…Continued from last week
By Suleiman Tajudeen
develop and implement policies on social media use, including consequences for social media abuse.
Mental health support: Schools should provide mental health support services, including counselling and therapy, to students who may be struggling with social media-related issues.
Community involvement: Communities should be involved in promoting social media safety and responsibility, including organizing awareness programs and campaigns.
Government initiatives: The government should develop and implement initiatives to promote social media safety and responsibility, including regulating social media platforms and providing resources for education and awareness programs.
By implementing these strategies, we can help prevent social media abuse among secondary school students in Nigeria and promote healthy social media use habits.
Counselling Strategies
Social media literacy education.
Self regulations and self monitoring.
Emotional intelligence and empathy building (i.e. it help students to develop emotional intelligence, empathy and healthy relationships online and offline.
Create an awareness and psycho-education on the negative effects of social media.
Parents-Child Communication and Involvement (i.e. encourages parents to engage in open conversations with their children regarding social media use).
Mental health support and referrals (i.e. provide mental health support and referrals for students experiencing social media related distress, anxiety, depression).
Management of Negative Effects of Social Media Among Secondary School Students in Nigeria
Develop and implement social media education programs (i.e. social media literacy education programs should be integrated into school curricular).
Encourage responsible social media policies.
Foster parents child communication and involvement.
Provide mental health support and resources
Conduct research and monitor trends i.e. continuous research and monitor social media trends, usage patterns and its effects on secondary school students in Nigeria.
Parental guidance and monitoring.
Setting boundaries and limits.
Encouraging physical activities and outdoor play.
Provides mental health support (i.e. school and parents should provide mental health and other mental related issues in support and resources to help in the management of stressful life conditions).
Appropriate referral for social media addiction (i.e. serious misuse of hand set and other social media materials should be referred to clinical/counselling psychologists or other mental health practitioners for appropriate intervention).
References
Akafa, T. A., Anche, D. A., Karimu, S., Akafa, V. T., Oladele, G. O., & Iseko, K. I. (2024). Trends in Social Medial Usage and Adolescent Socialization in a Public Senior Secondary School in Abuja, Nigeria. International Journal of Emerging Multidisciplinaries, 2(1): 1-18.
John-Olusola, B. E. (2023). Social Media Usage and Students’ Discipline in Secondary Schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. Sapientia Foundation Journal of Education, Sciences and Gender Studies, 5(4): 2734 – 2514.
Dr Suleiman Tajudeen, CEO and Director of Clinical Psychology, Clear Mind Psychological Consult, KM 12,Ojo, Lagos State.
(+234) 0803 402 4457
