Many parents and educators turn to Smart Social to learn about the negative impacts of social media on teens and tweens. However, there are also many positive impacts social media can have on families.

Are you wondering how families can use technology in a positive way to make a connection between parents and children? We asked 16 parents and tech experts for their ideas and tips for how to incorporate technology into your family time.

1. As a family, find positive influencers to follow

Vincent DeCastro, President of ABM Agency

Engaging in social media with the family can have many positive benefits. It is about showing kids the more positive side of the tools, such as being able to learn about politics where they can learn what political leaders stand for, or using Instagram as a positive influence tool.

For example, you can look through body-positive images as a way to help your children see the beauty of all different people. You can also search together for positive influencers who talk about mental health, show self-care, or who are teaching about history and diversity.

Introducing your student to these positive sides of social media early on can help them learn more about where they want to put their time as they start to build their own social profiles.
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2. Teach and practice good habits early

Beth Pouska, SmartSocial.com

Some communication apps are a great way to help students and grandparents or other family members stay in touch and learn good habits. Introducing an app like Messenger Kids to younger kids on family devices can help them connect with family and real-life friends with the oversight of their parents. They have fun with the photo filters and playing games together while connecting only with the people I approve from my parent account.

We have found this to be a good lesson for learning and practicing good habits with social media and technology. For example, when they hear the sound of a new message during dinner or homework time, their instincts want to check it right away, but we all have to learn and practice good habits. Hopefully, when they are old enough for their own devices these habits will be easier to continue on their own.

3. Create content together rather than consuming it

Devin Schumacher, Founder, SERP

Social media content can be used to build a unique connection between parents and teens. While people are quick to cite the negative impacts of social media on families, there is plenty of good to be had, too. However, it goes beyond simply sharing content with family members. To fully leverage the many positive impacts of social media, set out to create rather than consume digital content.

Creating content is a great way to collaborate together. Sharing posts with family members is nice for a quick laugh, but there's nothing quite like working together to help parents and teens channel great ideas into enjoyable digital content. It strengthens the family bond and provides a great source of entertainment. Plus, this is beneficial for parents because it fosters trust.

As a byproduct, collaborating on content gives you a greater insight as to what type of media your teen is consuming online. You'll be able to ensure their safety in using social media without overstepping your boundaries as a parent.

4. Using social media to connect with grandparents more often and never miss a birthday

Christopher Adams, Founder, Modest Fish

As a family, we have made use of social media to help us bond, keep tabs (as a parent), and most of all, record memories.

The biggest impact social media has had on our family is the connection that it’s made for our kids with their grandparents. Grandparents will sometimes go an entire year without seeing us, or our children - so you could imagine how lonely they can get at times. They are also not the most tech-savvy, so we had to assist in the initial setup of their platforms.

After making them dedicated Facebook and Instagram accounts, they are now able to see almost daily what their entire family is up to, and easily contact us and the kids - far more frequently than when we would all need to pick up a phone to call. Getting the kids to call their grandparents on their birthdays used to be a chore for them and they would often forget. Now, due to social media and its constant reminders of birthdays, father’s and mother’s days, our grandparents are getting more calls and heartfelt messages than they thought imaginable.

There are so many grandparents and older generation folk out there who currently do not have simple access to social media and they don’t even need to fully engage in what it has to offer,  but if children and parents would take the little amount of time needed to connect their parents with social media as we have, then I feel that so much more joy could come out of these platforms.

5. Become the influencer that people go to for learning or positivity

Steve Thompson, Owner, Boot Mood Foot

Using social media could lead to the discovery of valuable lessons. Or, be the one to share those values with others. That means you can be an influencer family that promotes positive practices and life lessons to your viewers.

I have seen vlogs on my newsfeed about families taping their van life, working on their garden, parents teaching kids to do home chores and more positive vlogs. It feels good to have a glimpse at how other families do things. Or, see their methods in dealing with different situations. It inspired me a few times - so I proposed some weekends working in the yard with my family.

Technology lets us see how other people do it, and there's no denying that we (sometimes) tend to follow what we perceive. There are a few family-oriented social media accounts that are worth following.

6. Understand that social media is part of a teen’s life

Carla Diaz, Cofounder, Broadband Search

People like to talk about the negative impacts of the internet and digital landscapes in general because it’s easy and “shocking” to see just how bad these things can be on human life. Unfortunately, this can cause us to lose sight of how beneficial these technologies can be in today's world, especially with how accustomed we’ve become to them and how present they are in our everyday lives. When it comes to parents connecting with their teens, this is especially true. 

