As a parent, you want your child to surround themselves with good influences. That’s true not only for who they spend time with in real life, but also for the people and ideas they’re exposed to on social media.
If you or your child are concerned about the content appearing in their feed, one beneficial step you can take is to help them reset their social media algorithm. Here’s how to reset your child’s algorithm on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms.
Social media algorithms are the complex computations that operate behind the scenes of every social media platform to determine what each user sees.
Everything on your child’s social media feed is likely the result of something they liked, commented on, or shared. (For a more comprehensive explanation, check out our Parent’s Guide to Social Media Algorithms.)
Social media algorithms have a snowball effect. For example, if your child “likes” a cute dog video, they’ll likely see more of that type of content. However, if they search for topics like violence, adult material, or conspiracy theories, their feed can quickly be overwhelmed with negative content.
Therefore, it’s vital that parents actively examine and reset their child’s algorithm when needed, and also teach them the skills to evaluate it for themselves.
Research clearly demonstrates the potentially negative impacts of social media on tweens and teens. How it affects your child depends a lot on what’s in their feed. And what’s in their feed has everything to do with algorithms.
Helping your child reset their algorithm is a wonderful opportunity to teach them digital literacy. Explain to them why it’s important to think critically about what they see on social media, and what they do on the site influences the content they’re shown.
Here are some steps you can take together to clean up their feed:
Resetting all of your child’s algorithms in one fell swoop can be daunting. Instead, pick the app they use the most and tackle that first.
If your kiddo follows a lot of accounts, you might need to break this step into multiple sessions. Pause on each account they follow and have them consider these questions:
If the answer “yes” to any of these questions, suggest they unfollow the account. If they’re hesitant — for example, if they’re worried unfollowing might cause friend problems — they can instead “hide” or “mute” the account so they don’t see those posts in their feed.
On the flip side, encourage your child to interact with accounts that make them feel good about themselves and portray positive messages. Liking, commenting, and sharing content that lifts them up will have a ripple effect on the rest of their feed.
After you’ve gone through their feed, show your child how to examine their settings. This mostly influences sponsored content, but considering the problematic history of advertisers marketing to children on social media, it’s wise to take a look.
Every social media app has slightly different options for how much control users have over their algorithm. Here's what you should know about resetting the algorithm on popular apps your child might use.
To get the best buy-in and help your child form positive long-term content consumption habits, it’s best to let them take the lead in deciding what accounts and content they want to see.
At the same time, kids shouldn't have to navigate the internet on their own. Social platforms can easily suggest content and profiles that your child isn't ready to see. A social media monitoring app, such as BrightCanary, can alert you if your child encounters something concerning.
Here are a few warning signs you should watch out for as you review your child's feed:
If you spot any of this content, it’s time for a longer conversation to assess your child’s safety. You may decide it’s appropriate to insist they unfollow a particular account. And if what you see on your child’s feed makes you concerned for their mental health or worried they may harm themselves or others, consider reaching out to a professional.
Algorithms are the force that drives everything your child sees on social media and can quickly cause their feed to be overtaken by negative content. Regularly reviewing your child’s feed with them and teaching them skills to control their algorithm will help keep their feed positive and minimize some of the negative impacts of social media.
Just by existing as a person in 2023, you’ve probably heard of social media algorithms. But what are algorithms? How do social media algorithms work? And why should parents care?
At BrightCanary, we’re all about giving parents the tools and information they need to take a proactive role in their children’s digital life. So, we’ve created this guide to help you understand what social media algorithms are, how they impact your child, and what you can do about it.
Social media algorithms are complex sets of rules and calculations used by platforms to prioritize the content that users see in their feeds. Each social network uses different algorithms. The algorithm on TikTok is different from the one on YouTube.
In short, algorithms dictate what you see when you use social media and in what order.
Back in the Wild Wild West days of social media, you would see all of the posts from everyone you were friends with or followed, presented in chronological order.
But as more users flocked to social media and the amount of content ballooned, platforms started introducing algorithms to filter through the piles of content and deliver relevant and interesting content to keep their users engaged. The goal is to get users hooked and keep them coming back for more.
Algorithms are also hugely beneficial for generating advertising revenue for platforms because they help target sponsored content.
Each platform uses its own mix of factors, but here are some examples of what influences social media algorithms:
Most social media sites heavily prioritize showing users content from people they’re connected with on the platform.
