Social media is all around us. It seems that everyone is tweeting, blogging and Facebooking their life these days. Earlier this year, my husband took a 30-day break from Facebook. What a great idea that turned out to be — for both of us. Made me realize how often I was checking Facebook for updates. I followed his lead and set limits on how much I could use Facebook in any given day. It changed the way I use the site now. I no longer feel compelled to “check in” on my friends. I can go when I have time, not all the time.

What about for kids?

How hard would it be for a teenager to quit Facebook for a month? It’s hard enough for adults to set limits, but add in peer pressure and it’s gotta double the challenge. “Good Morning America” ran a spot about how some teens are absolutely addicted to social media. One girl who was featured, used the site as many as six  hours on a weekend. It was causing fights with her mother and her grades were slipping.

What’s a parent to do?

We must help our teenagers and young children know and understand the Internet. It’s not just social media.

According to the article:

Sherry Turkle, a professor of psychology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said people are now dropping in and out of Facebook, and learning how to integrate it into their lives in better ways.

“We’re not going to be taking away the Internet,” she said. “It’s more a question of living with these devices that so compel us, in a way that serves our human purposes.”

Teaching them and giving them a greater understanding of the how’s and why’s will prepare them for life with technology outside the home. It’s not going away, so we need to give them tools to use to use it properly.

Read the full story to learn about how to determine if your teen is addicted or just spending too much time online and to get tips on how to help him/her live a more balanced life.

Photo courtesy stock.xchng by lusi.

Related:

• ABC’s “As Facebook Takes Over Their Lives, Some Teens are Pulling the Plug“
• Tips for Controlling Your Teen’s Facebook Usage, from ABC
• CNN’s “Five clues That You Are Addicted to Facebook“
• It seems unusual, but there is a Facebook group for “Facebook Addiction Disorder” on Facebook.

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