Panic over social media has reached a fever pitch. Diagnoses of mental illness among adolescents have been on the rise, and in May the U.S. surgeon general warned of “ample indicators” that social media may in part be to blame. But perhaps banning social media — or heavily monitoring kids who use it, which is another common parental response — isn’t the most constructive solution to the problem. Perhaps, instead, we should focus more on helping kids learn how to safely navigate social media and manage online privacy and decision-making. Here are some key takeaways from Dr. Heitner’s latest book and tips she shared for helping kids and teenagers safely navigate the online world.

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Persons: ”, Heitner, “, Heitner’s Locations: U.S, Utah