TikTok is unique because it emphasizes showing users new content based on their interests, which means you typically won’t see posts from people you follow on your TikTok feed.
With the exception of TikTok, if you interact frequently with a particular user, you’re more likely to see their content in your feed.
The algorithms on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Instagram Explore prioritize showing you new content based on the type of posts and videos you engage with. For example, the more cute cat videos you watch, the more cute cat videos you’ll be shown.
YouTube looks at the creators you interact with, your watch history, and the type of content you view to determine suggested videos.
The more likes, shares, and comments a post gets, the more likely it is to be shown to other users. This momentum is the snowball effect that causes posts to go viral.
There are ways social media algorithms can benefit your child, such as creating a personalized experience and helping them discover new things related to their interests. But the drawbacks are also notable — and potentially concerning.
Since social media algorithms show users more of what they seem to like, your child's feed might quickly become overwhelmed with negative content. Clicking a post out of curiosity or naivety, such as one promoting a conspiracy theory, can inadvertently expose your child to more such content. What may begin as innocent exploration could gradually influence their beliefs.
Experts frequently cite “thinspo” (short for “thinspiration”), a social media topic that aims to promote unhealthy body goals and disordered eating habits, as another algorithmic concern.
Even though most platforms ban content encouraging eating disorders, users often bypass filters using creative hashtags and abbreviations. If your child clicks on a thinspo post, they may continue to be served content that promotes eating disorders.
Although social media algorithms are something to monitor, the good news is that parents can help minimize the negative impacts on their child.
Here are some tips:
It’s a good idea to monitor what the algorithm is showing your child so you can spot any concerning trends. Regularly sit down with them to look at their feed together.
You can also use a parental monitoring service to alert you if your child consumes alarming content. BrightCanary is an app that continuously monitors your child’s social media activity and flags any concerning content, such as photos that promote self-harm or violent videos — so you can step in and talk about it.
Keep up on concerning social media trends, such as popular conspiracy theories and internet challenges, so you can spot warning signs in your child’s feed.
Talk to your child about who they follow and how those accounts make them feel. Encourage them to think critically about the content they consume and to disengage if something makes them feel bad.
Algorithms influence what content your child sees when they use social media. Parents need to be aware of the potentially harmful impacts this can have on their child and take an active role in combating the negative effects.
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Confession time: I’ve written extensively about the harm generative AI causes children, my 11-year-old isn’t allowed to use AI chatbots at home, and we’ve had many conversations on the topic. Yet, it wasn’t until this June, the last month of his elementary school experience, that I even thought to ask him about AI use at his school.
I’m not proud of this oversight, but I’m coming clean here for two reasons: one, to let you know it’s okay if you haven’t thought about AI in schools yet; and two, to declare it’s time we all turn our attention to this issue.
Here’s why you should care and my suggestions for how to make an impact.
This technology is so new that we don’t yet know the full scope of how it impacts children, but what we do know isn’t great.
Plenty has been said about AI’s effect on kids’ mental health, privacy concerns, racial bias, and age-inappropriate content. Those are important, but I want to focus here on an issue that’s gotten less noise: how AI impacts learning, the very thing we entrust our schools with.
You may have heard of the risk of cognitive atrophy from overuse of AI. Researchers have demonstrated that when people frequently offload cognitive tasks to AI, they risk weakening their ability to independently perform tasks requiring critical thinking and reasoning.
Adults can course-correct and strengthen those mental muscles again. But experts increasingly warn that if kids overuse AI, they may miss a critical window for developing these skills and therefore risk never being able to build them at all. It’s an emerging theory related to AI known as cognitive foreclosure.
When students rely on generative AI without guardrails, their learning and retention of the material is likely to be reduced.
One thing we expect our children to get at school is accurate information. But the introduction of AI into learning environments compromises that basic tenet of education.
My kiddo is going to middle school in the fall, so I’m right there with you starting at square one. Here’s how to find out how your child uses AI at school:
If you aren’t happy with how AI is used at your child’s school, or if the policies are still being developed, here’s how you can make an impact:
Parents have more power than we often assume, especially when we work collectively. Some states and districts already have parent-led efforts underway to influence AI policy in schools. If yours doesn’t, consider starting one; this resource can help you get started.
