Navigating Social Media with Teens
- Brandy Hussey, MMFT, LPC-Associate
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
It’s nice to hear from seasoned moms on topics like navigating social media as a parent, and Brandy Hussey, LPC-Associate is not only a Christian mom of an 18-year-old son, but she also a professional counselor who works with teens. I have asked her to share with us some information on social media, how it can affect teens’ mental health, and advice to help parents navigate social media with their teens.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR PROFESSION AS A COUNSELOR.
My name is Brandy Hussey, and this year my husband, Scott, and I celebrate 24 years of marriage. Our 18-year-old son, Drake, just graduated from high school last month and is working this summer.
Scott served in full-time ministry for more than 35 years before stepping away earlier this year due to burnout. He works in audio engineering and music lessons now. Ministry has taken our family to Anchorage, Alaska, Avon, Indiana, and then back home to the Houston area.
I am an LPC-Associate at LifeSpring Behavioral Health wrapping up my supervision this year, and this is my “second act” profession that I have been in for 3-4 yrs. Once our son was in high school and getting older, it felt like the right time, and I went back to school to get my master’s in marriage and family therapy after years of contemplating it. I see teens ages 14 and up and also specialize in young adults, those going through life transitions, empty nesters, couples, women’s health, infertility, and those experiencing church hurt as well.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS USED AMONG TEENS THESE DAYS, AND WHAT ARE THE RISKS AND BENEFITS OF EACH?
TikTok: Teens can upload videos that are a few seconds up to something like 10 minutes
Risks: It can be addictive in nature because of the short videos based on your viewing; some look to it for knowledge and self-diagnoses (We see a lot of “I think I have ______ b/c of the video I saw on TikTok” in the counseling room.)
Benefits: Keeping up with friends
Snapchat: Uploading photos and videos that disappear after 24 hrs; there is also a texting ability in the app.
Risks: Texts disappear too, so things can be “hidden,” which is a misconception that the uploaded content truly disappears. The reality is that there is a database somewhere storing the information and nothing on the internet is ever truly deleted.
Benefits: Connecting to friends, and some kids think it is easier to text on Snapchat compared to traditional texting via mobile phones.
Instagram: Posting photos, videos, and reels (short videos like TikTok), interact with friends through comments and likes and direct messages.
Risks: Some of the same risks as above mentioned social media apps.
Benefits: There are monitoring abilities for parents of teen accounts
YouTube: Upload and watch videos/shorts (shorter videos)
Risks: Can be deceptive, as the algorithm can lead to encountering content that isn’t suitable for the young viewer.
Benefits: Learning new things through informational videos, sharing positive content with others.
FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A LICENSED COUNSELOR, HOW CAN SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECT OUR TEEN’S MENTAL HEALTH AND WHAT ARE RISKS TO WATCH OUT FOR?
Effects on teens can range from heightened anxiety, mood changes, emotional deregulation, social anxiety, isolation, low self-esteem, affected sleep hygiene, depression, and body image issues. Harmful trends, online harassment, and cyberbullying are a big concern as well.
Some warning signs to pay attention to would be the need to instantly respond via text or social media, being more secretive, mood swings, and withdrawing from normal activities. Talking to our teens about these warning signs before they show up can help prevent them.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A CHRISTIAN PARENT TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE SOCIAL MEDIA WITH THEIR TEENS?
Communication. We as parents should be communicating with our teens who have social media access and talking about healthy habits. The more we communicate, the less likely they will feel like they have to hide things. Be involved and interested in what they are viewing, as well as their friends. We need to be involved and communicating with our kids to help them navigate social media and keeping dialogue open with them, so they come to us when they make mistakes or need help.
Also, it’s good to remember that just because we monitor our kids’ usage and devices doesn’t mean their friends’ parents do. The more we keep lines of communication open with our kids, the more they will be comfortable telling us when things aren’t right.
Use the monitoring abilities offered through the platforms that offer them. It is one more way to keep our eyes on things they are seeing and posting.
Also, monitor their accounts. Bark has a great monitoring app for phones that covers some of the above platforms, but unfortunately not all.
When my son was younger, we had a rule that phones were charged downstairs overnight and were not allowed in the bedroom. This helped minimize the impact of screen time on his sleep and reduced opportunities for late-night phone use or making choices he might later regret.
And remember that our kids watch everything we do and they mimic our behaviors. Try to be a good influence and exhibit the healthy social media and phone habits we want them to have.
ARE THERE ANY RESOURCES YOU WOULD SUGGEST TO HELP PARENTS NAVIGATE SOCIAL MEDIA?
Bark is one of the best social media and phone monitoring apps I have worked with personally when my son was younger. It will alert to certain phrases in their texts, internet searches, etc.
Also, there is a great nonprofit that is local called Project LookUp that offers resources and helps teens and parents navigate these platforms. It shares ways to help limit the student’s use of social media and provides warning signs to look for as well.
Thank you, Brandy, for sharing with us your experience and expertise as a counselor when it comes to navigating social media with teens. Project LookUp looks like an amazing resource for families, and I have heard good things about Bark as a filtering device for parents to use as well!
-Interview by guest author Taylor Johnson, CCC-SLP