Parent your child before social media does - Pediatrician warns

Parents who fail to build strong relationships with their children risk allowing social media and strangers to shape their values long before adulthood, Specialist Paediatrician Dr Sharron Makafui Aglobitse has cautioned. Delivering a presentation at the Convergence of Mothers, Dr Aglobitse described adolescence as one of the most difficult stages of parenting, urging mothers to replace fear and constant conflict with trust, communication and intentional guidance. "Teenagers are no longer children, but they are not adults either," she said. "Their bodies are developing faster than their emotions." According to her, adolescence is a period marked by rapid physical, emotional and psychological changes, making parental involvement more important than ever. Rather than simply policing children's behaviour, she encouraged parents to become trusted confidants. "This is the time to become friends with your children," she advised. "Know who their friends are. Know what they are interested in. Have conversations." Dr Aglobitse warned that many parents mistakenly believe limiting screen time at home is enough to shield children from harmful influences. "The fact that your child doesn't own a smartphone doesn't mean they are not receiving information," she said. "Children are learning from their classmates, from other people and from the internet." She argued that every child will be influenced by someone, making parental guidance indispensable. "If you don't parent your child, somebody else will," she said. "The question is: who is doing that parenting?" Drawing from her clinical experience, Dr Aglobitse recounted the case of a 12-year-old girl who was admitted after suffering a mental health crisis. During her admission, doctors discovered the girl had been secretly communicating with older men online and sharing explicit images without her parents' knowledge. "Her mother didn't even know she had certain social media applications," Dr Aglobitse said. "The emotional trauma she experienced online contributed significantly to her breakdown." She described the incident as one of many examples demonstrating why parents must remain actively involved in their children's digital lives. At the same time, she cautioned against invading children's privacy unnecessarily. Instead, she recommended what she called "shared privacy"—giving teenagers room to grow while maintaining healthy oversight. "They need privacy," she explained. "But they also need guidance. It shouldn't be one or the other." Dr. Aglobitse further noted that anxiety and other mental health challenges are increasingly being diagnosed in children as young as six and seven years old, making early conversations about emotions essential. She encouraged parents to pay attention to sudden behavioural changes, prolonged sadness, excessive withdrawal or unexplained emotional distress. "These things are easier to manage when identified early," she said. "Teenagers still need us. They may not always say it, but they need parents who will listen before they judge." Source: Gloria Akpene Nyarku, Contributor
« Previous | Next »