30th June is World Social Media Day, a day for celebrating social media’s far-reaching impact on global communication. Social media helps teenagers to express themselves and find support and belonging. It is also a helpful place to get mental health information, and can help people connect with family, friends and new forms of community.  Even though there are lots of positives to social media, you may also be concerned about your teen being on social media too much . Some young people may find it quite easy to switch off and take breaks, whilst others may find it harder. For those young people, this may look like social media addiction. Some common signs of social media addiction include: - Your teenager is finding it hard to stop using and thinking  about social media, and is constantly checking notifications. - Your teenager seems stressed, anxious and irritated when they can’t use social media. - Social media interferes with your teenager’s daily activities such as school, sleep, hobbies or extracurricular activities.  - Social media disrupts their schooling, mental health and relationships outside of social media. You may find social media can bring other challenges, including: - seeing distressing content or world news - seeing unrealistic images and standards - misinformation about mental health - cyberbullying. It’s important to have an open dialogue with your teenager to make sure you understand why they’re on social media. Perhaps they’ve found people who like the same niche hobby as them, or they may use chat functions to do group assignments. Remember to go in with an open mind so that your teenager knows you’re there to support them.  If you are worried about their use,  there are lots of things you can do to help your teen take advantage of all the pros of social media and engage in a healthier way.  Encourage your teenager to be conscious of their social media use: - Discuss screen time settings with your teenager - most devices and platforms have the option to limit screen time. You could even do this as a family.  - Encourage them to set up blocks throughout their day where they can switch off from social media platforms. - Learn more about how to have a great conversation. Talk to your teen about the content that they consume on social media: - Try to keep up to date with any trends or viral moments that may be harmful or inappropriate for your teenager.  - Improve your knowledge of the safety guidelines on different platforms. Learn more about popular social media platforms. - Learn more about helping your teen deal with graphic content.  - Empower your teenager to identify, block and report harmful content on social media - check out the tips and tools for teens and parents to improve online safety from the ESafety Commissioner. - You could also use Spot the Troll together to start a conversation about thinking critically about what your teenager sees on social media.  Have an open conversation about social media engagement with your teenager: - Talk to your teenager about the benefits and risks of social media. - Explore healthy boundaries and ways of engaging with social media platforms safely, and be a safe space for your teen to share their experiences.  - Learn about social media literacy and identifying unrealistic images together - here’s an article on how to encourage positive online experiences. Model healthy social media habits: - Take social media breaks and set limits on your own use. You could even talk to your teen about any challenges you have doing this so they know they’re not alone. - Organise family events that don’t need online engagement and let everyone to take a break and recharge. - Learn more about encouraging positive online behaviour through leading by example. You can also check out our   ‘Ask a Professional’ post on teens and mobile phones. Extra resources: - The ESafety Commissioner is an independent body dedicated to online safety. They offer comprehensive advice on internet safety and can assist in investigating reports of online harm. - Teaching your teens resilience  - How to build resilience in your teenager  - Teaching your teenager coping skills for wellbeing  - How to support you teen after experiencing a traumatic event  - Helping your teen cope with discrimination  - Helping your teen cope with bad worlds news    ... View more

Harmony Week  This week is Harmony Week, a time for celebrating diversity, multiculturalism and inclusivity in Australia.  Almost half of Australians were born overseas or have a parent who was, and the cultures of Indigenous Australians are one of the oldest surviving in the world – among whom there is a great diversity of cultures, languages and practices. During this week, sharing your own customs and learning about others’ traditions can be a great way to celebrate and to connect with your teenager. Celebrating Diversity with your teenager Connect through food  Whether with ourselves or with others, food is a great way to maintain and build new connections. It can also be a highly rewarding way to connect with your teenager. Here are some things you could try:    - Share your childhood comfort foods with your teenagers – what were some foods you liked to eat when you needed cheering up? What do you remember from eating these meals?    - Prepare a meal with the whole family.    - Revisit and share old family recipes – you can collect recipes and compile a recipe folder or box.    - Learn about and connect with other cultures with your teenager – try out a recipe from another culture! Not sure where to start? Check out the recipes at ‘A Taste of Harmony’! Tell stories  Stories can be a meaningful way to connect with your teenager. Everyone has different experiences growing up and hearing about them can be a validating experience for your teenager. It can help them feel less alone and can open up a conversation about cultural and racial experiences they have had too. A fun way to share your story could be through exploring old family photos or tracing back your family tree. You could also watch, read, or listen to media in your native language. These stories can help your teenager learn more about their cultural heritage. Moreover, it can improve cultural and intergenerational connections, and help your teenager better navigate an important part of their identity. Reconnect with people and places you miss Reconnecting with people and places of cultural significance to you can strengthen and reinforce you and your teenager’s connections to culture. Here are some ways you can do this:    - Visit your favourite local park/ restaurant/ places of worship.    - Schedule a family gathering.    - Call relatives who live overseas. Check out local community events  There are plenty of cultural events happening for Harmony Week. Check them out here on the Harmony Week Events Calendar! International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Importantly, March 21st also marks the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. So, along with celebrating multiculturalism, it is just as important to have conversations with your teenager to help build their resilience and skills in managing racial discrimination.  Signs your teenager might be facing racial discrimination There can be many overt signs that your teenager may be experiencing racial discrimination. These can include:    - losing friends or being socially excluded    - being bullied or made fun of such as via stereotypes    - difficulties with getting a job    - getting called derogatory terms and/or receiving threats from others    - being denied entry to places or events It is also important to note that sudden changes in behaviour can be a more covert sign that your teenager may be facing racial discrimination. These can include:     - refusing to go to school or join extra-curricular activities    - appearing angry or irritated, especially when their identity is brought up in conversation    - not wanting to express themselves or embrace their identity as strongly as before    - using harmful language about themselves or others    - appearing tired or emotionally exhausted after school, TAFE, university or work. Tips on talking to your teenager about racial discrimination    - Talk in a comfortable and safe space – this could be indoors or outdoors. It can be empowering to let your teenager decide where they want to have a conversation.    - Validate your teenager’s feelings – it is natural to feel upset or angry when recounting an experience. Validating your teenagers feelings can help them feel heard.    - Be open and honest – let your teenager know if you’re afraid or angry on their behalf. This can also encourage your teenager to open up. Just be mindful to not make this about yourself.    - Share your own experiences – sharing your own experiences with discrimination can help your teenager feel less alone.    - Remind your teenager that responding is a choice – the decision to respond to racial discrimination can be a big one and people often need some time to process what has happened before responding. Helping your teenager to not feel pressured to respond can help them feel relief from such a challenging situation. Self-care  Alongside talking to your teen, it is important to remember to manage your own feelings about the situation. Some ways you can do this are:    - acknowledging how you feel calmly during the conversation    - doing something fun with your teen after the conversation    - celebrating the diversity in you and your teen’s identity – e.g. talking about your culture or heritage    - normalising these conversations – talking to your teen regularly about discrimination can help them to build their skills in identifying the signs and seeking support. Other resources Culture, race and teenagers Helping kids deal with discrimination Helping your teen cope with racism Further support Support services for culturally and linguistically diverse young people 13YARN Brother to Brother Thirrili Reporting Racism Clearing House ... View more