The American Psychological Association (APA) has published a series of guidelines for the correct use of social networks by adolescents. These are about ten recommendations for minors, which are also useful for families, the companies that manage these platforms and legislators who must take into account the health of their users.
One of the most prominent indications is the limit of one hour of consumption of 2.0 media before going to sleep, so that this online activity does not interfere with sleep. Another concern of the experts is related to the coincidence between the functions of the networks and the ages or development capacities of the Internet users. Likewise, according to the APA, it is essential to reduce the exposure to hate of this public on the Internet.
The fight against self-harm induced by the influence of networks is another of the great challenges of this protocol. As Don Grant, National Advisor for Healthy Device Management at Newport Healthcare, points out, this advice is more appropriate than it sounds. Grant, former division president of the Society for Media Psychology
It refers to the fact that, with the right precautions, they are beneficial spaces that do not have to be destructive or addictive for young people. The effort to preserve their children's privacy can end up being daunting for the average parent. However, the challenge is less enormous if these rules are taken into account. The first thing, the specialists clarify, is to accompany the kids on this journey.
Also, professionals advocate educating boys early. Before they go online for the first time, schoolchildren should have been educated about misinformation, data privacy, hoaxes and scams, etc. in the web. The situation, at present, is very different from the landing on the Internet of the first generation of digital natives, and that should be noted.
The irruption of adolescents on TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat usually occurs between the ages of 10 and 14. As schoolchildren get older, adults should intervene less in their virtual life. Analysts stress that to know when a boy or girl is in front of their smartphone, it is enough to observe their non-verbal language while browsing social media.