Regardless of how your child uses AI in school, these tips can help inoculate them against some of the impacts, now and in the future:
When AI is part of the learning process, it can weaken critical thinking, diminish learning, and may even stunt brain development. AI tools also produce false information at startlingly high rates, with error rates that are climbing, not falling.
To minimize the potential for harm, find out how your child’s school uses AI in the classroom, get involved in advocacy efforts to shape the district’s policy, and teach your child how to think critically about how they use AI. We can’t ban our children from using AI forever, but the hope is we can help them learn to use it as a tool, not a crutch.
Check out our guides to Claude AI and ChatGPT for kids, and learn more about how BrightCanary child monitoring works.
Welcome to Parent Pixels, a parenting newsletter filled with practical advice, news, and resources to support you and your kids in the digital age. This week:
📱 Two new studies on social media and kids that parents need to see: It’s a research roundup! Together, these studies make a compelling case for delaying social media, especially for younger kids and boys.
Study 1: Problematic social media use linked to ADHD symptoms in boys — Research published in JAMA Network Open found that higher levels of social media use were associated with ADHD symptoms. The findings drew on data from more than 11,000 kids tracked over five years and were parent-reported. The pattern held specifically for boys; girls showed no significant association. “Problematic” use was defined as frequently thinking about social media and wanting to use it less but feeling unable to stop. However, these findings don’t mean that social media causes ADHD. Correlation isn’t causation. Or, as lead study author Jason Nagata said, “This isn’t a randomized control test, so we can’t definitively prove causation, but we can show that the association tends to go in that one direction.”
Study 2: Kids who join social media at 11 or 12 fall behind in school — A separate study published in Nature Human Behavior analyzed the social media habits and standardized test scores of more than 5,000 Italian schoolchildren. The finding: kids who opened their first social media account at 11 or 12 scored lower in math and reading than those who waited until at least 14. By ages 15–16, the gap in math had widened further. The score difference is roughly equivalent to falling behind by six months of schooling.
Again, correlation isn’t causation. But Dr. Marco Gui, the lead author on the study, was direct: “Our research shows that at least during pre-adolescence, these social media are problematic.”
This research adds to a growing body of evidence that the age at which kids join social media matters. And when they do begin using platforms like Instagram and TikTok, they also need to learn how to use these platforms safely and responsibly. Here’s our guide on how to do that.
😓 When parents are stressed, kids tend to get more screen time: If you’ve ever handed over a tablet to your kid during a hard moment and felt guilty about it afterward, research says: you’re human. Another new study from FIU’s Center for Children and Families found that parents experiencing higher stress levels were more likely to use screens to calm or occupy their children, and less likely to enforce consistent screen time limits. The findings, published in Family Relations, suggest that parental stress is a stronger predictor of children’s screen time habits than the rules parents set.
Rather than telling parents to cut back on screen time, the researchers said that families should focus on choosing media that is meaningful, engaging, and appropriate for their child’s age. “In the same way we think about nutrition, we can think about digital content that can be more or less healthy,” said Enid Moreira, lead author of the study. The findings also point to the need to support caregivers as much as children, but until science uncovers the solution to a screaming child in a restaurant, consider checking out our guide to intentional screen time.
Recently, Perez Hilton livestreamed a mental health crisis on TikTok before the platform removed the video. Separately, Ariana Grande announced she’s stepping back from the spotlight following significant public commentary about her weight loss and health. Your child may have seen either of these or heard about them from friends, and they’re openings for larger conversations about what we see online.
If you're ever concerned about your child's mental health, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text.
🇫🇷 France just became the first EU country to ban social media for kids under 15. The ban covers platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
🏛️ KOSA advances in the Senate. The Kids Online Safety Act — which would require platforms to design with children's safety in mind and give users the ability to opt out of personalized algorithms — passed the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously and could now head to the Senate floor. The bill previously passed the full Senate 91-3 in 2024 before stalling in the House.
📊 3 in 5 Americans want stronger oversight of social media companies. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds 61% of Americans support firmer oversight of social media, 66% back age verification requirements for users under 16, and 85% say social media can be addictive for children.
As X (formerly Twitter) descends further into dumpster-fire territory, Bluesky is emerging as a popular alternative. With Bluesky’s user base growing among younger users fleeing X, parents are starting to ask questions. This article explores if Bluesky is safe for kids and what you can do to keep your child safe on the platform.
