Iowa City, Iowa (RI) — A recent University of Iowa study found almost half of all parents say they don’t monitor or restrict their teenagers’ internet and social media use, and a mental health care professional says that needs to change. Sarah Long, a psychologist at Gundersen Health System, says parents need to be actively aware of what their kids are doing on social media platforms.
Misinformation abounds on the internet, Long says, as so many things that look legitimate are not factual at all.
Parents should set guidelines before allowing their kids to launch social media accounts, she says, and they need to be up front about how they’ll much they’ll supervise.
If teens demand their privacy, Long says parents should respond that their safety is more important.
Social media can be an important tool as teens enter college or the workforce, as it can be a great way to meet people and communicate, but Long says it’s important that they also be able to do the same things in person.
KIWA Staff Photo
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