Spring break offers teens a chance to relax and take a break from school, but it often comes with increased screen time and social media use. Without the usual structure of daily routines, teens may spend more time online, which can impact their sleep, mood, and overall mental health. Parents and caregivers play an important role in helping teens develop healthy digital habits during this time. By setting appropriate boundaries, encouraging balance, and maintaining open communication, families can support teens in using social media in a positive and responsible way.
Make it Developmentally Appropriate
The approach to monitoring and limiting social media use for a 13- or 14-year-old should look different than for a 16- or 17-year-old. But it’s about more than just chronological age. Consider the following:
- Your teen’s ability to think critically about the content they consume
- Your teen’s decision-making with regards to risky behavior
- Your teen’s emotional intelligence and track record of peer interactions
- If your teen struggles with impulsivity
- If your teen struggles with anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges.
While this is a generalization and your teen may not fully fit these descriptions, typically older teens or teens with an established track-record of healthy social media use will need less monitoring and fewer parent-imposed limits. Younger teens or those with a track-record of less healthy social media use may need more concrete limits, more frequent check-ins to talk about their social media use, and it may even be helpful for you to periodically check their social media activity directly.
Offer Healthy Non-Digital Activities
It’s OK that your teen will spend some more time on social media over winter break, without the structure of the school day. But we know that maintaining a balance with healthy non-digital activities will be important. Rather than simply limiting the amount of time they can spend on social media, it’s important to encourage (and provide opportunities for!) specific activities that might appeal to your teen. Some activities to consider:
- Family meals without phones
- Exercise – going to the gym, playing a sport, walking the dog, sledding, indoor rock climbing, etc.
- In-person socializing with friends
- Art projects and crafts
- Indoor trampoline parks, laser tag, bowling, etc.
- Family game or trivia night
- Going to a museum or a concert
Keep the Conversation Open
Initiate conversations with your teen. Be curious about what they are coming across on social media, and what they think of it. Use this as a way to connect with your teen, hear their perspective, and also to teach about being a good digital citizen.
By having these conversations, you can gain knowledge about what social media content your teen is consuming, and how they consume it (e.g., actively or passively). This is important because those factors often have a greater impact on mental health than does the sheer amount of time spent on social media.
Model Healthy Social Media Use
Your teen will notice if you have a difficult time putting your phone away at dinner, or are consumed by social media interactions. Remember to give yourself healthy breaks too!
