At a time when phones dominate classrooms, hallways, and homes, students and parents at Jordan High School in Durham are trying to make sense of how social media is shaping daily life and how to manage it.
TikTok partnered with families and educators to host a conversation about how teens use social media, the pressures they feel online, and how parents can stay engaged without shutting dialogue down.
The topic hits close to home for many. From constant streams of content to influencer culture, students described both the entertainment value and the mental pull of always being online.
“It is kind of an entertainment app, and we need to recognize that because if we don’t, we can be easily sucked into it.”
Others pointed to the blurred line between real life and curated content.
“Sometimes you can get so sucked up into the things that you’re watching, you lose sight that this is not real life. These people could be lying for all we know.”
For many parents, the challenge isn’t just monitoring usage, but starting the right conversations.
Mikki Wilson, a National PTA Connected ambassador, said tone matters when talking with teens.
“When adults and parents lead with ‘we don’t want you to do this,’ teens tend to close off more and not share as much. So the key to a good conversation is be curious about what they’re doing,” Wilson says.
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TikTok representatives at the event said the platform has built-in restrictions for teen users, but emphasized that families should still engage directly with what their children are viewing.
“It’s like, show us what’s funny today and really having a shared experience as a family, it gives us a glimpse into their world and the things that they’re focused on,” says Victoria McCullough from TikTok.
Some parents at Jordan High School said they left the discussion with a more nuanced view of their teens’ media habits, acknowledging both the risks and the growing awareness students have about what they consume online.
One parent said the conversation highlighted a need for balance between guidance and trust.
“It’s tough because it is a little addictive. We have had clashes. But it was interesting to hear teens talk about maybe urging parents to trust them a little bit more … that we’ve put good ethics in them so they can monitor themselves, too,” said Shannon Thornburg.
