Strategies for Success: Social Skills for Social Media

Student involvement in social media presents complex challenges to parents and educators. Social media refers to any website that allows online social interaction, including social networking sites (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.), gaming sites, virtual worlds, and video sites (Roberts, 2000). Potential risks of social media usage include dangerous interactions with adults, cyberbullying, permanent reputational damage, exposure to adult content, and negative influences. These risks are compounded by the fact that many young people now interact more with others on social media than in person. One study suggested that teens use online media, often including social media sites, upwards of 9 hours every day (Tsukayama, 2015). Because the negative effects of social media usage can result in school-based problems, school psychologists should be able to assist children in acquiring social skills for social media. The purpose of this article is to initiate a dialogue about what school psychologists can do to teach social media etiquette and general internet safety.