Ana Homayoun, author of Social Media Wellness: Helping Tweens and Teens Thrive in an Unbalanced Digital World, shared the results of her interviews with middle and high school students about the things they don’t feel they can tell their parents about their online life, but wished their parents knew in a recent Washington Post article. The three things they wanted their parents to know were:

  • When you take away one device at night, you might not realize how many devices we still have with us.
  • Many of us have a fake Instagram account.
  • If we are passionate or angry about something, we take it to social media.

Also coming from the interviews were four things they wished their parents would do:

  • Talk with us about the apps we like to use and why. Most of you have no idea about our world.
  • Help us keep an eye on who is following us.
  • Accept that there are lots of good things on social media—it is not all bad stuff.
  • Talk with us about sexting and healthy relationships in a way that isn’t awkward.

The article at the Post provides additional information on each of these points. You will also be able to learn more about dealing with tweens, teens, and their digital world at the 2018 Illinois PTA Convention May 4-5, 2018 at the NIU-Naperville Conference Center. Our keynote speaker at convention will be Devorah Heitner, author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World. In addition to her keynote, Dr. Heitner will be presenting a workshop and signing copies of her book.