It’s one of the difficult questions for parents today: is social media something they should avoid?
With the proliferation of fake news and the seeming increase of vitriol online, the jungle of social media can seem like something you might want to stay away from. But a new survey done for Today’s Parent suggests it may not be all bad out there for parents.
According to a story in Maclean’s:
[The survey suggests] the positive effects that Facebook, Instagram and other social networks have on the lives of mothers and fathers. There are legitimate concerns about over-sharing and distraction, but the data collected from 1,000 parents…suggests social media can actually help us be better caregivers. Nearly 60 per cent of parents said they use online platforms to find parenting information and advice, 82 per cent indicated social media helped stay connected with grandparents and 24 per cent noted they use it to seek emotional support for parenting issues.
[Maclean’s, June 2017: Why using social media might make you a better parent]
The story goes on to detail the many ways that parents today can use social media to find a community for advice and inspiration.
But what about kids, should they stay away from social media?
In the latest episode of The Goldwaters, Anne-France Goldwater said the internet and social media are are an incredible tool for learning and growth, as long as you set your kids on the right path.
“The internet, if anything, provides a silicon extension of our brains, and permits us to have accessible at our fingertips the entirety of the knowledge of humanity,” Goldwater said.
But it can still be perilous for children. Bullying and false information can be harmful, but Goldwater sees a way past that.
“I don’t see the solution as limiting a child’s interaction with the internet, so much as educating a child to distinguish the good stuff from the garbage,” she said.
Check out Episode 14 Kids Today and the Challenges of Modern Parenting to hear more of what Anne-France and her daughter Dr. Samantha Goldwater-Adler have to say on several of the issues facing moms and dads today.
You can subscribe to more episodes of The Goldwaters with iTunes, or RSS for wherever you find your podcasts.
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