Comment: Keeping young people, young people safe on social media

Valley tweens aged 10 to 13 are calling the local Teen Lifeline hotline in increasing numbers to talk about a new social media trend called VentTok.

These shocking TikTok videos of people talking about their problems can leave young viewers confused, sad and angry.

While it’s tempting to restrict access to platforms, we know that teens and young adults will find ways to look at VentTok and use social media, whether their parents agree or not.

So, in order to protect teens and young adults from mental health issues that come with social media use, it’s important to teach them healthy, appropriate ways to use the platforms.

At Teen Lifeline, we educate teens who are troubled by social media and call the hotline to follow four steps to healthy interactions:

1. Understand social media algorithms. Viewing, liking, commenting and sharing posts tells social media algorithms to give you more of that type of content. Pay attention to how the posts make you feel, and only follow and connect with accounts and people who make you feel good. It’s okay to block or unfollow people, accounts or posts that hurt you.

2. Social media feeds. Social media has various features to help users control what they do and don’t want to see in their feed. You can tell TikTok to show fewer videos about certain topics by tapping and holding the center of the screen and clicking the “I’m Not Interested” button.

Instagram has a feature called “Restrict” that prevents you from seeing comments and messages from people you don’t want to interact with online. The best part about this feature is that people who are banned don’t see that you have banned them, which makes it ideal for people you don’t want to offend.

3. Remember that social media is a highlight. Most of the influencers and even the average young people who use social media take many photos before choosing the perfect one that they can meet looking flawless. Comparing yourself to other people’s social media highlights can make you less confident and self-conscious.

4. Take frequent breaks. TikTok makes this easier by offering a Screen Time feature that will prompt you to stop scrolling after a certain amount of time and will reduce the time you spend on the platform each day.

Knowing and discussing these four steps with your teens and young adults can help parents stay ahead of potential social media issues.

We are not suggesting that all social media is bad. Parents can use social media as a way to connect. Discuss popular influences and trends – both positive and problematic.

Try dances or challenges on TikTok or YouTube with your child. Making social media a fun part of the parent-child relationship encourages bonding.

When problems arise, Teen Lifeline staff and volunteers encourage parents to restrict phone use, if necessary, and to consider phones entirely as a last resort, as they can also reduce youth and young people from important relationships with friends, family and. mental health resources.

Teens and young adults of all ages who struggle with social media, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts or just need to talk about their problems with a peer counselor who understands what they’re going through can call or text the 24/7/365 Teen Lifeline at (602) 248-TEEN (8336) for free and confidential help. Trained peer counselors answer phone calls between 3pm and 9pm every day of the year.

At all other times, calls are answered by specially trained interventionists.

Nikki Kontz is the medical director of Teen Lifeline, a Phoenix-based nonprofit dedicated to preventing teen suicide in Arizona. Contact him at 602-248-8337.