Bluesky is a microblogging social media platform designed as an alternative to X. Instead of being controlled by a centralized, opaque social media algorithm, Bluesky feeds are customizable. Users can set multiple feeds based on a topic or interest or select from pre-curated options and then toggle between them.
If users don’t want to manually select accounts to follow, Bluesky offers “starter packs.” Your teen can choose algorithms or topics as their “home” timeline. For example:
Users can also create their own starter packs and share them with friends or post them to their other social apps.
Bluesky users must be at least 13+. Some countries and states have laws that require a higher minimum age, which Bluesky honors.
Bluesky’s age verification process varies by location. Here in Washington state, I was able to open an account for a fake 13-year-old simply by fabricating a birthdate.
I got an alert stating that, according to the laws of my country, my parent or legal guardian must read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy on my behalf, but I was able to ignore that and still create an account.
In jurisdictions that have age verification laws, Bluesky uses Kids Web Services to verify age through a payment card authorization, government-issued ID scan, or facial age estimation.
Bluesky gets some safety points right, namely the extraordinary level of control users have over their feed and moderation experience.
These risks remain, though:
Professionally, I always advise that minors set their accounts to private, but Bluesky doesn’t provide that option. Personally, this is a sticking point for me as a parent. Public accounts expose your child to predators, scams, and harassment.
Because Bluesky’s moderation is decentralized and operated with a mix of AI, in-house human moderators, and user moderators, the quality is inconsistent at best.
Bluesky is open-source, and users can create and run their own servers on the Bluesky platform. They are then responsible for moderation (or lack thereof) for anything posted on their platform. Anyone, including your child, can access any user-run Bluesky server, but because it’s hosted on the main platform, they likely won’t even know it. This creates the perfect storm for a harbor of harmful content for your child to discover.
There have also been reports of racist interactions and violent threats, and concerns over the lack of moderator involvement in such incidents.
Underage users are prevented from turning on the “adult content” option, but because age verification is nonexistent in many jurisdictions, this means very little.
The risk of falling into an algorithmically driven echo chamber exists on all social media. Users’ ability to customize their content feeds and moderation policies magnifies that risk on Bluesky. Your child could easily get trapped in a toxic online bubble.
Bluesky doesn’t have parental controls. Many of the same elements can be adjusted in the settings, but it’s not password protected and can be changed by your child at any time.
If you choose to let your child use Bluesky, here are a few ways to reduce the risks when they use the platform:
Peruse the options together and choose a few that you get a good feeling about.
Go through your child’s content and moderation settings with them and adjust them according to your child’s maturity and needs. This guide gives an in-depth walkthrough, but I suggest paying particular attention to these two areas:
Keep an eye on how your child uses Bluesky, and watch for warning signs that they’re falling into toxic territory or interacting with strangers. BrightCanary monitors everything your child types across all platforms, including Bluesky, and sends you real-time alerts to any concerns.
Bluesky has meaningful safety gaps for kids such as public accounts, no parental controls, and inconsistent moderation. Users can customize their experience, which mitigates some risk, although kids can change the settings themselves. Bluesky should be approached with caution, and parental involvement and monitoring are a must if your child uses the platform.
Many parental control apps can’t monitor newer apps yet. BrightCanary’s keyboard-level monitoring allows for comprehensive monitoring across all apps, even Bluesky. Download today to get started.
Welcome to Parent Pixels, a parenting newsletter filled with practical advice, news, and resources to support you and your kids in the digital age. This week:
🇬🇧 The UK banned social media for kids. Is the US next? Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer recently announced that kids under age 16 will be banned from major social media platforms. The ban, which will take effect early next year, will include services with recommendation algorithms or where users can post content themselves — so messaging services like WhatsApp won’t be part of the ban, but TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram definitely are. The UK’s ban also includes gaming: kids won’t be able to livestream, and there will be a block on functions that allow strangers to communicate with children. (Some platforms already have features like this, but it’s radically inconsistent.)
Do social media bans actually work? This policy is modeled after Australia, the first country to ban social media for teens — but results have been mixed there. The New York Times reports that six months into the ban, many teens are already back on Snapchat and Instagram due to inconsistent rollouts and the inherent difficulty of verifying ages online. Teens described easy workarounds, like drawing a mustache on their face for an age estimation scan or creating a new account with a fake birth date. Some Australian parents say the incoming generation of kids who aren’t yet on social media may benefit the most — and may stay off social media longer because parents feel more empowered to say no.
