Hope Ninja Parents Podcast EP4: Kids, Social Media & Hope

Social media has a huge impact on our lives. But it's not always good.

Here we discuss social media, how it impacts kids and In this episode, Gheorg founder and psychologist Dr Louise Metcalf speaks with Gheorg’s Schools Program Manager and Mindset Coach, Cynthia Painter, about how to best engage with social media.

Listen to the episode to learn about the impact of social media and how to best use it with kids.

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00:00 The definition of social media and the many factors to review when considering social media use

03:00 How social media is designed to create tribes and the way different social media platforms work

05:50 The way Louise talks about social media as a psychologist and ways parents can talk to their kids about social media

09:00 The impact of procrasti-scrolling

11:40 The positives of social media and easy access to information

15:00 How scrolling impacts our brains, our cortex and our sense of connection to others

17:20 The unseen impacts of social media - it’s not actually socialising

19:00 How social media impacts self worth and the comparison elements of being online

22:00 The impact of comparing someone else's highlight reel to our lives

24:00 The evolution of technology and how we’re wired to care about what other people think

27:30 How we can help our kids and teens to deal with the series impacts that can come out social media

28:00 Some of the negative impacts of social media: FOMO, pressure to respond to messages, fear of not being enough, can increase negative self talk, and sense of isolation

30:50 The ugly scary stuff that can come out of social media: online abuse, bullying, online scams and what kids are up against

36:00 Ways to talk to your kids about their social media use and protecting them in the online world

38:00 How to really engage with kids and encourage them to have boundaries

39:30 How to break down complicated information and talking to young kids about safety

41:15 Questions you can ask kids help them open up and how to support them when they want to take initiative

43:00 The long-term impacts of parents sharing about their kids online

46:50 How to use social media to create more hope in your life and your kids lives.

47:00 How social media is like the story of the two wolves - which one do you feed?