How to Protect Kids’ Mental Health When Friendships Move Online
Why it’s important to help them navigate digital relationships
Listening to my favorite podcast and doing chores around the house, it happens again. The host’s voice is interrupted by a high-pitched ring tone indicating a FaceTime call coming in.
It’s for my son, who is outside on the trampoline. I don’t answer. Five seconds later, it rings again and again. It won’t stop ringing until I answer and tell the well-meaning 10-year-old in a voice that’s desperately trying not to yell that his friend can’t talk.
I know my child repeats the same annoying behavior. When I tell him to give up, that clearly whoever he’s trying to reach is unavailable, he shoots me a “go away, mom” look.
This scenario repeats itself all day long. I have to believe I’m not the only one.
It began during the lockdown. Ripped away from the face-to-face interaction they needed as social creatures, they turned to FaceTime, Kids Messenger, Zoom, Gaming devices, and Google Hangouts to stay connected.
My son “invented” the virtual sleepover — I’m quite sure the idea isn’t original to him. He and his friend or cousin talked until they fell asleep, and then one would immediately call the other as soon as he…