That’s the key here. Social media alone does not cause mental health issues, but it does increase the risk of exposure to dangers like bullying, drug use, predators, and explicit content. We’re past the age when parents can be hands-off about what their kids encounter online. Banning is like blocking: it helps prevent some dangers, but it doesn’t teach kids how to navigate the internet safely or what to do if someone harasses them online. Plus, social media bans are a false safety net: kids can still encounter concerning content in “safe” places, like text messages and WhatsApp.
Will the US ban social media? Recently, a US court ruled that Ohio can implement a law requiring social media companies to obtain parental consent before allowing children under 16 to use their platforms, a decision that will certainly be appealed. A national-level ban isn’t going to happen any time soon, though. In response to the UK social media ban, the US Embassy in London said it was concerned that regulations would place greater burdens on American technology companies. (We don’t think setting stricter rules for kids on social media is a burden, though.) Other proposed social media legislation, like the Kids Online Safety Act, is chronically stalled.
The best we can do right now is both: delay giving kids access to social media and smartphones, and teach them how to use their devices safely. That means setting boundaries around when devices can be used, monitoring their use with tools like BrightCanary, encouraging offline activities, and modeling healthy behaviors yourself. Easier said than done? Definitely. But we have to try.
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Here are 5 conversations we’re having at home about social media, smartphones, and finding balance.
🗓️ Save the date for this Summer Digital Parenting Webinar series presented by our friends Digital Momming and OK to Delay! Get all the latest tips and tools for managing YouTube, iPad, Smart TV's, Routers and Video Game Gambling. The first webinar is on July 15.
🎮 Roblox has introduced new kids accounts, with chat disabled for kids younger than 9, age-checks required to chat, and stricter parental controls.
📧 Help someone else be the most informed parent in the room. Tell a parent to subscribe to Parent Pixels.
Your child likely already uses Google Gemini because the AI assistant is baked into all of Google’s software. From Gmail to AI-powered summaries at the top of Google searches, Gemini is everywhere. But is Google Gemini safe for kids? Many experts say no, and after testing it for myself, I agree. Here’s why.
Gemini, Google’s suite of AI tools, includes:
When evaluating whether Google Gemini is safe for kids, we have to look at both the standalone products and the many ways Gemini is built into other Google products.
The fact that Google Gemini is entrenched in products your kids already use means it poses unique risks. Specifically:
When emails are drafted without a request and AI-powered search results return authoritative answers without clicking on a single link, it’s extremely easy to fall into AI autopilot.
As a parent, this frightens me more than any inappropriate answer my child might get from a chatbot because overreliance on AI and passive consumption of information can lead to these problems:
An analysis by the New York Times found AI-powered Google summaries gave incorrect information 10% of the time, and over half the time cited facts not fully supported by the provided sources.
With Google Gemini right there inside Google Drive, offering to write that essay or create that presentation, it’s easy for kids to stray into cheating and plagiarism territory.
I set up a test account for a fake 10-year-old. After I finally got it working, I posed two relatively mild questions about shoplifting, and my account was promptly deactivated. I didn’t see that as evidence of safeguards working — when Gemini refuses to engage, kids just bounce to another chatbot. That’s lazy and performative protection; it’s easier to shut kids out than to build them a truly safe system.
Because my test account was banned, most of my testing was done logged out, which is how kids can easily access Gemini. I did give obvious clues that I was a child, including outright stating I was a teenager.
Here’s a sampling of what Google Gemini told me:
Sort of. Kids under 13 need parental permission via Google Family Link, but beyond granting or denying access, Gemini’s parental controls are essentially nonexistent.
Gemini implemented safeguards to filter out inappropriate content for users under 13. However, my testing found two big issues with this:
If your child uses Google Gemini, here are four things you can do to help make it safer for them:
Google Gemini isn’t safe for kids. The suite of AI tools is heavily embedded in products your child already uses, and this prevalence increases the risk because kids aren’t as likely to think critically about how they use it. Gemini’s parental controls and safeguards for kids under 13 are ineffective. If your child uses Google Gemini, coach them on the risks and how to think critically about their AI use, and keep an eye on their prompts with a monitoring tool.
