Dave Adamson, a photographer and social media and online pastor at North Point Community Church, joins host, Kristen Ivy, to talk about how parents can leverage social media to communicate with their kids.

Dave Adamson, a photographer and social media and online pastor at North Point Community Church, joins host, Kristen Ivy, to talk about how parents can leverage social media to communicate with their kids.

YOUR CUE

  • View social media as an opportunity to increase a closeness with your kids. Social media can increase the depth of conversation you have with your children. When you follow them on their social platforms, you can see the friends they’re choosing, the encouragement and discouragement they’re receiving, and their thoughts on the world around them. You’re in a better position to speak into their lives when you know what’s going on.
  • Recognize family comes first. It’s easy to get carried away with the amount of time spent on social media. Set boundaries with social media use and predetermine times when your home is aN electronics-free zone.
  • Use a hashtag. Make it easy for your kids to find your thoughts on topics, even years down the road by using a specific hashtag.

EPISODE RECAP

Many parents of teens are desperate to get their children to communicate that they’ll try nearly anything. A solution, Dave Adamson says, is right at your fingertips.

Dave, who is social media and online pastor at North Point Community Church and a dad to three teenage girls, says social media can be used to enhance your parenting, especially with teens. In fact, in his opinion, parents have no choice but to consider the power of social media while parenting.

“You can’t parent in the modern age without social media,” Dave says.

Social media is a big part of teenagers’ lives


You might have rolled your eyes in exasperation after reading that last phrase. But here’s the thing: According to research, more than 80 percent of teenagers use Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook on a daily basis. What’s more, and possibly even more concerning, is 67 percent of teens believe they can find anything they need to know about life on YouTube, the second biggest social media platform. Let’s face it: Social media is a big part of our kids’ lives, whether we like it or not.

Parents have a chance to leverage the social platforms for their benefit. Social media gives parents an opportunity to gain some understanding of a kid’s world. With access to social media, you can see their likes and dislikes, as well as observe what they’re talking about and what is being said to them.

Dave specifically uses Instagram as a way to communicate with his daughters. With his posts, he says, he’s able to reach his daughters during a time when ordinarily he wouldn’t have access to them — while they’re in school. In his posts, he uses the hashtag, #stuffiwishmydaughtersknew, so they can quickly find his thoughts on things, especially those about God.

“I use social media to keep parenting, to keep their dad in their life,” he says.

To learn how Dave reached one of his daughters with a learning disability, and what his thoughts are on boundaries on social media, tune in to today’s episode!

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