As parents and coaches, we are often faced with the question of how to navigate social media’s impact on children. While it’s true that social media comes with its challenges, it also offers many positives. The key lies in teaching our children intentionality—helping them understand who they follow and what they consume.
We all know that the food we eat directly affects our physical health and well-being. The same principle applies to what we consume mentally—the content we read, watch, and listen to. A simple but powerful exercise is to ask your child:
- What are the top five accounts you follow or engage with daily?
- How do you feel after consuming their content?
Encourage them to reflect honestly. Does the content inspire hope, motivation, and positivity? Or does it provoke feelings of anger, insecurity, or negativity? By helping them recognize the effects of their digital diet, you can guide them toward making better, more uplifting choices about what fills their social media feed.
After all, there’s an old saying: You become like the five people you spend the most time with. In today’s digital age, I believe your mindset also becomes shaped by the five accounts you follow most.
Tami Matheny is owner of Tami Matheny Coaching. She is a Mental Game Coach and Author. Her first book, “The Confident Athlete: 4 Easy Steps to Build and Maintain Confidence” https://r2lc.com/the-confident-athlete-4-easy-steps-to-build-and-maintain-confidence/ is a great tool to help further build and maintain confidence. All books can be purchased online at Amazon. For group discounts or signed copies contact tami@tamimatheny.com.
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