New Year, New You: How to Talk to Your Teen About Social Media Use

A Pediatric Psychologist’s Guide to Positive Social Media Habits in 2024

BACKGROUND:
The new year is a great time to reset with your teen. It’s a perfect time to discuss how to establish new behaviors and open the door to conversations with your teen about how to develop positive online habits. There are new and established tools and resources developed by Meta that parents can use to set boundaries with their teens on social media. These tools can help keep your teen safe from harmful content and unwanted contact.

FEATURES TO SUPPORT INTENTIONAL TIME ONLINE:

• Meta has launched a new feature where teens will be shown a full-screen reminder to consider leaving Instagram when they’ve spent a few minutes on Reels late at night.
• Quiet Mode lets teens pause notifications when they need to focus, like overnight or during homework time, and sends friends and family auto-replies letting them know they’re not available.
• Teens will be notified to look at something different if they’ve been scrolling on the same topic for a while.

FEATURES FOR PARENTS TO SHAPE THEIR TEENS’ EXPERIENCES:

• Parents have supervision tools that let them see how much time their teen spends on Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and VR.  Parents and caregivers can also set time limits for their teens.
• Parents have access to who their teen follows, who follows their teen and will be notified when their teen reports or blocks someone.
• Instagram and VR Parent Guides were developed in partnership with experts to give parents easy ways to talk to their teens about safety and well-being.

Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, a Board-Certified Pediatric Psychologist highlights the numerous features that are available to support teens and families.  She discusses how parents and teens can establish positive social media habits together as well as shares best practices for teens to manage their time online in a supportive environment.

For more information please visit: https://familycenter.meta.com/

MORE ABOUT DR. ANN-LOUISE LOCKHART:
Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart is the owner of A New Day Pediatric Psychology, based in San Antonio, TX. With over 17 years of experience in the field, she is a pediatric psychologist, parent coach, wife of 25 years, and mother of 2 children. She specializes in helping overwhelmed parents to better understand their children and teenagers. Dr. Lockhart has presented to numerous schools, school districts, agencies, and corporations around the globe. She is also a dynamic presenter, freelance writer, sought-after speaker, and Review Board Member for Verywell Family and Parents.

Produced for: Meta