The usage of social media has contributed to a rise in suicide rates among teens, both male and female. No matter if a child is eight, twelve, or eighteen they could all have a similar experience in how social media can affect them. We, as parents, can help combat the effects some teens face by knowing how social media can affect those using it, by knowing the signs of teen suicide, and by being aware of the different ways to help those who may be suicidal.  

If social media is responsible for even some of these increases in teen mental health problems, we need to ask what we can do: 

Monitor their social media every day. You probably bought the phone. As the owner you can look at it. Limit screen time and communicate those expectations in advance, issuing a reminder beforehand to avoid meltdowns.  Designate a central charging station in your home and insist your children surrender and plug-in their devices well before bedtime.

You can monitor your children's online activity and enable parental controls to get a handle on their screen time and what they use it for.  The more time they spend online, they risk exposure to harassment, bullying, dangerous trends, scams, predators and more. Social media use is growing among 8 to 12-year-olds. Snapchat was the top social media site among tweens, followed by Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook, Discord and Pinterest.

In this modern world of digital dangers and threats, keeping children safe while online is of the utmost importance to all parents. There are inappropriate websites and apps, cyberbullying, sexting, the risk of internet and digital addiction and worst of all, online predators that your child can be exposed to. It’s a good idea to regularly monitor and check in on what they’re doing on their gadgets, no matter where they are. 

Did you know approximately 70% of parents monitor their kids' online activity on social media platforms? This is according to a study by Digital Future Project that monitors internet behavior. In another study, statistics show that giving children access to the internet doesn't mean an improvement in academic studies. However, despite efforts by parents to monitor children's behavior online, there is still some risk of vulnerability. Technology keeps changing, and children adapt very quickly. But both benefits and risks of controlling internet usage by children depend on parenting style. Simply put, parents should control what children consume online but avoid going too overboard.