Parents often find themselves negotiating a new and
challenging terrain when their children become teenagers. Good enough parenting requires relating,
understanding, guiding, mentoring and teaching, which is quite a tall order
when talking about today’s tech savvy teen.
How do parents increase the interpersonal IQ of adolescent children in
the age of Facebook, texting, tweeting and snap chat? Today’s parent is often crossing uncharted
lands, trying to guide their teen child through the necessary communication and
relational skills in the world of social networking.
This piece on danah boyd’s research and book, It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens, offers
insight into the lives of teens and their use of social media. It is a GPS of sorts to help parents navigate
this new land of technology. As a
therapist to many teens and families, I share “the kids are alright” stance,
and believe that the information danah shares helps parents understand and
bridge a generational divide.
I also believe that social media poses possible snares and
dangers to teens. Cyberbullying is a
very real and damaging product of the misuse of social media. Being able to reach an audience of thousands
with cruel words, threats or gossip can produce traumatic results. There are also the minor infractions and
relational wounds of miscommunication, which occur more frequently when
conversations are relayed via text. When
a teen’s online relationships substitute for more emotionally intimate
friendships, the capacity to experience genuine connection and community may be
compromised.
There are certainly both potentials and pitfalls for teens
and their parents in the world of social networking. As danah said, it’s complicated!
On March 16th, Beth will be presenting a workshop on supporting teenagers called Watch Me Soar. The workshop is designed for girls ages 13-18 who wish to learn how to actively build their self esteem. Please click here and then click on "Watch Me Soar: Resiliency and Self-Esteem Building for Teen Girls" for more information on that workshop.
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