Facebook Diet!

Happy February! How are those New Year's Resolutions holding up for you? I hope at least a couple healthy choices are sticking with you...If not, I've got a social media suggestion that might just keep you on the straight and narrow. Meet the "Facebook Diet" concept!

Full credit for this idea comes from my high school friend, Anne White. In fairness, in her case, I should call it a FB Exercise Plan, but the concept is easily extended to other healthy choices such as pumping up your fruits and veggies, quitting smoking, or yes, exercise. Back to Anne. In December, she boldly proclaimed on Facebook that she was committing to 90 days of a very challenging exercising program called P90X. Each day, she posted a short blurb about what she did or what muscles were screaming, as the case may be. I am proud to boast that last I FB stalked, Anne was on Day #37, and going strong!

There are so many positives about this form of accountability: 

• Simply recording your action makes you accountable to yourself, and has been repeatedly shown to increase success of maintaining a habit. Recording it PUBLICLY adds the bonus of accountability to others. In the case of social media, MANY others!
• FB or other social network posting takes a tiny amount of time, and no travel.
• POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT- friends cheering you on is wonderful!
• 21 days to make a habit- so "they" say...so even if you only post for a few weeks, you may have done enough to create that new habit
• Inspiring others! Anne's pledge has motivated many of us to dust off our old P90X DVDs and "Bring It" once again. For non-P90X'ers, Anne has motivated them to pick SOMETHING to push their own bodies out of our comfort zones.

Anne has impressed me so much with this public declaration of prioritizing her health. When she got sick with the flu, she simply posted on FB that she was down a couple days, but then jumped right back in once she was physically able. 

BOTTOM LINE: If you use social media for fun and entertainment, why not use it for health? Set a goal, make it public, and let all those FB friends cheer YOU on to better health!

Social Media Impact- from Disney to Facebook

The Journal of Pediatrics recently published a timely clinical report—The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families. Kids are entering social media at earlier ages, logging on to Disney websites such as Club Penguin. Soon they progress to websites intended for more mature audiences, such as Facebook and Youtube. Once again, we need to be aware of a desensitization process- this time, in the parents! We are used to our kids being ON the computer, and may not be watching closely enough as they evolve beyond cartoons characters. The minimum age on Facebook is 13, but that doesn't mean all teens should have free rein on FB without supervision.

The report noted that up to 20% of teens log on to their favorite social media site 10 times per day. Most teens have smart phones that allow them constant access. Ever notice how few teens use their phones...to make PHONE CALLS? Cell phones are cameras and instruments to TEXT or IM (instant message). The significance is that a good chunk of teens emotional and social development is occurring through these screen communications.

There are absolute advantages to the social media for youth, including anonymous access to health education that they might not otherwise seek- depression, anxiety, and sexually transmitted disease, for example. This report did not offer shocking news, but is an excellent reminder for parents to stop, look and listen to our kids' social media. And I mean that- go on the sites, read what your child and their friends are saying, and follow up with real live conversation with your kids. BTW, this is a great time to remind everyone that the total recommended daily screen time (ALL screens, big and small) is LESS THAN 2 HOURS, and yet most youth are surpassing 6 or more hours.

BOTTOM LINE: Recognize the role social media is playing in your child's development, and play an active role in setting time and boundary (privacy setting) limits.