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Teens spend an average of 3-4 hours a day on social media, so it's clearly something you need to manage rather than ignore. The best approach is to talk openly with him about it without judging - ask him what he does, who he follows, why it interests him - and set clear limits together on when and which apps he can use at school.

Your teen is going to check social media during breaks, that's just a fact. The real question is mostly about not letting it take over during class time or homework. What I see around me is that the kids who handle this best have parents who don't just set stupid bans, but who create actual "phone-free zones" that work - like at the table, an hour before bed, during homework.

Something concrete: set up a visible timer (not hidden) where you say "okay, we're putting our phones in another room for X time and I'm doing the same with mine." It's weird but it works, and it's not punishment, it's showing that taking breaks is normal. Teens respond way better to that than to bans, especially if they see you're actually able to put your phone down too.

Also, something people don't really talk about much: ask him directly what he's looking at and why. Not like "social media is a waste of time" but "show me what you spend the most time on" - you'll learn stuff and there won't be that wall of pushback. Sometimes he's just following wholesome accounts, sometimes it's more questionable, but you'll know. And then you can actually talk about it.

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