BEWARE OF SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGES

Providing your preteen with a phone for the first time is a big milestone. A smartphone opens the world of social media to your child through social media apps. One concerning trend that parents should be aware of is the presence of dangerous social media challenges that kids may view and attempt.

What is a social media challenge?

In a social media challenge, someone creates a video of themselves doing something funny, risky or even extremely dangerous and then challenges others to do the same thing. Some social media challenges are intended as a positive influence, like the ‘ALS Ice Bucket’ challenge, and are done as a part of community-building. However, others involve taking extreme risks and can be downright deadly. Some dangerous challenges from recent years include: aEating salt. Your body needs salt but too much salt can make you very sick and can even be fatal. aAlcohol use posts, which do not show the consequences of extreme alcohol consumption such as injury or death from alcohol poisoning. aMilk crate challenge, in which participants climb a pyramid of milk crates, then climb back down. aBenadryl challenge, in which participants overdose on this antihistamine and may suffer serious health consequences.

Why are teens attracted to social media challenges?

The brains of preteens and teens are still developing and the areas of the brain that control decision-making are not fully developed at this stage. Acceptance of peers and popularity is important to kids at this age. They sometimes act impulsively when they spot what they perceive as an opportunity to gain the approval of their peers and ‘likes’ on social media. All preteens and teens may see is the opportunity to ‘go viral,’ but not the extreme harm the challenge may cause.

What can parents do to keep kids safe?

aWhen providing your child with a smartphone, draw up a family media plan. This plan helps your family take control over the amount of screen time each day and sets an agreed-upon time when your child must be off his phone for the night.

aSet parental controls on your child’s phone to help block unwanted content and help track what he views.

aKeep up with what your child enjoys viewing online and who he enjoys meeting up with online. Have a conversation with him about it and ask him to show you how to play his favorite game or to set up your own social media account. This will help you become familiar with what your child is doing online and allows you to see if the content is age-appropriate.

aSpend time with your child and keep the lines of communication open. The more in-tune you are with your child, the sooner you may be able to spot trouble.

aKeep up with the latest trends so you are informed about what types of dangerous social media challenges are out there.

aTalk to your child about a current dangerous challenge and ask him to tell you why it is risky and what the consequences might be. This exercise can help him in the future when he comes across a new challenge and is tempted to try it.

Even if you install an app on your child’s phone that blocks inappropriate content and limits screen time, kids may find a way around it. If you think your child may have become involved in a risky challenge, do not hesitate to take action to block dangerous content and report it so that it can be removed.