Social media safety for teens is a tough subject. Finding materials for teaching social media is hard to come by. There are even fewer (if any) for students who have any kind of disability. But there is a lot we can do at home and in the classroom when it comes to teaching our kids about social media. Here are some strategies and things to remember, specifically if you work in a special education setting.
Improving social health
As we think about raising strong, healthy, confident kids, we have to consider social health. Building strong social connections is a key part of raising socially healthy kids. In elementary school, we teach students how to build friendships, be a good sport, and know if someone is being a bully. But as kids get older, their ability to connect with others becomes more varied and harder to monitor.
Students with disabilities often find themselves socially isolated. This is true for any number of reasons. Many of our students are busy with extra therapies and skill-building groups. Sometimes, finding time to just hang out with friends is hard.
Families are often overwhelmed just trying to meet their child’s needs. Parents are often stretched and working separately to accommodate the complex needs our students face daily. Finding time for a playdate can be tough. Also, as kids get older, it can be more challenging to find peers willing to accept others’ differences and fully welcome them into a social circle.
Finally, social isolation is often a choice the student makes for themself. Perhaps there have been years of negative peer interactions. Or, the student does not see or understand the value of close friendships.
Regardless of the cause, social media can be a great way to build social health and personal connections. But the same dangers that any normal teen faces on social media will also be there for our kids. So, we need a clear way to teach them how to be safe when using social media. Because in all likelihood, they will be using it at some point.
Learning good etiquette
It is so easy to forget there is someone on the other end of that message you are sending out into the cyber world. As our students become old enough to begin exploring ways to connect with others on social media, we need to emphasize the importance of good etiquette.
One good way to do this is to have students role-play any email, post, or message they plan to send before they send it. If it feels awkward out loud, then it will be awkward to the person receiving it. Tone, punctuation, and even capitalization are all important things to consider when it comes to good manners online.
It is also helpful at the beginning to provide students with scripts they can easily adapt to their situation. Once they become comfortable using a specific framework, it will be easier to modify it to make it more their own. And if they choose to continue using your script, at least you know they will be safe and respectful.
Try coming up with several scripts that you think your students will use frequently. Craft them together and put each one on an index card. Clip the cards together or keep them in a box for quick reference.
What to share and not share online
Now that we know social media can be important for social health, and we have addressed being kind and respectful, it is time to move on to the safety issue. Knowing what information you should never share is critical when talking about social media safety for teens.
Some things will be obvious. Never share your address or phone number with someone on social media. First, you can never be sure the person is who they say they are, and second, there is a good chance many other people will see this information as well.
Other things like your favorite movie, sports team, or dessert seem less invasive and safer. A good test is to have students pretend they are talking to a total stranger. Would it be okay to share that information with someone you were standing right in front of but had never met before?
Together, come up with a list of personal information that you would never want to share. Remember, some things seem innocuous, like vacation plans, but can be very unsafe. Here are some things you want to make sure your kids know they should never share:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Address
- Age
- Parents’ names
- Parents’ work schedules
- The school you go to
- Details about your daily schedule
- Any password
- Vacation plans
- Things you are afraid of
- Friends’ names or other information
- Any details that would make it easy to identify where you live
Never agree to meet in person
This, surprisingly, can be where social media for teens gets forgotten. Teenagers like to “meet up” and be in groups. Unless you know this person already as a friend in real life, you should never agree to meet someone you are talking with online. This includes going to a public place.
Students with disabilities may feel their home is a safe place, and that it would be okay to have someone meet them there. There is a false sense of security when it comes to where you live. Do not assume students would never invite someone over to their home. Even if their parents are home, it should be clear that you never invite someone you do not know into your home.
Again, coming up with a list of people it is okay to meet with can be helpful. Each student can have their own list of people they already know and could invite over or agree to meet in a public place.
Don’t compare yourself to others
This can be a sneaky danger of social media. Social media safety for teens includes mental health. We have all gotten caught up in those perfect Instagram posts or TikTok videos. Even as adults, we can be fooled into thinking what we see on social media is not only true, but the whole picture. Our students can easily fall into the same trap.
Find some of those “perfect posts” and talk about them with your students. What do they see? What stories do they come up with about that person in that situation? How does it make them feel? For some students, empathy and the realization that others think and feel differently than they do will mean they see no danger in these types of posts at all. They simply do not even know how to compare themselves to others.
But there will be students who measure their value by what they see in others. These are the students who constantly copy what others do without even knowing why. They will pick the same foods at lunch, watch the same videos on YouTube, and even start dressing like others. These are the students for whom social media comparisons can be so damaging.
Again, talking about the various “perfect posts” of people you don’t know can be a great exercise for dispelling these myths.
Social media safety for teens is an important issue that we need to address directly in the classroom and at home. It should be part of every health curriculum. I have a social story you can download here to get you started. Just click the button below.
If you are looking for more resources on health, including physical, mental, and social health, then check out my Health Bundle. It covers all three of these main areas with lots of activities perfect for students in a special education setting in middle or high school
To check out my Health Bundle, click here
I also have a blog post on community safety. CLICK HERE to read more.
Finally, there are some good online resources on social media safety for teens. They do not necessarily apply to teens with disabilities, but these have some great information to share with parents.
- A Teen’s Guide to Social Media Safety
- Tips for Safe Social Networking for Teens
- Teens Ask: What is social media safety? (YouTube video)
