[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/10\/internet-safety-for-teens\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/10\/internet-safety-for-teens\/","headline":"Internet Safety: The New Challenge for Parents Raising Teens","name":"Internet Safety: The New Challenge for Parents Raising Teens","description":"In the last decade, social media has taken center stage in the way our children interact with and react to everyone and everything. Most young people feel invincible anyway, but too many of them blur the lines between fantasy and reality. That’s one reason parents, schools, and medical professionals are called upon to understand social […]","datePublished":"2019-10-07","dateModified":"2024-04-08","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/behavioral-health-regions","name":"UPMC Western Behavioral Health","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/behavioral-health-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/behavioral-health\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/internet-safety-for-teens.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/internet-safety-for-teens.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/10\/internet-safety-for-teens\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Mental Health"],"wordCount":1530,"keywords":["bullying","Pinnacle Health","Suicide"],"articleBody":"In the last decade, social media has taken center stage in the way our children interact with and react to everyone and everything. Most young people feel invincible anyway, but too many of them blur the lines between fantasy and reality. That’s one reason parents, schools, and medical professionals are called upon to understand social media dangers and raise awareness by talking with their children and each other.Internet DangersCyberbullying, negative use of social media, and teen depression have received their fair share of media attention. Yet, no matter how many school assemblies or news reports address these issues, new challenges continue to emerge, including intense situations for young people.More than 30,000 suicide deaths occur each year in the United States, and the role that the internet\u2014particularly social media\u2014might play in suicide-related behavior is a topic of growing interest and debate, according to the\u00a0American Journal of Public Health.For example, schools across the country warned parents about the Netflix show \u201c13 Reasons Why” when it came out in 2017, stating that it glorified suicide as revenge. The premise of the series includes the online harassment, assault, and bullying of a teenage girl who ultimately takes her own life and leaves behind 13 videos explaining her reasons for making that decision.What is Cyberbullying?Cyberbullying is defined as an intentional and repeated targeting of one child by another in the form of online threats, harassment, or humiliation. The goal is to embarrass the victim by means of cellular phones or internet technologies such as email, texts, social networking sites, or instant messaging.Although cyberbullying cannot be a sole predictor of suicide in adolescents and young adults, it can increase the risk of it for those who already have preexisting emotional, psychological, or environmental stressors. Bullying increases feelings of isolation, anxiety, instability, and hopelessness.Whether adolescents use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat, all are portals for entertainment and communication. Unfortunately, the ways in which they often are used do not make them healthy environments for children and adolescents. Pediatricians and behavioral health specialists urge parents to monitor their children’s internet use for potential problems with cyberbullying, \u201cFacebook depression,” sexting, and exposure to inappropriate content.Other Risky Online BehaviorFitting in with their peers while at the same time wanting to stand out in a world where everything is on display can be confusing for teens. Being accepted is important at this age \u2014 whether that means being the best at or first to complete a challenge, getting the most \u201clikes” on a picture, or being tagged in a recent post.Impulse control can be hard for adolescents who don’t always think about the consequences of their words or actions. Privacy has become a thing of the past and, all too often, youngsters think that every thought or moment is post-worthy and should go viral. Speak your child’s language and explain that the internet is forever\u2014and that social media can have negative and permanent ramifications on their future lives and careers.Signs of Teenage DepressionAccording to the\u00a0American Academy of Pediatrics, recognizing the signs of depression and knowing what to do in the event your adolescent shows symptoms could be a matter of life or death. Talk to your pediatrician or mental health professional if you see any of the following:Changes in activities, such as:A drop in grades or school performance.Neglect of personal appearance.Neglect of responsibilities.Changes in emotions, such as:Appearing or talking about feeling sad, hopeless, bored, or overwhelmed.Having outbursts, severe anger, or irritability.Appearing or talking about feeling more anxious or worried.Changes in behavior, such as:Getting in trouble or being rebellious, aggressive, or impulsive.Running away or threatening to run away.Withdrawing from friends or family or having a change in friends.Eating or sleeping less or more.Losing interest in activities.Using drugs or alcohol.Doing self-harm, such as cutting or severe dieting.Talking or writing about suicide or death.Any suicidal behavior, even if it could not have been lethal, such as taking a small number of pills.Don’t Wait to Act if You Are Concerned about SuicideIf your child or teen threatens suicide, don’t wait to take action or underestimate their intent. It’s always better to be safe than sorry \u2014 especially in the wake of more younger children taking their own lives because they think there is no other option.Here are steps you can take:Get help right away.