Latest news with #PamelaWisniewski
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Parenting in the age of social media: Tips to stay connected without controlling
Watch out for this parenting mistake that is driving kids to secret social media lives (Image: Pexels) We are bringing up kids in a world where social media is no longer just a place to scroll for fun. It has become a space where identities are shaped. Our children, especially Gen Z, grow up comparing their faces, homes, friends and milestones to strangers and influencers. Their mood, confidence and sense of self can be swayed by a single post or a count of likes. It is not about guarding them from the world but guiding them through it. Trade control for conversation and fear for friendship because in this digital era, genuine connection will always outshine control. The digital landscape has dramatically shifted how children interact, learn and even form identities. Today's parents are navigating uncharted waters, raising children in an age where screens often speak louder than voices and social validation is only a click away. Here is the thing though, they are not clueless. These kids are quick, curious and tech smart. They seem to learn new apps before we have even downloaded them. They do not need tutorials on swiping and clicking. They need guidance on living well while doing it. The challenge? In a research done by University of Central Florida (UCF), the authors Arup Kumar Ghosh (doctoral student) and Pamela Wisniewski (Assistant Professor), University of Central Florida, found that authoritarian parents using control apps saw higher — not lower — teen exposure to online risks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top Urologist: Most Muscle Loss in Older Men Starts With This One Mistake primenutritionsecrets Undo Almost 80% of teen app reviews were negative, citing lack of trust and privacy. The study suggested that empowering teens, not restricting them, fosters better digital safety. You're trying to protect your kids online but are you pushing them away instead? (Image: ET) A recent study by Turkish researchers Mehmet Toran, Taibe Kulaksız and Bülent Özden published in Children and Youth Services Review (2024) focussed on how digital parental awareness i.e. a parent's habits, modelling and understanding of digital risks, can make or break their relationship with their child, especially those between 3–6 years old. Using data from 285 parents of young children, the researchers discovered something powerful: it is not just the time you spend with your child that matters but how you spend it digitally. Science confirms that regular outdoor exposure, unstructured play and time in nature boost emotional balance and reduce anxiety even in teens. Research shows that parent-child connectedness is one of the strongest protective factors against online risk. Children mimic what they observe. If you are glued to your phone, replying to emails at dinner or doomscrolling late into the night, your child absorbs that as normal. So, what works instead? According to the researchers, "Parents who manage their own tech use well and involve their children in discussions around digital media create a more trusting, respectful and connected relationship." In essence, your awareness and behaviour around technology mediate the emotional quality of your relationship as it is not enough to just 'limit screen time.' Children are watching us and they learn more from what we do than what we say. Learn to stay involved in your child's digital world without becoming controlling or disconnected. According to the study Parental Monitoring of Early Adolescent Social Technology Use in the US, published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies (2024) , restrictive monitoring is linked to higher adolescent problematic internet use. In contrast, active and deference monitoring that is rooted in trust and closeness, correlate with healthier family relationships and better online behaviour. The more you monitor, the more they hide: How to actually parent in the digital age (Image: TOI) Traditional parental control is limited hence, a shift is advised toward community-driven models, where trusted members can support teens collectively, promoting autonomy, granular privacy and reciprocal engagement. You are then not controlling the behaviour, you are shaping discernment. According to the research paper, Supportive Parenting and Adolescents' Digital Citizenship Behaviors , published in the journal - Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace , parental autonomy support directly promotes online civic engagement, while structured parenting supports self-regulation. Both contribute to stronger digital citizenship in teens. Want to connect more deeply with your child in a digital-first world? Start with yourself. Put the phone down during play or meals. Co-watch their favourite shows and ask questions. Discuss online risks as a team, not as a punishment. Let them see you unplug, read, cook or just be present. When children feel seen, heard and valued offline, they are less likely to seek excessive validation online. According to studies, the most effective approach to digital parenting is active, supportive engagement — not restrictive control. Tools and strategies that foster dialogue, transparency and autonomy help teens navigate online spaces wisely and confidently.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Social media design is key to protecting kids online
