Mass. psychiatrist on kids summer social media use
Updated: 5:58 PM EDT Jun 30, 2022
THE RISK OF HOSPITALIZATION OR DEATH. ERIKA: IT’S A BIG WEEKEND FOR LOCAL TEENAGERS TO HEAD TO THE BEACH, A BBQ, OR FIREWORKS. HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR PARENTS IS DR. KHADIJAH BOOTH WATKINS, A PSYCHIATRIST AND THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE CLAY CENTER FOR YOUNG HEALTHY MINDS AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. ED: GREAT TO SEE YOU. FOR SOME KIDS, THE BEST PART OF SUMMER OUR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ABOUT PARTIES AND FRIENDS. HOW CLOSELY SHOULD PARENTS MONITOR WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE SHARING? DR. BOOTH WATKINS: THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BACK. SUPERVISION CAN PREVENT A LOT OF NEGATIVE OUTCOMES, BUT IN THIS CASE, IT IS ALMOST AS AN WOULDN’T AS IT IS TO MONITOR AND SUPERVISE AS IT IS TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT SAFE USE OF THE INTERNET, THE CONSEQUENCES OF SILLY POSTS, TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THE DIGITAL FOOTPRINT AND HOW THAT CAN COME BACK MANY YEARS LATER WHEN THEY HAVE DONE SOMETHING AS A SILLY TEENAGER TO HAVE MAJOR REPERCUSSIONS. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO MONITOR, SOME WAYS YOU CAN DO THAT IS FOLLOW THEM ONLINE AND HAVE THEM FOLLOW YOU, YOU CAN LOOK AT THEIR POSTS TOGETHER, THAT IS A HEALTHY EXERCISE BECAUSE YOU CAN TALK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT MAY BE PROBLEMATIC. AS YOU ARE FOLLOWING THEM, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING INAPPROPRIATE, HAVE A CONVERSATION THAT IS OPEN , THAT IS SAFE, THAT DOES NOT COME ACROSS TOO JUDGMENTAL BUT HEARING WHAT THEY WERE THINKING AND GIVE THEM SOME FEEDBACK AS TO WHY YOU THINK IT IS NOT A GOOD POST AND HOW THEY COULD HAVE DONE IT DIFFERENTLY. ERIKA: I FEEL LIKE WE NEED A PARENT APPROVAL BUTTON BEFORE A POST IS POSTED. I’M JUST KIDDING. EVERY PARENT HAS THEIR OWN LIST OF WHAT THEY FEEL IS APPROPRIATE OR NOT. HOW AND WHEN SHOULD PARENTS START A CONVERSATION WITH THEIR TEEN? DR. BOOTH WATKINS: IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A MONITORING BUTTON FOR PARENTS BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN THEY POST IT AND WE KNOW THE DIGITAL FOOTPRINT LAST FOREVER, IT IS TOO LATE, SO THESE CONVERSATIONS SHOULD BE ONGOING — IT STARTED LONG BEFORE THEY HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THE LONG-TERM IMPERMANENCE OF A DIGITAL FOOTPRINT, HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS CAN LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE AND HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WANT TO PORTRAY THEMSELVES, WHAT THEY WANT PEOPLE TO SEE AND THINK ABOUT THEM WHEN THEY SEE THEIR POSTS. HELPING THEM BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THEIR POSTS AND USING SO MANY OF THESE TEACHABLE MOMENTS THAT WE SEE WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHERE WE DON’T APPROVE OR DON’T AGREE WITH THEIR POSTS, TALKING TO THEM ABOUT WHY. HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND AND MAKE THE CHOICES IS GOING TO BE HARD TO TAKE THE APPROACH OF TRYING TO MONITOR AND CHANGE, BUT EDUCATE THEM SO THEY CAN MAKE CHOICES THEMSELVES. ED: WE’VE ALL HAD THOSE MOMENTS WHEN WE’VE SEEN POSTS ON FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM, AND WE’VE WONDERED, OK, WHY WASN’T I INVITED TO THAT? WHEN THAT HAPPENS TO A TEENAGER, IS THERE ANYTHING A PARENT SHOULD DO OR SAY TO MAKE IT LESS PAINFUL? DR. BOOTH WATKINS: IT IS HARD TO FEEL LEFT OUT, ESPECIALLY AS A TEENAGER WHEN YOU ARE SO CONNECTED TO YOUR PEERS AND BEING ACCEPTED AND CONNECTED IS IMPORTANT. THERE’S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO TO FIX IT, BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A TEACHABLE MOMENT. YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THEM. YOU CANNOT SUPPORT THEM UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE FEELING. ARE THE ANGRY, DISAPPOINTED, SURPRISED? THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE CONVERSATION ABOUT HEALTHY FRIENDSHIPS AND HELP THEM DETERMINE WHETHER PEOPLE ARE FRIENDS OR NOT AND HELP THEM PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE. MAYBE THERE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO BE INVITED BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OR THEY WERE OUT OF TOWN BUT SOMETIMES THEY CAN BE REACTIVE AND AC — THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY, SO HAVE THEM PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE AND GIVE THEM COPING SKILLS OR HELP THEM DISTRACT THEMSELVES FROM OBSESSING OVER THIS WHILE THEY ARE FOLLOWING THIS PARTY THEY ARE NOT INVITED TO. ERIKA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. ED: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION LIKE THAT AND WOULD LIKE OUR EXPERT TO ANSWER THE QUEST
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Mass. psychiatrist on kids summer social media use
Updated: 5:58 PM EDT Jun 30, 2022
Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins is a psychiatrist and the associate director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Mass General Hospital.
Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins is a psychiatrist and the associate director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Mass General Hospital.
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