Help Your Teens Avoid Social Media Oversharing

While it’s summertime and the school schedules and homework are gone, I get the chance to “hang around” with my kids a lot more than normal.

I like these times because it’s a great opportunity for me to casually chat with them about random subjects and issues that don’t include homework or whether or not they completed their homework. It also gives me a sneak peek into the lives of teenagers and what’s really going on out there in the wonderful world of teens.

How Teens Are Oversharing on Social Media

Recently, I’ve noticed my girls being more and more annoyed (and even sympathetic) for teens who seem to always overshare online, mostly through Twitter and Instagram. Two examples they often see are: 1) offering personal confessions in exchange for “likes” and 2) detailing feelings of emotional distress or depression.

It seems as though many teens are starved for attention from others, and oversharing on social media is a desperate way to feel a connection with someone. Unfortunately, they view a “like” or a sympathetic comment as a friend when it really isn’t. It’s just a tap on a screen.

Another trend is airing extreme emotional distress online—even threatening personal harm. The problem is that a teen can share these kinds of social media posts so often that their peers start to not take them seriously. That’s a huge problem. We always encourage our kids to come to us or a trusted teacher or administrator if they see someone posting dangerous content.

How to Talk with Your Teens About Oversharing

In the end, we cannot control what other kids do on social media, but we can influence those in our own household. Sometimes, just looking at what others are doing—and doing very badly—on social media is the best learning tool.

My kids and I have had discussions about Twitter accounts where the user seems to comment on every little thought that crosses his or her mind. For example, we look at the screen, and I ask them if they really care about what so-and-so thinks about the drive-thru at Taco Bell. They get the point and realize how ridiculous Twitter posts can be.

Girls seem especially vulnerable to posting suggestive photos, whether they realize what they’re doing or not. Summer and swimsuit season doesn’t help. The bottom line is that there are a lot of creepers and bad people out there, and kids need to realize that pretty much anyone can access and use a photo if it is posted online, whether they’re “following” you or not.

Managing social media is a continual learning process—even for some adults. It’s constantly changing and our kids’ generation is planted right in the middle of it. I’m curious to see if they’ll be bored with social media by the time they’re young adults. For now, I am thankful that they can see examples of bad social media management and realize what they do and don’t want to share online.