Social media is a complex environment that presents both opportunities and threats for adolescents, with self-expression and emotional support on the one hand and body-shaming, cyberbullying and addictive behaviors on the other. This complexity underscores the challenge to regulating teen social media use, but it also points to another avenue for protecting young people online: how social media platforms are designed. The growing debate around teen social media use has intensified, with recent bipartisan policy efforts in the U.S., such as the Kids Online Safety Act, seeking to protect young people from digital harms. These efforts reflect legitimate concerns. However, broad restrictions on social media could also limit benefits for teens, throwing the baby out with the bath water. I am a researcher who studies online safety and digital well-being. My recent work with colleagues in computer scientist Pamela Wisniewski's Socio-Technical Interaction Research Lab underscores a critical point: social media is neither inherently harmful nor entirely beneficial. It is a tool shaped by its design, how teens use it, and the context of their experiences. In other words, social media's impact is shaped by its affordances – how platforms are designed and what they enable users to do or constrain them from doing. Some features foster connection while others amplify harms. As society moves toward practical solutions for online safety, it is important to use evidence-based research on how these features shape teens' social media experiences and how they could be redesigned to be age appropriate for young people. It's also important to incorporate teens' perspectives to pinpoint what policies and design choices should be made to protect young people using social media. My colleagues and I analyzed over 2,000 posts from teens ages 15-17 on an online peer-support platform. Teens openly discussed their experiences with popular social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok. Their voices highlight a potential path forward: focusing on safety by design – an approach that improves platform features to amplify benefits and mitigate harms. This approach respects young people's agency while prioritizing their digital well-being. While social media's worst outcomes such as cyberbullying or mental health crises are often in the spotlight, our research shows that teens' experiences are far more nuanced. Instead, platforms enable diverse outcomes depending on their features and design. Teens commonly described negative experiences involving social drama, cyberbullying and privacy violations. For example, Instagram was a focal point for body-shaming and self-esteem issues, driven by its emphasis on curated visual content. Facebook triggered complaints about privacy violations, such as parents sharing private information without teens' consent. Snapchat, meanwhile, exposed teens to risky interactions due to its ephemeral messaging, which fosters intimate but potentially unsafe connections. At the same time, teens expressed that social media provides a space for support, inspiration and self-expression, particularly when offline spaces feel isolating. Teens used social media to cope with stress or seek out uplifting content. Platforms such as Snapchat and WhatsApp were key spaces for seeking connection, enabling teens to build relationships and find emotional support. Snapchat, in particular, was the go-to platform for fostering close personal connections, while YouTube empowered teens to promote their creativity and identity by sharing videos. Many praised Instagram and Snapchat for providing inspiration, distraction or emotional relief during stressful times. Teens also used social media to seek information, turning to YouTube and Twitter to learn new things, verify information or troubleshoot technical problems. These findings underscore a critical insight: Platform design matters. Features such as algorithms, privacy controls and content-sharing mechanisms directly shape how teens experience social media. These findings further question the perception of social media as a purely negative force. Instead, teens' experiences highlight its dual nature: a space for both risk and opportunity. The concept of affordances – design and features – helps explain why teens' experiences differ across platforms and provides a path toward safer design. For example, Instagram's affordances such as image sharing and algorithmic content promotion amplify social comparison, leading to body-shaming and self-esteem issues. Snapchat's affordances, such as ephemeral messaging and visibility of 'best friends,' encourage personal connections but can foster risky interactions. Meanwhile, YouTube's affordances, such as easy content creation and discovery, promote self-expression but can contribute to time-management struggles due to its endless scroll design. By understanding these platform-specific designs and features, it is possible to mitigate risks without losing the benefits. For example, Facebook could allow for appropriate levels of parental oversight of teen accounts while preserving privacy. Instagram could reduce algorithmic promotion of harmful content. And Snapchat could improve safety features. This safety by design approach moves beyond restricting access to focus on improving the platforms themselves. By thoughtfully redesigning social media features, tech companies can empower teens to use these tools safely and meaningfully. Policymakers can focus on holding social media companies responsible for their platforms' impact, while simultaneously promoting the digital rights of teens to benefit from social media use. It's important for policymakers to recognize that social media's risks and rewards coexist. Instead of viewing social media as a monolith, however, policymakers can target the features of social media platforms most likely to cause harm. For example, they could require platform companies to conduct safety audits or disclose algorithmic risks. These steps could encourage safer design without limiting access. By addressing platform affordances and adopting safety by design, it is possible to create digital spaces that protect teens from harm while preserving the connection, creativity and support that social media enables. The tools to build a future where teens can thrive are already available; they just need to be designed better. Pamela Wisniewski contributed to the writing of this article. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Abdulmalik Alluhidan, Vanderbilt University Read more: Teens on social media need both protection and privacy – AI could help get the balance right Teens on social media: Red, blue and purple states are all passing laws to restrict and protect adolescents Online child safety laws could help or hurt – 2 pediatricians explain what's likely to work and what isn't The research reported in this article was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the William T. Grant Foundation.
