How parents and schools can help teens navigate social media safely? Insights and strategies from experts

Ahmed Othman isn’t on TikTok and doesn’t want to be. He and his younger sister got iPhones when they were in eighth and seventh grade respectively, but with no social media, just iMessage. Their parents, who are both computer scientists, spent the next year teaching them about social media, bombarding them with studies about its effects on teen mental health. “They really tried to emphasize social media is a tool, but can also be like your worst enemy if you so make it,” Othman said.