This blog is from my newsletter series providing educational research and insights on how to support your child on their academic journey
Have you as a parent struggled with your child spending endless time on social media on their phones, but feel powerless to do anything about it?
This topic is very close to my heart. As an academic coach, I hate seeing students wasting their time on something so meaningless and seeing the negative impact it has on their grades.
This month's news suggested that the UK government is about to release new laws, whereby "Children aged under 16 could be banned from social media under plans due to be unveiled within weeks" - The Times
It is estimated that teenagers on average spend 3 hours per day across social media platforms. However, my own research shows that this number is not accurate and it is closer to 4 - 5 hours a day, with some days reaching an astonishing 11 hours!
Remember that at the end of the day, you are likely the ones who bought the phone for them and are paying for their contract. Therefore, it is important to set some concrete rules and educate your children on how to use social media purposefully and in moderation.
My top tips:
Understand how much your child actually spends on social media using my free tracker https://www.york-weaving-education.co.uk/_files/ugd/768a76_66680c48f7d244fab653054ab9c0cc7a.pdf
Decide what is a reasonable time for your child to spend on social media and discuss this with your child
Delete social media apps from the phone and use web browser instead, or agree to keep one social media app only
Have clear rules for when they are allowed to use social media and when not (e.g. as a reward after school or after completed homework)
No phones should be taken to bed and should be put away from the bedroom before sleep
Watch my Youtube video below for more tips and subscribe to my channel for more educational tips and insights.
With warmest regards,
Dr Anna York-Weaving
Academic Coach, Scientist and Founder of York-Weaving Education
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