Social Media: Ways to Stay Healthy
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Social Media: Ways to Stay Healthy

- Communication
- Internet Safety
- Body Image
- Peer Pressure
- Bullying
- mental health
- emotional health

# Youth

### FAQs

What if I have FOMO (fear of missing out)?

Try calling or texting a friend to meet up in real life! If you have FOMO, your friends might too. Calling someone to hang out or just talk on the phone can make them feel included and is a great way to connect.

How do I know if a post is an ad?

There are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. Is there a specific product in the post?
2. Does the person tag a company or brand?
3. Is the person selling something?
4. Does the post link to another post?
5. If the answer is yes to any of these, chances are it is an ad-and not real life.

How much time on social media is too much?

Every person is different, but if you start to notice you feel bad about yourself or notice that you compare yourself to others when you are scrolling, it’s time to take a break and do an activity that doesn’t involve your device! If you notice that you check your device automatically-without realizing it, feel like you have to check your social media all the time, or get angry when you reach your time limit, you might be developing an unhealthy habit and spending too much time online.

### Related Videos

- ## Social Media And Self Image

- ## Sexting

- ## Being Safe on the Internet

- ## Wise on the Web

- ## Bodies: Different Shapes and Sizes. All Beautiful!

### Additional Resources

KidsHealth
Teen Vouge: Distancing Self from Social Media

# Parents

Sit down with your child to look at funny videos or pictures.

Sit down with your child to look at funny videos or pictures, creating the space for your child to be comfortable with you and sharing online experiences. Ask your child to show you their favorite meme, YouTuber, or TikTok.

Talk with your family at dinner about social media.

Social media is so pervasive that it can be a completely natural, comfortable topic of conversation with your child. You can say something like, “Did you see how the (current event) was all over TikTok, YouTube, IG, etc today?”

Just like we instill in our children a sense of self-worth, confidence, and self-empowerment in their everyday lives, it is just as important to have conversations about how social media can affect their self-image. Say things like, “Did you see that ad on social media today, it almost looked real?” Let them know that it can be hard to tell the difference for everyone. Discuss how celebrities make money posting; you can even look at some of your favorite celebrity’s posts together and find the ads and altered photos.

### Related Videos

- ## Social Media And Self Image

- ## Sexting

- ## Being Safe on the Internet

- ## Wise on the Web

- ## Bodies: Different Shapes and Sizes. All Beautiful!

### Additional Resources

Common Sense Media
How Social Media Affects Teens
Is Social Media Threatening Teens’ Mental Health and Well-being?

# Educators

### National Sex Ed Standards

CHR.8.INF.2 - Impact of Technology and Social Media on Relationships

Evaluate the impact of technology (e.g., use of smart phones, GPS tracking) and social media on relationships (e.g., consent, communication)

View all CHR.8.INF.2 Videos

CHR.8.SM.2 - Strategies to Use Social Media Safely, Legally, and Respectfully

Demonstrate strategies to use social media safely, legally, and respectfully

View all CHR.8.SM.2 Videos

CHR.10.INF.2 - Potentially Positive and Negative Roles of Technology and Social Media

Analyze the potentially positive and negative roles of technology and social media on one’s sense of self and within relationships

View all CHR.10.INF.2 Videos

CHR.12.INF.2 - Cultural and Social Factors that Can Influence Decisions Regarding Sexual Behaviors

Analyze cultural and social factors (e.g., sexism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism, classism) that can influence decisions regarding sexual behaviors

View all CHR.12.INF.2 Videos

### Discussion Questions

Use the following discussion questions after watching the video with your class:

- What have you heard about influencers, social media ads, and filters and apps like Photoshop?
- How do you know if an online post is real, an ad, or has been altered?
- What are some examples of media posts that are advertisements or Photoshopped?
- How can you think critically when scrolling social media?
- What are some activities you can participate in when you take breaks from social media?
- When you use social media, what are some things you can do to stay mentally and emotionally healthy?

### Lesson Plans

Image Overload (PDF)
Image Overload (PowerPoint)
Using Technology Respectfully and Responsibly (PDF)
Using Technology Respectfully and Responsibly (PowerPoint)
Fantasy or Reality: How Sexually Explicit Media Affects How We See Relationships (PDF)
Fantasy or Reality: How Sexually Explicit Media Affects How We See Relationships (PowerPoint)
Rights, Respect, Responsibility: Being Smart, Staying Safe Online (PDF)

### Websites

Common Sense Media
Is Social Media Threatening Teens’ Mental Health and Well-being?
KidsHealth