If you let it, social media can definitely cause a divide between you and your teen and prevent you from maintaining a good relationship with them (especially during a time in their life where they aren’t as open with you). Social media can be used as a tool for communication and connection. 

While you might not completely understand it, you also have to remember that teens these days have grown up with this type of technology and, to them, it’s an essential part of their lives. If you learn how to utilize social media to stay involved in their lives in a positive way, it can really help your relationship with them.

7. Social media can give you topics to talk about in person

Eden Cheng, Founder, WeInvoice

Reduces risk of estrangement: One of the main benefits of using social media within my family is the fact that long-distance relationships can now be managed better, especially since some of our family members work far from home or study internationally. This means we can now easily communicate and interact, despite being separated by thousands of miles.

Better understanding: The good thing about social media is that it can be considered to be a snapshot of someone’s personality. In other words, it displays a person’s likes, dislikes, opinions, hobbies, habits, etc. This is very useful as it helps me get a better understanding of what other family members like to do or talk about. This is especially important if you have trouble communicating, you can lean on these interests for something to talk about.

Memories: Most social media platforms come with a memories feature which is very useful in helping to remember important moments through video collages, pictures, posts, etc. Since they pop up each year on anniversaries like birthdays, it helps keep nostalgia up and the familial bond strong. Plus it’s easy to forget that it’s your mother’s birthday, but with constant reminders, I am always able to stay on track and pick out an excellent gift to surprise her with!

8. Fun question or conversation starter apps can be entertaining for families

Kavin Wadhar, Kid Coach App

Too often we parents get stuck in a rut of asking transactional questions like “How was school?” or “Have you done your homework?”

But there is some wonderful inspiration on the Internet for quick, fun, and unusual conversation starters. “Would you rather” questions are a firm favorite with many kids. For instance: Would you rather have hands for feet or feet for hands?! As well as launching a memorable conversation, these kinds of discussions help advance key skills, like creativity, communication, and critical thinking. Skills sorely needed by the next generation.

Our app, Kid Coach App, has hundreds of searchable questions by topic and skills, depending on what your kids are into. It also has several prompts in a parenting flashcard to help keep the conversation going. “Would chocolate-flavored rain be good or bad?” went down particularly well with my kids!

Chats like this are quick and easy to do. Some families do them during the school drop-off run, others before going to bed. In our home, we have found the dinner table to be most effective and so we have found a way to use tech for good during the family meal!

Apps like these are easy to grab for quick inspiration, and notifications help remind us to take a break and have some fun when we get 5 minutes of downtime. As one mom said to me: “I don't mind being alerted to a fun, new conversation starter for my kids - much better than being told someone has just liked something I posted on Facebook!”

9. Social media can act as a memory bank and family photo album

Mike Dragan, COO, Stream.live

Memories: The social media memory function helps families to relive memorable family moments. Every year on the anniversary of the event, photos, videos, tags, check-ins, and other items appear. This will help to keep the feelings of nostalgia and family love alive.

Family bonding: Family members will see what each other is posting on social media. It allows them to bond over common interests. This can also have an effect on real life. It brings family members closer together through mutual interests, hobbies, and other activities.

Families with a single parent: Although divorce is increasingly common, children still need some kind of stability. They yearn for both parents to be present in their lives. Even if parents don't get along, they can still interact with their children. Using social media for this is, of course, almost normal.

10. Social media is a digital photo book

Sharon Van Donkelaar, CMO, Expandi.io

One of the ways social media has been a great way to connect families is how it has become a digital photo book that allows you to witness the growth of the family even when you are far away. With extended families becoming more and more diverse in terms of living arrangements, getting together physically is an issue and children often do not know their older relatives.

Maintaining a social media presence where family members are updated with new additions helps them feel connected to each other. While digital awareness is still a far cry from in-person connections, this is the next best thing that allows large families to know each other and care about each other.

11. Find alternative uses for technology

Kenny Trinh, Managing Editor of Netbooknews

Use a video tutorial for a family activity

Nowadays we watch a lot of how-to videos. Why not use a video tutorial on how to bake a cake or a pizza as a family activity? Everyone will have a part to play, even the little ones, and the family dinner would for sure be a lot more fun.

Shoot a short film or skit

Make a short film or skit of your favorite family movie. Kids could play their favorite characters and the older kids and adults could do all the directing and editing. This would be a nice family project and something you could watch together for years to come. 

Video calls instead of instant messages

Face to face interactions is very important, especially for your growing kids. It can impact the level of their confidence and the way they interact with other people.