For the most comprehensive monitoring of your child’s AI use available, try BrightCanary. The app scans everything they type and sends you alerts about any concerns. Download today to get started for free.
The number of males hospitalized for eating disorders has risen 416% in the past two decades. Stigma and underreporting mean it’s likely that prevalence rates for eating disorders in males are vastly underestimated, but recent evidence suggests it’s now increasing faster among males than among females. Experts point to social media and influencer culture as a driving force behind this rise.
Parents can easily miss the warning signs because disordered eating often presents atypically in males, such as an intense focus on healthy eating or muscle building.
This article looks at the role internet culture plays in the rise of disordered eating in boys, and what you can do if your son shows warning signs.
For expert guidance, I turned to Maiken Wiese, a Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist specializing in eating disorder recovery for teens and adults.
Wiese said she suspects some of the perceived increase in eating disorders in males is actually attributable to a rise in awareness and diagnosis, but that influencer culture definitely plays a huge role in the spread of disordered eating behaviors.
Here are some of the ways social media contributes to the rise:
According to Wiese, “[males] are less likely to get help for eating disorders because many are conditioned to not speak as openly about their struggles, so body dysmorphia and fear around food might not be as evident.”
She also points out that the body ideal that males strive for can vary more than for females, with some males seeking to be larger or more muscular and others striving to be thin. This makes spotting disordered eating in boys particularly tricky.
Here are some atypical warning signs to watch for:
Wiese cautioned parents with children of any gender to also keep an eye out for these standard warning signs:
Taking active steps to help encourage healthy food and eating behaviors is an often-overlooked protective factor. Here are some tips:
Wiese says, “Girl, boy, or nonbinary, it’s always hard to struggle with an eating disorder, and it can feel threatening for those behaviors to be noticed. It is incredibly important to address it, however!”
Here are her recommendations:
Eating disorders are on the rise for tween and teen boys, due in no small part to social media and influencer culture that promotes unhealthy messages about food, body image, and exercise. You should watch for warning signs in your son and intervene if you have concerns. If your son shows signs of disordered eating, educate yourself about eating disorders and keep your discussions with him about it calm, private, and fact-based.
Know what your child is worried about and interested in with BrightCanary child monitoring. Start your free trial today.
A recent trial found Meta’s design features addictive for young users. Alarmingly, Meta’s own internal research shows that parental controls don’t meaningfully curb compulsive use. This article explores the signs of social media addiction in teens, what factors make a teen more susceptible, and what you can do to protect your child.
Heads up: Social media addiction isn’t officially recognized as a clinical disorder. However, experts widely acknowledge the existence of addictive behaviors related to social media, and that’s the framework for this article. The term “social media addiction” is used colloquially here and should not be understood as a diagnostic term.
If you’ve ever side-eyed your surly offspring scrolling away in the corner and asked, “Is my teen addicted to social media,” you’re not alone. But heavy social media use isn’t necessarily an addiction.
Experts propose that social media addiction is a psychological dependence marked by an uncontrollable inner drive to keep using it despite negative impacts on a person’s life and daily functioning. Social media use becomes problematic when it causes significant issues in several areas of a person’s life, such as:
According to research, here are the risk factors that make some teens more susceptible to social media addiction:
Teens with more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) report less attentiveness to their social media use, increasing their risk of addiction. Some examples of ACEs include:
Depression is consistently associated with higher social media use, although it’s a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg situation.
The relationship is thought to be bidirectional, with excessive social media use triggering depression in some teens, and pre-existing depression causing others to use it to cope, which can lead to addictive behavior.
Negative emotional states are closely related to social media addiction because people with persistent negative feelings often turn to social media as a means of coping, comfort, and escape.
Additionally, teens who have a hard time describing their feelings are more vulnerable to social media addiction.
Teens who tend to avoid unpleasant emotions are at greater risk of social media addiction.
Low self-esteem is a strong predictor of addictive social media behaviors.
One key to intervention is recognizing your teen’s behavior. Here are social media addiction symptoms to watch for:
Meta’s research found that parental controls do little to curb kids’ compulsive social media use. That’s because such actions limit access but don’t address the underlying compulsions that lead to addiction. If the pull is strong enough, teens will find a workaround. Those compulsions are driven by some pretty powerful forces, such as:
Social media algorithms are designed to keep users scrolling by increasing the brain’s reward center activation, which accelerates the development of addictive behaviors.
