Our students all love social media and can’t wait to use their phones to connect to each other and the world at large. However, all that continual connection does not give them the opportunity to rest, relax and just be. Think about all the comments and images they are exposed to every day. While there can be positive reinforcement, there is also a lot of negative that they are bombarded with on a daily basis. They may not realize it, but whether good or bad the impact of social media does take a toll on their health. We are sharing with you the advice we have given your daughters and encourage you to talk with your daughters about the impact of social media. 

Here a just a few encouragements to help your daughter prioritize her self care:

• Unplug and undo. Shut down all the electronic distractions. Computer, tablet, phone, all of it–anything that can ping or flash, to catch attention. Spend some time in the real world.
• Set boundaries. Even if it is your best friend, you need personal boundaries.
• Unfollow or mute accounts. Try unfollowing or muting accounts that annoy you, upset you, or gobble up your time. 
• When the information is toxic, graphic or harmful, you can mute or delete social media apps. Remember you don’t have to be on every social media channel. 
• Limit your time online.
• Think before you post.
• Doing too many things at once disperses your energy and creates a state of restlessness, jumping from one branch to another. Take a quiet moment to be aware of your thoughts. Focus with full concentration on being still, at least for a few minutes, to go from restless to relaxed.