We’re hearing from some of you that our adolescents don’t know where to begin when it comes to posting on their social media. Honestly, that makes total sense – I often stare at my Instagram feed and wonder what I could possible contribute that would be interesting to my friends. I usually resort to photos of weird things my kids left for me to find or food that I’m eating. Interesting to others? I don’t know, and who cares? It’s my feed and it’s interesting to me.

SOCIAL MEDIA POST IDEAS

Here is a list of suggestions you can give to the kids you’re teaching and/or parenting as they begin (or middle) their journey in the social media part of their lives. And remember, you can always work with us as you’re creating a planned approach to social media with your child.

1. Food. Humans universally enjoy food, looking at food, wanting to eat food, and generally thinking about food. Now, this doesn’t mean a picture of their plate at dinner. Be DOING something with the food – a huge, goofy bit into a burger, slurping up noodles, walrus teeth fries. Food doesn’t have to be boring and kids have endless creativity when it comes to showcasing it – this is where they can play with their food.

2. Creations. We are all the creators of something. Are the kids interested in coding? A shot of the results from their new code would be awesome. Are they artistic? Let’s see parts of their artwork – just enough to get people curious. Goofy dances with their friends are awesome as well – and not just on TikTok!

3. Selfies. It’s the quintessential teen go-to. Even in my early teens, I’d utilize a disposable camera for this purpose. It’s a great way to capture a memory of somewhere they go, something they did, and who they shared the experience with. Plus people follow their feed to see their face.

4. Personal interests. Whatever they like, that’s what they should post about. Books? Post a review. Video games? Post a review. Hiking? Post a review! It’s a fantastic way to deepen connections with their friends, and perhaps help them make friends with those whom they didn’t know shared these interests before.

These four ideas will help jumpstart a healthy relationship between social media and our young people. The point of social media is connecting with friends and family, and to have fun! And even better, social media isn’t a drug, it’s a way to communicate for teens and adults alike.

Remember – privacy matters! Remind them not to connect with people they don’t know and to never mark their location. Safety first.