Remember when we used to have to ask our parents’ permission to use the phone? Remember when the phone was connected to a wall and we actually had to stay in that one (not so private) place in order to chat to our friends? Yes I am old enough to remember this! We had a ‘phone table’ with its little seat attached to a table where the phone sat, and it even had a space for the ‘phone book’, which was a real paper book with two parts A-K & L-Z.
I still recall when my older brother brought home a long cable that meant I could actually get the phone all the way to upstairs and talk about ‘girly stuff’ in private to my girlfriends!
Yes I am showing my age, but I’m OK with that, and I am old enough now to have a teenager (insert me crying here). I now watch her snap selfies with her besties, and giggles about all sorts of stuff they can see on their iPads. Whether you like it or not social media is here, and we can no longer ignore it, well we can try, but even our youngest kids will soon be bombarded with it, and I find the better we understand it, the better we can supervise.
So I wanted to share some tips that may help you, or your children survive social media.
- Remember that Real Life and Online Life are two very different things! Social media is controlled, we can post what we like, and edit our lives to look a certain way! It is important that you remember that if you can edit your life on social media so can others! Some choose to post only the most edited, photo-shopped, filtered pics they can find, with happy little captions that make them sound like a famous socialite. Others choose to post nothing but negativity, bitchy, draining pics with quotes about how everyone sucks. (Maybe check they are actually ok just in case), but some people just like to promote negativity because they think it makes them look cool. You need to look upon social media with a critical eye, don’t get caught up in fake social media drama.
- Don’t spend all your time on it! As fun as it can be, remember there is a magical place out there called the ‘real world’ where ‘real people’ exist. It might sound like I am being silly, but it is easy to caught up for hours on social media, don’t forget to actually catch up with friends and get the full picture of what is happening in their life, not the edited version.
- Don’t obsess over what everyone else is doing. It can be so easy to find yourself caught up in what others are doing. Have you heard of FOMO? It stands for Fear Of Missing Out. We have all felt this way. Growing up if you weren’t at a party because you had to do something with your family you would wonder what you were missing out on, it kind of sucked! But these days it is worse. We now see what we are missing out on all over social media! This is particularly hard on teens. Don’t dismiss how they feel. If you are somewhere then commit to where you are. Don’t look at social media when you are out with others, focus on the now, if you don’t look at what everyone at the other party is doing then you won’t care.
- Stop competing. If you are feeling a little jealous of someone else’s feed because they are on a fab vacation, or at the coolest party, don’t automatically start posting photos of yourself trying to look like you are having a better time. Just be happy for others, or don’t look at their feed. If you can’t be happy for them, then maybe you don’t really care about them and you should unfollow them.
- Watch what you say. No one likes hearing horrible comments, if you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t open your mouth (or type that message at all)! Think how you would feel if someone left you a degrading, or ignorant comment!
- Don’t read nasty comments. It is awful if someone says something horrible about you online, but remember that it says more about their character than yours! Don’t give them the satisfaction of reading it. And do not respond online to them, they want you to do that so don’t do what they want. Have someone delete any hurtful comments or simply block them. Don’t play their game.
- Have fun with it. Social media is such a wonderful way to share moments with those we love, to capture a fantastic collection of memories, it is truly like having a wonderful photo album or scrapbook of memorable moments right there on our phones! It is also a great way to follow things we love like, an artist we admire, and it is great for promoting a business, or blog. It is also absolutely fantastic for sharing moments with those we love who live far away. When used with good intentions it can be a fabulous medium for connection and fun. Don’t be scared of social media, just be smart about it.
- Remember that we are being watched. If you have kids especially tweens and teens, then you know that you are being watched and kids are like sponges, they absorb everything! The way you use social media will affect how they use it. The things you say about it will affect, and shape their opinions. If you are always posting negative comments, or making negative remarks they will learn to do the same. Teach them to be responsible by being a positive example.
Do you have any other suggestions? If so leave me a comment below.
Thanks for joining me, love Mac xx
31 comments
We were united in phone wire MG in your first paragraph!! We didn’t get a phone in the home until we were teens. Up until then it was the famous red telephone box and the neighbour for emergencies. But the joy when they came with longer leads! That’s the kind of mobile phone we knew isn’t it. Oh the joy. I wouldn’t change it for the world though. Such a pertinent post on all fronts of the online world and a great read. Thank you for visiting the #tweensteensbeyond linky again MG, its great to have you back
I also remember that hallway phone! And I also remember my dad yelling “Lisa, get off the phone! You’ve just spent all day at school with Mary so why do you need to be on the phone to her all night. What else have you got to talk about?” 🙂 Yep, our kids have it so easy with the communication nowadays, yet you are also so right that it can also have its disadvantages. I try to get mine to live in the Real World as much as they can – especially when we are all together. But it is hard to get them off their gadgets. Your tips for surviving social media are spot on and really helpful! Lisa xx #TweensTeensBeyond
I’m dreading when my daughter is old enough for social media – I imagine things were much simpler when I was a kid and we had one house phone and the internet wasn’t invented yet! Social media is such a minefield but you can’t avoid it, so you need to teach kids to use it resopnsibly. #abloggingoodtime
Yes, I remember sitting on the stairs talking on the phone! Social media is an absolute minefield with so many pros, but also more cons. Even as an adult I find it quite depressing and isolating at times, but think it’s easier for us to detach from it than it is for our children. Fabulous post #ablogginggoodtime x
Great tips here! Teens and preteens, especially girls, can get jealous and nasty which not only makes themselves look bad and upsets others but it can also quickly spiral out of control and have a huge impact on their mental health. There tips could help to teach them the pitfalls and dangers. #ablogginggoodtime
I think the hardest thing is that social media is evolving all the time, so the rules are changing and we have to monitor and make them. #ablogginggoodtime
These are great tips for teens. I’m not at all looking forward to my daughter being old enough to use social media! #ablogginggoodtime
Brilliant tips lovely. I always tell my kids at home and school never to write anything that you wouldn’t be prepared to say to someone’s face. So many people hide behind social media. It is not an excuse for bad behaviour. #ablogginggoodtime 🎉
I remember when we still had a party line at home! Thankfully my daughter is years away from social media, but I am keenly aware of the behaviour I am modelling for her now. What concerns me the most is how often people behind the keyboard lack a filter just because they are behind a keyboard. Things that would never be said to a person’s face are tossed around online all the time, and I think that is starting to change (not in a good way). It so often seems that the lack of filter that was reserved for behind a keyboard is trickling into everyday life. We could all use more positivity and a healthier relationship with social media, IMO.
