Are you a mum who is addicted to Facebook?
Is your technology addiction harming your kids?
Social media, especially Facebook, can be a wonderful thing. If you are a mom with kids, it allows you to share pictures and milestones with friends and family. Those first steps, the first tooth that pops out, and the first intelligible word that is spoken, are great events to share with just about everyone you know!
If you are one of the moms who are on the receiving end of a myriad of posts every day from other moms who detail every event in their kid’s lives, then you know just how annoying it can be. But then again, by being on the receiving end, if you are also a mom who sends out frequent updates of your children’s progress, you have a good insight into what others feel when they are bombarded with posts.
If your child, or children, constantly see you glued to your phone or computer, especially when they are trying to get your attention – you may be unaware of the harm you could be doing to your children.
Statistics reported by the PEW Factual Research Centre, revealed that 51% of parents log onto one or another social media site each day – and 81% of these are mothers.
Research has also shown that at the present time, the attraction to social media by parents, shows no signs of slowing down.
Mums are so very good at Facebook!
A survey conducted among children between the ages of 8 and 16 years, revealed some interesting facts about what the kids felt about their mom’s use of social media.
· My mum is very good at Facebook. She must be, she is always on it. (Gary, 9)
· Whenever I want to talk, my mother always says “later, I am busy on my phone.” I hate it. It seems like she is not interested in me anymore. (Karina, 12)
· I think my mum is addicted to Facebook. “It” goes with us wherever we go. She is always updating her friends with pictures and places no matter where we go. She is heavily involved with her mobile phone and keeps checking for posts and replies. It is very irritating. (Mandy, 15)
· I don’t really mind if my mum spends time on social media, just so long as she puts it down when I want her attention. (Peter 11)
· My mother has made many new friends on social media. Some are great, and those she doesn’t like, she just deletes. Chatting to her friends helps when she is lonely. (James 16)
Kid’s responses vary greatly, but mostly it reveals feelings of frustration, neglect, and sometimes, admiration. Many moms have no idea what their kids are thinking, or how they are being affected.
Why do parents use social media?
It is an excellent platform for parents to connect with their own parents, family, and close friends, especially those who are far away. It is also useful for children to keep in contact with grandparents, for example, who they seldom see.
Some mothers often feel that logging on to social media platforms is a way to sometimes escape the boredom and responsibility of caring for children and running a home. Others say that connecting after a long, busy day, is a way of reminding her that she had a life beyond kids and the home front.
Parents also use Facebook and other platforms to create groups, or more frequently join groups they are interested in. Many believe that the more social networks you sign up to, the more advice they may get from their friends regarding parenting, health issues, and even marital problems.
Dangers for parents who use social media excessively.
Here are some things that could harm children of parents who abuse social media use:
· Children tend to crave more attention when they see a parent totally absorbed in a mobile device. The parent may react negatively at the interruption, and snap angrily at the child.
· There are moms who actually text while driving with their kids in a car. A serious accident could so easily occur.
· Using your phone at the dinner table sets a bad example for the family.
· You allow yourself to be distracted by technology when your child is trying to talk to you.
· You reply to stressful e mails which result in anxiety, which your kids can pick up. This may lead to anxious and confused feelings of their own.
If you have any of the bad habits and compulsions listed above, then you are using social media to the extent where it may be harming your children.
Hypnotherapy is the most successful way to deal with this addiction.
Treating Facebook, or social media addiction, is the same as treating any other obsessive behaviour with hypnosis.
When it comes to an internet addiction, there is no magic bullet, or a miracle pill, which will help. Numerous studies have shown that hypnotherapy, in conjunction with cognitive behavioural therapy, is an excellent, proven method to help conquer compulsive habits and behaviours – no matter what it may be.
Hypnosis will show you how to put the social media usage under YOUR control – instead of it controlling you!