Resources for Technology and Social Media

• Kids are using AI chatbots to talk about stress, friendships and more, but AI systems don’t understand feelings and can’t protect kids’ mental health.
• Talking to AI may feel helpful, but it isn’t a friend or therapist, and its answers may not be correct or private.
• AI can be useful for parents and kids to use together, but kids still need real support from parents, friends and others.

What You'll Discover:

• Technology is not all good or all bad. There are signs to look for to see if your child has gotten out of balance with their technology use.
• You can help them rebalance when needed.
• Setting boundaries and consequences will help them understand healthy limits.

Let’s face it—screens are here to stay. But how does it impact a child’s mental health?

• Social media can offer benefits like stronger relationships, self-understanding and community, but also poses risks to children’s mental health. 
• Social media use should be limited and monitored based on the child's age and maturity. 
• A child may be ready for social media if they have an open and trusting relationship with you, are confident in who they are, respect boundaries and know how to stay safe online. 
• Continue daily conversations and monitoring of your child's social media use to ensure their safety and well-being.

• Building a strong relationship with your child helps reduce online risks and can improve their digital literacy.
• Letting your child guide you through the platforms they use while expressing curiosity can encourage more sharing.
• Spending time alongside your child when they’re online and seeing their favorite content will help you understand what they’re seeing and thinking about.

• Recognize the potential risks of social media to protect your child's mental health, safety and privacy.
• Teach kids to limit personal information in profiles and talk about how to share photos to protect privacy.
• Set limits on who children can connect with, control chat features and curate content to ensure safe social media use.
• Be aware of how data is shared with marketers and use parental controls to manage access and set time limits.

• For healthy social media use, involve the whole family and discuss online habits and safety.
• Talk about risks (like bullying), set rules for what kinds of interactions are OK and discuss how to keep personal information safe.
• Set limits and agree on consequences. You’ll want to check-in regularly on how the plan is working for your family.

• Social media can affect children with mental health conditions like ADHD, eating disorders, depression and anxiety.
• Recognize signs that social media use may be negatively impacting a child's mental health, such as changes in behavior or mood.
• Engage with your child’s mental health care team to share expectations and concerns.

Online and video gaming isn’t all bad or all good for children’s mental health. There are things you can do as a family to decide what is important to you around gaming and how to set boundaries and limits on games that you can all agree on.

• Risks and Benefits of Gaming on Kids' Mental Health
• How to Talk with Your Child About Gaming
• When You Should Be Concerned

• Sextortion is when someone threatens to share private or fake sexual photos or videos to get money, more images or make other demands.
• It can start online with someone pretending to be a friend, and it often makes kids feel worried, ashamed or trapped.
• Parents can help by talking with their kids about online safety, keeping accounts private and reminding them they can always come to a trusted adult for help.