Parenting With a Purpose: TikTok Is Not Therapy!

TikTok videos with the hashtag #mentalhealth have wracked up more the 37 billion views.

For younger viewers, it can be easy to believe everything you see and hear even when it’s not coming from a reliable source.

But when it has lots of engagement, many followers you think it’s true.

So how do you talk to your children about TikTok as a tool?

Reena B. Patel (LEP, BCBA) renowned parenting and school psychologist, board-certified behavior analyst, and author of shares some pointers on how to speak to your children on the content of TikTok.

• Be careful about who you take advice from. The wrong information about how to handle these conditions can damage people more. Always talk to a mental health provider if you have real concerns.
• Don’t use TikTok as your only form of “therapy.” “If you are struggling with a mental health condition, reach out and find a therapist.
• Do more research and know the facts–  If you have a question about a condition, research the evidence-based treatment for it, as well as ways to get access. Yes, you can relate to the symptoms, but do not self diagnose- seek a professional to help. The information shared by a user is not enough for one to self diagnose themselves.
• The social platform should have mental health resources for users and a team who monitor the content.
• It can be educational:  One of the main benefits of talking about mental health on TikTok is that users are exposed to people with different conditions, more awareness
• Validation. Those who may be feeling alone in their struggles often can find the validation they need
• Finding a sense of community and support they may not be getting elsewhere

If you’d like to here more from Reena B. Patel  to visit her website.