Unplug Social Media

Hi Scott,

I live in constant fear that my 13-year-old son is being exposed to bad things on his phone. Last semester one of his friends was dacked at school and someone took a photo, and it worked its way around the school. He’s having severe mental health problems as a result, and the police have been contacted because the photo could end up in the wrong hands. I’m trying to teach him the dangers of social media, but I feel like a hypocrite as I’m constantly glued to my mobile phone, setting a very bad example for him. I really hate myself.
 
Leonie
 
Hey Leonie
 
You’re not alone. Everyone is dealing with this. Earlier this year I wrote about Wayne, who tragically lost his son Mac to a scumbag extorter on social media. It was the saddest column I’ve ever written.
 
To mark the first anniversary of Mac’s passing, Wayne has created a grassroots campaign that he’s calling Unplug24. On the 24th of October (this coming Thursday), he’s encouraging people to disconnect from their social media for 24 hours to raise awareness of the harm social media can cause.

So, will staying off social media for 24 hours change anything?
 
Well, that depends on you.
 
Personally, I unplugged from social media a few years ago – fully intending to get back into it (after all, I was told that to be successful I needed to be posting multiple times a day). However, I forgot to plug back in: I liked the freedom so much that I never went back.
 
And you know what?
 
I can tell you that I am genuinely happier for it … and so are my kids.

Scott.