By: Oliver Crandon

Flowers have bloomed, air conditioners are on full blast, and there’s nothing but sunny and clear blue skies for days. Yup, you got it: Summer. Is. Here! Well, not officially according to the summer solstice; but where I live in Texas, the heat likes to be punctual.

With summertime on the horizon, you may be wondering, “What’s this summer going to look like?” Especially still in a pandemic world, yes, things are slowly getting back to normal, but it’s still unclear what “normal” will be. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend social distancing, as well as other guidelines for summer activities Guidance for Operating Youth and Summer Camps During COVID-19 (cdc.gov). With our kids potentially spending more time indoors, let’s discuss 3 tips on how to manage their screen time this summer.

Tip #1 – Lead by Following Them

My wife and I have read all the horror stories and stats about teens and social media. With our son, we had vowed that there would be no social media until his 21st birthday. Well, he’s now 15-years-old, and on multiple social platforms (teenagers can be very persuasive). As we handed over the keys to social media, we learned an important lesson: Don’t hand them the keys, unless you plan on getting in the vehicle with them.

See, my wife and I set expectations, but we didn’t closely inspect what we’d come to expect. In hindsight, we weren’t monitoring his social media as we should’ve. However, we quickly realized the need to “follow” him online (and make him aware of it), so that we could better lead him.

This opened the door for us as a family to have many practical conversations about his online safety, activity and essentially his “digital footprint”. We discussed future employment, and how approximately 70 percent of employers use social media to screen candidates before hiring. (tramadol) 54 Percent of Employers Have Eliminated a Candidate Based on Social Media. Time to Clean Up Your Feed (and Tags) | Inc.com

We wrestled with his values versus the pressure from social media to conform; and we learned the importance of staying engaged with his “online life.” Over the summer, I encourage you to truly be invested in following your child’s social media accounts. Make time to have positive and healthy conversations around it, and guide them on how to use it as a tool, and not a toy.

Tip #2 – Don’t Lose Ground

Whether it is sleeping in, or staying up late, summers for students are all about having fun and relaxing (and as it should be to an extent!) However, with all of the videogames to play, and shows to binge watch, it can be quite easy to experience the daunted “Summer Slide.” Not to be confused with the “Electric Slide” (though just as contagious!), the “Summer Slide” is when students fall behind in their academic abilities. Months off without regimented studies would cause anyone to forget how to find the Pythagorean Theorem, or to lose track of why subjects and verbs need to agree.

This summer, consider looking into programs at local schools or libraries. Why not help them get ahead by working through a book at their upcoming grade level? They could write a family play that you all perform, set up a lemonade or popsicle stand for the neighborhood, or create a math budget of their earnings from a summer job. There are many creative ways to keep them mentally active over the long summer break!

Tip #3 – Make Social Media Less Attractive

Now if there was ever a Tom Cruise inspired, mission-impossible goal, this might be it. How can we lessen our kids’ desire for social media? Healthline.com accurately depicts how addictive social media is. Social Media Addiction: What It Is and What to Do About It (healthline.com)

The article highlights how rewarding the feeling is when, “You make a post of your own and gain positive feedback.” For today’s young people, there’s a love of the “like.” It communicates appreciation and value. With that in mind, what if we as parents showed them value in something greater?

What if we made it our mission this summer to help them unlock a big and audacious goal? What if we gave them so much positive feedback as they pursued that goal?

“Son, you could write a novel this summer worth reading by millions.”

“With this kind of work ethic, you are going to make the team.”

What if we took them to tour the college campus of their dreams? What tenacity might that unlock? Maybe, focusing on limiting social media shouldn’t be the main goal; instead, what if we removed any limiting beliefs in their minds this summer?

Sure, this is no easy task! But if it’s done with intentionality, they might just put down the phones on their own, create stronger, more intentional connections, and go after something much, much sweeter.