Teens need their friends. My son has been asking to go hang out with his friends but right now I’m not allowing it but this is so hard on the kids. Social interaction with their peers is normally an important part of their day. With social distancing due to the Corovid-19 pandemic, many teens are struggling. They’re feeling trapped in the house and probably wanting a break from their parents.
While in-person get-togethers are being discouraged right now, teens can hang out with their friends online. Teens can keep it touch beyond texting and phone calls.
- Facetime – If your teen and their friends have access to an iPhone, iPad or Mac computer they can facetime each other which allows them to see and hear each other.
- WhatsApp – This app can be used for phone calls but also for video calls on a smartphone (iPhone or Android)
- Zoom – Zoom is a great video conferencing app that makes it easy to connect a group together at once.
- Online gaming systems such as Xbox or Sony Playstation. With an online gaming service such as Xbox live and headphones, kids can chat with their friends while they’re playing a game together. My son’s favorites right now are Fortnite and Minecraft. With Minecraft, he’s building a community with his friends. On Fortnite, they can play duos together (in a pair compete against other pairs) or join a party together and play against each other.
- Host a Netflix watch party. Pick a movie and invite your friends and you can chat while you watch together. Chrome browser is required on a laptop or desktop.
- Marco Polo – similar to texting but instead of typed words, you send video clips back and forth to chat.
- Snapchat – ‘streaks’ are popular with teens. A streak is when you take a photo and send it to a friend. They send a photo back and you keep the streak going.
Need more ideas for your teens to connect with their friends?
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