因此，尽可能进行视频通话，而不仅仅是发送即时消息。无论多么甜美，在屏幕上看到你并听到你的声音仍然比阅读聊天或即时消息更胜一筹。

使用家庭管理器应用程序

这些应用程序具有各种非常有用的功能，例如管理家庭任务清单，发送日程提醒，甚至是通过琐事制作游戏。

12。开始与家人群组留言

拉希尔·乔杜里博士，Eye7 董事总经理

拥有家庭群聊应用程序可以让（直系亲属）中的每个人都有融入家庭的感觉。所有家庭都会有一个性格内向的人或一个不知情的人（主要是选择的）。

但是，即使他们几乎没有参与聊天并不意味着他们不感兴趣。作为一个非贡献者——沉默的伙伴，他们仍然可以感觉自己被包括在内。这可以极大地提高家庭价值观，因为没有人会感到被忽视。

13。一起看视频

约瑟夫·韦伯斯特，灵魂系列生命值

家庭使用科技的一种令人振奋的方式是练习一些有趣而健康的事情，例如在计算机上下载冥想应用程序和学习如何像家人一样一起冥想。家庭也可以下载一大堆不同的 应用 家庭可以一起参与。

有些应用程序可以学习有关世界历史的有趣事实，有些应用程序可以教授健康的家庭友好型运动。还有一些互动游戏，家庭可以作为一个单位玩并轮流完成任务。

14。社交媒体的积极影响

安德鲁·坎宁安，DailyPest 创始人

作为双胞胎女孩的父亲，我和妻子忙得不可开交。也就是说，我们的女孩喜欢他们的平板电脑和其他电子产品。我和妻子尽可能将科技融入我们的家庭生活，让生活更加愉快，尤其是对我们的两个女孩而言。

我总是忙着做生意，所以在工作日我没法花那么多时间陪伴他们。但是，在午餐时间，他们通过与妈妈的视频通话给我打电话。即使我们分开了，这也有助于我们进行沟通。

周末，我们在平板电脑上度过游戏之夜，玩他们最喜欢的应用程序。我们养成了家庭习惯，而不是所有人单独拿着小玩意而不进行任何互动。

我妻子用 优酷 去搜索我的双胞胎在放学期间与他们度过母女交往时的 DIY 视频。我也会在不工作的时候加入。

我相信整合技术有助于联系我们的家庭。它增强了我们的体验，使我们彼此相处的时光更加令人难忘。

15。使用应用程序一起学习一门新语言

乔万·米伦科维奇，KommandoTech 联合创始人

有许多免费的应用程序 学习语言 它们非常受欢迎且具有互动性。他们中的许多人每天都面临挑战，需要用户保持活跃，因此需要提高知识水平。对于家庭来说，聚集在一起并开始团队学习一门新语言可能会很有趣。他们可以互相推动，努力工作，玩得开心，获得新的、非常有用的技能。

16。寄宿家庭游戏之夜

卢卡·阿雷齐纳，DataProt 联合创始人

科技对家庭产生积极影响我最喜欢的方式之一是使用聊天群组 WhatsApp的 要么 Facebook。对于分散在世界各地的家庭来说，尤其如此。与其向每个家庭成员发送多条一对一的消息，在让所有人了解情况方面，一个群组将意味着减少工作量。

它还将创造一个互动空间。这就像聚在同一个房间里，进行一场对所有人开放的对话——这是一次重要而必要的家庭时光，最终会让所有参与者都振作起来。

使用科技来度过愉快时光的另一种很酷的方法是和家人一起玩《舞力全开》。 舞力全开 是一款使用手机上的运动跟踪器向查看设备发送信息的应用程序。当电视上的歌曲播放时，你可以模仿屏幕上人物的动作。根据玩家重现动作的成功程度对玩家进行评级。你可以将多部手机连接到同一个舞会，这样可以保证一些健康的比赛和愉快的家庭时光。

17。在社交媒体上表示支持大有帮助

马克斯·托马斯，Query Sprout 首席执行官兼创始人

与家庭建立联系非常重要。与普遍的看法相反，如果做得对，社交媒体也可以建立更好的家庭纽带。

如果您无法亲自表示支持，则可以通过公众评论和简单标记在社交媒体上表达支持。除此之外，社交媒体还通过消息传递平台帮助家庭建立联系。在这个社交媒体时代，家庭聊天群组已不再是新鲜事物。

结论

游戏时间、轻松沟通和家庭电影之夜只是家庭利用科技产生积极影响的几种方式。想到让我们的青少年和青少年访问互联网，那里有这么多危险的内容，可能会令人恐惧。但是，如果你与学生就社交媒体的危险进行坦诚的交谈，并像家人一样共同使用，你可以帮助保护学生的安全。