Do you ever remember a time it felt dangerous to go somewhere as a kid?
For me, that was walking to the 7 Eleven by myself when I was eight.
But now, kids don’t even have to move their feet to find themselves in dangerous situations. Danger lives at their fingertips.
I’ve said it before, but social media is not a safe space.
Look at how much grown adults struggle with social media, and many of us didn’t grow up with it. We weren’t immediately trying to root our identity in it during our formative years, like our kids are.
Listen—kids have no clue who they are, yet. They are in exploration mode and social media is not the space to allow kids to figure themselves out.
There are over 60 social media apps out there and they are not all created with the best of intentions. Some things are truly meant to kill and destroy.
Kids are simply not prepared for it. They aren’t emotionally mature or secure.
I mean, let me ask you this—are most of us adults emotionally mature and secure enough for the chaos that happens on social media?
This has been weighing heavy on my heart as I know so many mama friends are entering this scary new stage of motherhood where they come to you saying, “But everyone in my class has a phone.”
The truth is social media is not going away, but the other truth is they aren’t going to “miss out”. Social media will always be there and it’s important that we make sure our children are equipped for the use of it. This means setting boundaries—this means not looking like everyone else in the world.
We can prepare their hearts, their heads, and our toolbox. There are options out there that allow them to have a phone AND NOT become the target of manipulation through social media.
Social Media & Our Children
