43: The Dangers of Social Media Use in Teenagers

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Richard Capriola has been a mental health and substance use counselor for over two decades. He has treated both teens and adults diagnosed with substance use disorders and he is also the author of “The Addicted Child”, a handy parental guide for adolescent substance abuse. In this episode, Richard shares advice on how you can help your teens develop healthier social media habits and how to prevent them from being addicted to their cellphones. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Key Takeaways</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">About Richard and his work with teens. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">What seems to be the most popular apps teens are using today? </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Parents might not understand all the available social media apps, but they should take the time to investigate what their teens spend a vast majority of their time on. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Like anything else, there will always be downsides and parents need to be aware of what these are. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">You should talk to your children about their social media use and what they're posting online publicly. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">How do you help your teen develop healthier social media patterns? </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">If you have a teen that’s vulnerable to social anxiety, you have to be proactive with getting them to spend ‘real-life’ time with their friends. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Check in with your teen and ask them how social media makes them feel. Social media is often filled wit