Social Media and our Children

A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics -- The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families  -- bears reading in its entirety, not just by the pediatricians for whom it is intended, but by parents and teens. It lays out the benefits of social media and online resources of all kinds and discusses how these can be misused or harmful to younger children or teens. What we particularly liked about this piece is that it is not alarmist, but enormously practical. It provides an important starting point for parents to have serious and ongoing conversations with their children of all ages and reminds us that no matter how sophisticated the technology in our lives may be, the crucial role of parents in providing their children with guidance and supervision has not diminished.