like your social media/phone boundaries to look like?
Review who you follow or just scroll through your FYP. Make a list, which accounts:
Make me feel bad about myself, anxious, annoyed, etc
Have a message that I don’t agree with or is unhelpful/dangerous
Make me laugh, feel happy
Teach me something interesting
Inspire me
Make me feel good about myself
Create your own category
Do Together:
Decide what your screen-free time will be. A certain time of day (After 10pm? Before 8am?) or during specific activities (During dinner? Before school? During homework time?)
How can you kindly and gently remind each other about this boundary?
What’s Included
Comprehensive Modules
6 engaging video lessons that walk you through the mindset and strategies needed to help your teen be safer and more thoughtful on social media.
Parent/Teen Workbook
30 page workbook that includes conversation starters, journal prompts, and helpful strategies for parents and teens to do together.
Evidence-Based Strategies
Access to a robust resource list that includes all of the research cited throughout the course plus additional resources for continued learning.
Lifetime Access
Maintain access to all of the course materials for life and receive future revisions to the materials as content is updated.
Who is Teens on their Phones for?
This course is for parents of teens or pre-teens who want to have the information and workbook prompts are the best fit for parents of teens ages 13-17 or for parents of pre-teens hoping to get a jump start on these conversations.
