Welcome to Parent Pixels, a parenting newsletter filled with practical advice, news, and resources to support you and your kids in the digital age. This week:
🤖 Your teen has probably asked AI to solve for X: A new Pew Research Center poll asked US teens ages 13–17 whether they’ve used ChatGPT for schoolwork. Twenty-six percent said they had, double the number from two years ago. Teens in 11th and 12th grade were more likely than seventh and eighth graders to use AI as their study buddy (31% vs. 20%).
While some applications of AI can be helpful, like outlining a paper or identifying typos, it gets problematic when kids are using the technology to do their homework for them. Twenty-nine percent said it’s acceptable to use ChatGPT for math problems, even though a recent study found that the AI can only answer questions slightly more accurately than a person guessing. And, of course, when the robots write your papers for you, you don’t learn how to effectively write a compelling argument. On our blog, we covered tips to manage the potential downsides of ChatGPT and how to talk to your kiddo about it.
📲 Most kids ages 11–15 have a social media account: According to an analysis of a national sample of early adolescents in the US, a majority (65.9%) of kids have a social media account — even though social platforms say their minimum age is 13. In fact, under-13 social media users had an average of 3.38 social media accounts (mostly TikTok). Notably, just 6.3% of participants said they had a secret social media account hidden from their parents. We listen and we don’t judge, but social media isn’t great for younger kids — it can expose them to addictive algorithms, problematic content, and online harassment, among other concerns. If your child has a social profile, we recommend monitoring. Here’s how to do it.
😠 Social media is making us grumpier: A study published earlier this month investigated the relationship between social media use and irritability — aka feeling grumpy or feeling more bothered by things and people more than usual. Frequent use of social media was associated with significantly higher levels of irritability, especially for people who posted often. The findings were based on adults, but it’s worth considering how frequent social media use can impact your already-moody teens and tweens. Our advice: help your child replace constant social media use with better, more constructive ways to spend their leisure time, ideally away from screens. Save these tips to help your child make stronger offline friendships.
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Believe it or not, we’ve reached the end of January. In terms of our digital lives, the end of the month is a great time to reflect on what went right, what didn’t, and where we can grow in the coming month. Here are some thought-starters to bring to your next roundtable with your child.
Beta testing? Cuffing? Teen dating slang is its own language. If your teen is starting to show interest in dating and relationships, here’s what all those terms (and weird emojis) mean.
Roughly 55% of kids ages 13 to 17 use Snapchat, and about half say they use the platform daily. While Snapchat offers fun features like face filters and easy ways to connect with friends, there are also hidden risks every parent should know about. Here are 10 bad things about Snapchat and how to navigate them for your child’s safety.
😊 Did you know that there’s a science behind making yourself happier? Some steps include valuing time over material possessions, expressing gratitude, and, yes, giving up social media for extended periods of time. Check out the full writeup via Parenting Translator.
⚖️ “Social media platforms are not neutral bystanders; they actively design systems that promote engagement at any cost, even if it means exposing children to harmful content. We urge Congress to prioritize this legislation — it’s a matter of life and death.” Read Laura Berman and Samuel Chapman’s op-ed about why we need social media regulation.
💻 In today’s day and age, how do you teach kids to be “good at the Internet”? Big fans of this Romper essay by Rebecca Ackermann.
