
How To Talk To Screenagers When Social Media Affects Communication
How To Talk To Screenagers When Social Media Affects Communication
As more children grow up as digital natives, they are learning to communicate with others through screens more than they socialize in-person. The social rules that they learn online are often focused on how to present themselves as interesting and agreeable rather than how to connect with others authentically. The more time teens spend online, the less present they often feel in their everyday lives. At our last parent seminar, we shared a viewing of the documentary Screenagers to open up conversations about how social media and technology use are affecting how families communicate.The Role Technology Plays in Families
Creating Distance

Creating Differences
How Can We Start an Open Conversation with Our Screenagers?
Screen time is a difficult topic to approach when you and your teen come from different perspectives. However, it is important to identify how technology has shaped how they communicate in order to get on the same page. Showing that you understand where they’re coming from helps them feel like you are on the same page and that you are not judging them for the way many teens in their generation use technology.External Barriers to Connection:
- Distractions of personal devices, such as laptops and phones
- Different work-school schedules
- Spending more time in separate rooms
- Socializing more outside the house
Internal Barriers to Connection:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Poor listening skills
- Problems trusting others
- Lack of shared experiences due to generational differences
- Lack of interest in the conversation
- Anxiety around opening up
- Insecurity
How Can Family Therapy Help?
Family therapy can be a useful way to talk about how their screen time affects you too. It is important that teens understand that you are not concerned because you don’t like technology, but rather that you appreciate spending time with them and want them to be more present in their offline lives. Generational differences in the way they use technology is inevitable, but opening up conversations about technology can help you find common ground about your shared value for connection, despite it looking different. “Alienation within our communities is a growing concern. Kids struggle to identify the importance of face to face interactions but are “connected” to their thousands of snap chat followers,” explains primary therapist Melissa Margolin. “The work we do at Equinox around building social skills, emotional learning and valuing relationships is almost counter-culture work, definitely counter to the culture our clients have adopted.” Through experiential, art, and traditional talk therapy, families can explore their values and solutions to eliminating barriers to connection.Equinox RTC Can Help
Equinox is a residential treatment center that helps boys ages 14-18 who struggle with depression, anxiety, social skills, trauma, and addictive behaviors. Equinox offers a unique treatment program designed to fit each individual’s specific needs. This treatment center has a supportive environment that helps students heal from the inside-out. Students develop a healthy sense of social and emotional awareness and learn how to incorporate good habits into their daily lives. Contact us at 877-279-8925 for more information about how internet addiction affects screenagers and their families. We can help your family today!
Kyle received his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas Tech University. As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Kyle has worked in a variety of clinical settings over the last seventeen years. His career has focused on treating both boys and girls, with specialization in trauma, processing difficulties, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, OCD and difficult family systems.