For the first time, the American Psychological Association has issued recommendations for guiding teenager’s use of social media. The advisory, released Tuesday, is aimed at teens, parents, teachers and policy makers.
Walden’s Bob Keane, Ph.D., LICSW, and Assistant Vice President Inpatient Services, along with Kameron Mendes, LMHC, and Walden’s Clinical Director, Inpatient Services, were featured in an NPR article this week that is being shared widely about the new guidelines. As the negative impacts of social media on mental health become more apparent, the APA is providing a resource for teens and parents to monitor social media usage and safety.
“We’re in a crisis here and a family’s ability or a parent’s ability to manage this right now is very limited,” says Robert Keane, a therapist at Walden Behavioral Care, an inpatient eating disorder facility that helps teens with eating disorders. “Families really need help.”
“This isn’t like teaching your kid to drive a car,” Keane says. “This is completely new information for many parents and their kids. I would say this is not a level playing field. Your kids are actually much more advanced in this than you are.”
