It might be easier than you think to get your teenager to stop scrolling and start heading to their local library.
There’s no way to sugarcoat it; social media addiction is a huge issue, especially among teens. With technology playing more and more of a central role in our lives, the problem has only gotten worse, and now, countless parents across the country are looking for a solution.
If you happen to be one of those parents, stick around for some key information on the risks of social media and how to give your teen alternatives through the local library.
Take action today to support libraries!
The Downsides of Social Media
While it’s not exactly a secret that social media is widely viewed as a net negative for society, it’s important to back up those claims with more concrete evidence. To start, let’s look at what Americans as a whole have to say. According to the Pew Research Center, about 64 percent of Americans believe that social media has had a negative impact on the way things are going today, while just 10 percent feel that it has had a positive impact.
This negative impact presents itself in many ways among teenage users. Some of the most commonly noted issues are increased rates of anxiety and depression, body dysmorphia, sleep issues and insomnia, and social isolation, all of which can severely harm a teenager’s emotional growth during their formative years.
While there are plenty of ways social media can be used constructively, a huge proportion of users are doing quite the opposite. Three to four hours of aimless scrolling per day simply isn’t healthy or sustainable, and the effects of doing so are already showing in teens across America. So, young people need to spend less time on social media, but how can you, as a parent, convince them to cut back on the doomscrolling?
How to Get Your Teens into the Library
Strangely enough, getting your teens into the library may be easier than it first seems. While some young people genuinely enjoy social media for what it is, plenty of others are just using it to fill the void. Whether that void is boredom, a lack of real-world friends to interact with, or something else entirely, many supposed social media addicts only use it because they feel like that’s their only option.
Thus, by presenting them with another choice, they’ll readily agree to put down their phones, with no poking, prodding, nagging, or arguing required.
Sign the petition to show that Americans love their libraries!
What Does the Library Offer Teens?
Of course, getting your teen into the library requires more than simply presenting the library. You’ll have to find ways for them to engage with their library community that capture their interest. Fortunately for you, there’s a limitless number of ways in which they can do just that. Libraries aren’t the quiet, austere places they’re made out to be. They’re gathering places where anyone can go to learn new things, discover new hobbies, and meet new people.
If your teen is the creative type, for example, they’ll find a strong community of real-life friends in the local library’s makerspace. These makerspaces often contain expensive hobby equipment that most teens wouldn’t be able to get at home, so you’re providing them with ways to meet new people and expand their creative horizons.
The same goes for teens who have more of an interest in board games and tabletop RPGs (role-playing games). Many libraries have table gaming clubs where your high schooler can find game buddies, form tight circles, and turn those circles into lifelong friendships. Ultimately, this will allow your teen to reduce their time on social media (or even quit entirely!) while spending more time out and about in their community and improving their mental health.
If you’d like to learn more about the services libraries offer patrons of all ages, check out the other stories on our Medium page today!
Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries.
#librarymarketers: Enjoy this story? Want to use it for your library newsletter, blog, or social media? This article is published under Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International and is free to edit and use with attribution. Please cite EveryLibrary on medium.com/everylibrary.
This work by EveryLibrary is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0