\u00a0Bring your teen to a hospital emergency department if you are worried they may hurt themselves or others.Listen to your teen.\u00a0This is not easy, particularly if you’re panicked. It’s not up to you to \u201cfix” their problems. Ask your teen specifics about the situation and their feelings, as well as if they have thought about it in the past. Use words or phrases other than suicide such as \u201churt yourself,” \u201cend it all,” \u201cescape,” \u201cget away forever” or \u201cgo to sleep and never wake up.”Express understanding and support.\u00a0When your teen is feeling negative, it’s difficult to help them see a brighter future. Convey that no matter how they feel in the moment, they are not alone.Talk with your teen’s doctor about treatment, including an evaluation by a child and adolescent psychiatrist or other mental health professional.Remove firearms from the home.\u00a0Studies show that even when firearms in the home are locked up, teens are more likely to kill themselves than those in homes without firearms. A home is safest without firearms. If you must have a gun, make sure the gun is stored unloaded and locked in a safe or with a trigger lock, and bullets are locked in another place.Behavioral Health Services for Children and TeensUPMC has pediatric and adolescent behavioral health professionals in its UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics network of pediatricians’ offices located throughout Pennsylvania. In addition, UPMC has several behavioral health programs and services across the state to help parents learn more about mental health issues and find help for their children:UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Safe Harbor\u00a0provides Erie County, Pennsylvania, with a direct link to research-based care for many behavioral health conditions. Safe Harbor has\u00a0health care professionals and crisis services available\u00a0to address your child’s needs quickly, confidentially, and safely. Call\u00a0(814-456-2014)\u00a0for more information.resolve Crisis Services\u00a0is a 24-hour, 365-day crisis center sponsored by Allegheny County and\u00a0UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital.\u00a0Services are provided free of charge to all residents of Allegheny County. At resolve, a trained counselor is always available to talk and to help\u2014whether the problem is big or small. Resolve also has a mobile crisis team that can travel anywhere within Allegheny County to respond to a crisis. They provide face-to-face support and will work to arrange further care and stabilization if needed.Don’t wait for a problem to get out of control. Call resolve Crisis Services for help at\u00a01-888-796-8226 or visit the walk-in crisis center located at\u00a0333 North Braddock Ave. in Pittsburgh. No appointment is necessary. Walk in anytime to talk, get a break from stress, or connect with more long-term care and support.Child and Adolescent Crisis Team Intervention Services\u00a0is a part of\u00a0resolve Crisis Services and provides crisis intervention and supplementary support in the home, school, and community to children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral issues. Child and Adolescent Crisis Team Intervention Services also provides support to children and adolescents who have been identified as being at high risk for psychiatric hospitalization or out-of-home placement. Crisis and support services are free to all children and adolescents who are residents of Allegheny County. For more information, call the Child and Adolescent Crisis Team Intervention Services intake line at 412-864-5065.Services for Teens at Risk (STAR) Center\u00a0is a program that combines clinical and outreach services to help prevent adolescent suicide. Its mission is to offer state-of-the-art responsive care for children and adolescents with depression or anxiety, or who are at risk for suicidal behavior. For an emergency, please call\u00a0412-624-1000\u00a0or toll-free\u00a01-877-624-4100.The College Option \u2013 Services for Transition-Age Students at Risk (CO-STAR)\u00a0program\u00a0was created in response to state-wide concern about suicide among young adults who are attending a western Pennsylvania college or university. CO-STAR partners with local colleges and universities to provide rapid and comprehensive assessment and treatment for depressed, anxious, and suicidal undergraduate college students. For an emergency or to find out more, please call\u00a0412-624-1000\u00a0or toll-free\u00a01-877-624-4100.Postvention and Crisis Response Services\u00a0can help educators and schools prepare for crisis situations. Advance planning has been shown to reduce the impact of an in-school tragedy. STAR-Center outreach staff consults with educators on providing postvention services and recommends that school districts \u2014 working closely with their communities \u2014\u00a0prepare for tragedies\u00a0by developing policies and procedures that may be activated on very short notice. Our staff is available to any district or agency, 24 hours a day, by calling\u00a0412-864-3346.Editor's Note: This article was originally published on October 7, 2019, and was last reviewed on April 8, 2024."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2019","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/\/10\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Internet Safety: The New Challenge for Parents Raising Teens","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/10\/internet-safety-for-teens\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]