Social media uses intermittent variable rewards to keep users engaged. It’s a playbook taken straight from slot machines and maximizes addictiveness.
Aza Raskin, the inventor of the infinite scroll, has described these design techniques as “behavioral cocaine scattered throughout the interface.”
Here’s what you can do to fight against social media addiction:
Explain to your child what social media addiction looks like and tell them if you witness concerning symptoms. It’s also helpful to use yourself as an example, noting when you catch yourself sucked into the scroll.
Addictive algorithms are a driving factor behind social media addiction. Show your teen how to periodically reset their algorithm.
It’s not enough to clock how often your teen uses social media; you also need to know how they engage with it and how it impacts their mood and well-being. BrightCanary’s emotional insights and real-time alerts give you visibility into your child’s social media use so you can spot warning signs of addiction and step in with support.
Social media addiction in teens is a real concern, and Meta’s own internal research acknowledges this fact. To help combat the risk for your child, educate them about the risks and watch for social media addiction symptoms.
At BrightCanary, we share your concerns about teens and social media addiction. That’s why we’ve designed our monitoring app to partner with parents, giving you the tools you need to watch for signs of social media addiction in your teen. Get started today for free.
Recently, news about the war came on the radio. I was preoccupied, so it didn’t even register what was on the radio, which meant I was caught off-guard later when my son said hearing about Iran’s nuclear weapons scared him.
I’m no stranger to tough questions about heavy topics, as the parent of an anxious, highly inquisitive kid. I had to fly by the seat of my pants this time, but I generally consider myself well-equipped to answer (almost) anything at (almost) any time.
Here are my tips from the trenches, supported by advice from child mental health experts, on how to help your child cope with scary news.
Keep up with the news so that you’re prepared to answer your child’s questions. If your child asks you about something you don’t feel equipped to discuss, be honest. Tell them you need to gather more information and then follow up later.
If there’s something big happening in the news, make a point to discuss it as a family. Start by asking your kid what they’ve heard and what questions they have. The unknown can be particularly anxiety-provoking for some children. Help your child make sense of the news before it spirals into fear.
Did you know? You can stay informed about what your child is looking up online with BrightCanary monitoring.
Listen, I’m an anxious parent raising an anxious child, so I know this isn’t easy. Use all of your coping tools to manage your own emotions so that you’re not piling onto theirs. Sometimes, this means faking it until you make it.
Don’t dismiss your child’s fears. Pretending everything is hunky-dory won’t erase their worry, and it may signal to them that they can’t bring their fears to you.
Instead, validate their concerns and offer the most reassurance you can while remaining authentic. For example, when my son asked me about Iran’s nuclear weapons, here’s what I said:
“You’re right, that is scary. I try to remind myself how foolish Iran would be to bomb the U.S., because the U.S. has nuclear weapons, too, and could just retaliate. That’s why countries have nuclear weapons, as a deterrent. Everyone’s really just trying to scare each other. ”
I’m a firm believer that you can discuss any topic with any child of any age. The key is tailoring it to their maturity and level of understanding.
I knew my son was capable of understanding the concept of mutually assured destruction and also that his brain needs lots of details in order to process situations. If I were speaking with my 6-year-old, I would have stayed high-level with my response and emphasized that her little corner of the world is safe.
Kids deserve to know what’s going on in the world, but (much like adults) too much exposure to scary news can cause stress. It can make it feel like faraway events are in our own backyards. Kids also don’t have the lifetime of context that adults do to help them make sense of things.
Here are some ways to help your child find a healthy balance between informed and overexposed:
It’s normal for kids to worry, but sometimes that worry crosses into anxiety and interferes with their life. When that happens, it may be time to seek professional help.
Here are some signs your child might be struggling with anxiety:
The world can be a scary place. Social media produces a level of near-constant exposure to the news that can cause worry and anxiety in some kids. Be proactive and discuss current events with your child before their fears have a chance to spiral.
If they come to you with concerns, validate their feelings and give them age-appropriate context to help them make sense of what's going on in the world. Help them assess their exposure to the news and encourage them to set healthy screen time limits.
BrightCanary can help you keep tabs on what news events your child is curious about so you can be prepared to answer their questions. Download it today to get started for free.