#ablogginggoodtime
I remember life with the good old fashion phone and phone book! Now everyone has their heads stuck on a mobile screen! arghhh…. Thanks gfor the tips, I especially liked the last one about being watched. When i read the title, I didn’t expect you to mean our kids watching us, but this is so true. We have to be good role models. #ablogginggoodtime
this is something that we struggled with our teen when she first got hers several years ago. I’m hoping that with the youngest it will be less of a novelty and we’ll get a better handle on it from the start, though by them I’m sure there will be something else! #blogginggoodtime
Me too! I am also old enough to have used a phone attached to a wall and to wait in for a call because there was no such things as ansaphones! It can seem so complicated to guide our young people through social media but actually these 8 rules are all you need! You have summed it up perfectly. Thanks so much for sharing this valuable post at #TweensTeensBeyond
Social media is a poisoned chalice. I love it in so many ways and hate it in others. I hate how fake so many people seem on it. I recently deleted my FB account and I feel better for it. This is a really interesting post full of great tips! #thesatsesh
Brilliant stuff. So important to come away from the phones/tablets! I say this having spent the last half hour reading beautiful blog posts!! #thesesh
Ha ha, we had a phone in the house for a while but had to get rid of it and then we had to use the red telephone box that was luckily opposite the house. We’d get random passers by knocking on our door to say they’d just answered the phone and it was for us 😂. Times have changed so much since then and the whole online bullying that seems to go on really worries me. My oldest isn’t quite there yet but he’s 8 now so it’s not too many years away, I will be keeping your advice in mind to prepare him for it when the time comes x
#Ablogginggoodtime
I have to admit, my kids are still pretty little, but navigating social media usage as a parent is something that worries me. Great tips xxx
Hey, Mac, I remember all of those things! Our girls only saw a phone attached to the wall when we started looking for houses! Hysterical. You have a superb list here, and are spot on! I always say, just be the better person, in every situation. Especially social media! <3 #ablogginggoodtime xoxo
The start of this post was so evocative – i remember all of the things you mention and when we got a second phone upstairs that was revolutionary!!!! Yesterday our landline rung (my mother!) and I didn’t even know what it was for a minute or 2!!!!! These are very good points about social media and I hope I can help my children understand them too – it’s such a different world now for children! #thesatsesh xx
I love this! I’m going to share it on my Social Media Coaching business profile and my mommy blog because it’s relevant on both! Thank you.
#ablogginggoodtime.
Having time offline is certainly healthy. Life is for living so get out there and enjoy it. #ablogginggoodtime
Great list, I know a few people who could do with reading the bit about being positive! Thanks for sharing #BlogCrush
The last few weeks, I’ve been taking a bit of a backseat with social media as it was getting too much. I’ve been so tired lately mentally and felt a lighter approach to blogging was needed!
Good tips for those who might get overpowered by social media! #ablogginggoodtime
Great advice for kids, bloggers and everyone! #ablogginggoodtime
I remember phones being attached to the wall! Nothing was private! #ablogginggoodtime
Ha ha. I remember those days of the phone with the seat and the muffled murmurings behind my hand. Just imagine how our teens would cope with that now? I had a guest post on Smartphone Overuse Syndrome and even though I am very strict I still think the teen generation is using it too much – well in my house anyway! FOMO is a big one here and to be honest I have noticed my obsession with social media is on the borderline sometimes. Thanks for linking with us again and sorry for the delay I have been away and banned all social media including the blog and am now paying the price! #TweensTeensBeyond
Great tips. Whilst I love social media, I dread the day my son is old enough to have accounts. How crazy is that?! #ablogginggoodtime
Some great pointers here. It’s easy to get caught up in the social media world and it’s all about balance xx #dreamteam
This is very good food for thought for both adults and children 🙂 Lots for me to take away and think about, thankyou #dreamteam
Ahh I remember ringing the ‘house phone’ of friends and dreading having to talk to their parents! haha. Social media is brilliant but also overwhelming at times. Thanks for these tips #dreamteam
Social media is now such an integral part of our lives and it does have its benefits. There are people that I would never have been able to keep in touch with if we were back to those good old days of the phone in the hall. That being said I think that it puts us all under huge amounts of social pressure and I really do worry about our littles and the impact that it will have on them as they grow up. This is a brilliant post and all of your advice is spot on. I think that we all need a few boundaries to keep it in check. Thanks for linking to #DreamTeam lovely x
Comments are closed.