Social Media Has Made Being a Teenager Tougher Than Ever
Being a parent can be very difficult at times. Raising young children can be trying in different ways, but being the parent of a teenager can be that much more stressful depending on the situation. If your teenager has been going through a tough time as of late, then you might be worried. You likely remember how difficult it was being a teenager in the past, but in modern times, things are more difficult than ever.
Today’s teenagers have to deal with things that you never did when you were younger. They are growing up in the social media age where everything that they do is online. Social media is a great tool in many ways, but it’s also something that can cause people anxiety and heartache. Keep reading to learn why social media has made being a teenager tougher than ever so that you can understand what your kid is going through.
Online Bullying
Online bullying is something that today’s teenagers have to worry about. Bullying has always been a terrible thing that kids have had to deal with. You might have experienced bullying at your school as a child or a teenager. The difference is that it stopped when you went home from school for the most part.
Teenagers today have to deal with bullying coming at them from different angles. If cruel teenagers choose to target your kid, then they might attack them or make fun of them online. Some kids will post cruel jokes or makeup lies about others in an attempt to make them feel bad about themselves. It’s terrible that online bullying has become such a huge problem throughout the world, but it’s a reality that your teenager faces.
Feeling Unpopular
Even if your teenager isn’t being bullied by anyone, there’s still a chance that social media is negatively impacting them in certain ways. When you were young, you likely had a group of friends that you did things with. You might have kept in touch by calling each other on the phone, but it wasn’t possible to be in constant contact. Things are different now because of smartphones and social media.
People put their entire lives online and they share even mundane things. This has become normal and those who don’t generate much social media interaction can sometimes feel slighted. For example, if your teen posts status updates on a social media site and usually gets ignored, then it might cause some damage to their self-esteem. It’s not healthy to worry about social media too much, but many feel as if they need to be popular online in order to have value.
Stalking
Stalking is another aspect of social media that you need to be aware of. If your teen is posting things online constantly, then people with bad intentions could be learning a lot about them. Teens talk about school online and they post where they’re going to be when talking with friends on social media. It’s very possible that bad people could be stalking your teen online.
It’s not unusual at all for sexual predators to stalk teens online. Sometimes they will even reach out to them online in an attempt to groom them. This is why it’s imperative for parents to keep an eye on what their kids are doing. Even if your teen is smart, you’re still going to want to try to be aware of what they’re doing online and who they’re talking to.
Online stalking is something that’s only dangerous for teens. Many adults have to worry about situations like this as well. Jilted lovers can stalk your social media pages and they might even be able to figure out other information that you wouldn’t want them to know. It’s good to think twice about the type of information that you’re sharing on social media.
Support Your Teenager
Teenagers need support and you should try to be there for them as best you can. Your teenager has to deal with many things each day and they need supportive people so that they can keep moving forward in life. Sometimes your teen might feel depressed or anxious due to going through difficult experiences. You can be there for your teen, but it might also be prudent to speak to an online therapist about the situation.
Online therapy is an excellent way to get help when you’re feeling down. If your teen is having problems with self-esteem, depression, anxiety, bullying, or anything else, then it will be beneficial to speak to a therapist. Online therapy is different from standard therapy because it allows you to speak to someone from the privacy of your own home. It’s discreet and your teen won’t need to worry about being embarrassed to be seen going into a therapist’s office.
This article has been published in accordance with Socialnomics’ disclosure policy.
