Social Media for Teens

There are so many wonderful websites, social media groups, apps and more on the internet these days and so many ways for teens to explore their interests, be creative, make social and even professional connections, and to learn about the world around them. There are more options than ever but it’s also a bit of a hit-or-miss virtual world.



Here is a list of 9 social media tools for you to explore, compiled by Common Sense Media, a non-profit whose mission is to help families make safe media and technology choices. You can find out more about them at www.commonsensemedia.org


1. Code Academy: For budding programmers, or anyone else who wants to pick up some important skills, Code Academy is a great way to learn, create, and share computer code with like-minded folks. Create an account, sign up and learn to code interactively, for free. www.codecademy.com


2. Jelly:  With its tagline “Let’s help each other,” Jelly lets you ask questions, share your own expertise, search with photos, maps, friends and more. Jelly uses visual imagery to steer people to getting better answers from within and outside their social networks. In particular, it encourages people to use photos to ask questions. https://jelly.co/


3. Minecraft: This open-world, “sandbox-style” creative game lets kids play, build, and share no matter what their skill levels. Minecraft enables players to build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D world. Other activities in the game include exploration, resource gathering, crafting, and combat. Multiple game play modes are available, including survival mode where the player must acquire resources to build the world and maintain health, a creative mode where players have unlimited resources to use when building and the ability to fly, an adventure mode where players play custom maps created by other players and a spectator mode. https://minecraft.net/


4. Outpour:  This app encourages users to share positive comments, letting people anonymously and publicly share messages of gratitude about each other. Recommended for ages 13+  http://outpour.io


5. Paper — stories from Facebook:  More immersive, visual, and in-depth than Facebook, Paper lets users share stories from their own lives and the wider world in immersive designs and fullscreen, distraction-free layouts. https://www.facebook.com/paper


6. Path:  A maximum of 150 connections is all that’s allowed on this social media app that encourages users to share more selectively with “high-quality” friends and encourages people to contribute at any time. https://path.com/


7. Vyclone: This video-collaboration tool is ideal for school projects because it lets kids work together on a single video. Vyclone lets users capture about a minute of video at the same time. If multiple people film the same event at the same location, Vyclone automatically edits those videos together to create an edited, multi-camera short documentary of your event. www.vyclone.com


8. WordPress: Kids who enjoy writing can’t get much better than this classy, easy-to-use blogging app that lets them write from their phones.  https://wordpress.org/mobile/


9. Yoursphere:  A solid, safety-minded social-networking app for tweens and teens with a friendly, creative vibe. Yoursphere is a global community that allows anyone to create & connect. You can join spheres centered around the things you like (fashion, animals and pets, sports, performing arts, movies, TV, books, travel, charitable causes, art and photography, food, and health and fitness) or make your own. http://yoursphere.com/welcome


As with anything else in your teen’s world, you want to make sure that the websites that they visit are appropriate and safe places for them in which to be engaged. It’s important that you check out those sites for yourself and to read reviews of the sites and apps that your teen is exposed to every day.

Things have really changed in the world of technology, the internet and social media. It used to be that you could place the family computer in a well-trafficked room, walk by occasionally and see what your teens were up to. Now with mobile devices it’s not so easy. Our teen’s active online lives are full of wonderful learning and creating opportunities, but we don’t always know who they are interacting with and what comments, texts and e-mails they may be receiving, or if there is a problem with cyber bullying. Does this mean we ban our teens from using these devices? No, but with this limitless reach it does mean that, even with teens, parents need to provide some guidance.

Here are some suggestions for ways you can help keep teenagers safe online:

Create an acceptable-use policy. This can include issues such as online safety recommendations, privacy and consequences (should grades start slipping or you notice other problems, for example.)

Friend your kids on social media and talk to them about social media etiquette. Remind them that if they wouldn’t say it at the dinner table in front of you and Grandma that they shouldn’t say it online either. Also, make sure that they know about safe social media settings. Do they know how to ensure that only their friends see their posts? Do they understand that once something is posted anywhere on the internet that it’s there forever and can be shared far and wide?

Insist that your teen shares all passwords with you. You need to know what sites they are visiting and have a good idea about who they are actively socializing with online. They will probably balk at the idea, but it will be important for you to have this information should a problem arise. Respecting their privacy is a good idea, but they need to know that it’s your job to keep them safe in the real world as well as the online world.

Don’t let your kids sleep with their smart phones, tablets or computers. Teens need to sleep, not be distracted by incoming texts and such. Also, it’s just a safer thing to do as late-night shenanigans can be hurtful or even dangerous. Don’t let your teen get set up for such an event. How to handle this? Try setting up a charging station somewhere in the house where all phones, pads and other devices are put to bed and recharged for use the next day.

Set a good example for them. If they see you using the phone while driving, texting at the breakfast table, or during family gatherings, then they’re likely to copy that behavior.

Does all this mean that you need to be fearful of your teen’s smartphone/tablet/computer life? Not at all, but it’s important that you teach them proper usage, set limits where needed, and stay aware. With that said, the internet offers an endless range of learning, exploring, creating and socializing opportunities. Today, the world is literally at our fingertips so take advantage of all the good things that the internet has to offer – and enjoy!