Teens & Social Media: Guidance for Parents

Teens are digitally "plugged in" throughout their day in an effort to stay connected to peers and family.

And while they are incredibly adept at navigating online spaces and use new technology with ease, make no mistake that they still need your parental help and guidance to safely navigate their online lives.

While today's tweens and teens may be more digitally savvy than their parents, their lack of maturity and life experience can quickly get them into trouble with these new social venues. For this reason, it is imperative that parents talk with their children of all ages about social media and monitor their online SM use to help them navigate this new online world.

Dr. Melissa Arca helps address the many effects -- both positive and negative -- that social media use has on youth and families, as well as how parents can and should be involved in their children's use of social networks.