Are Screens Hurting Your Teens’ Social Skills? Author Shares 5 Ways Parents Can Help

Tips to improve your teens’ confidence, people skills and job readiness

MILFORD, MI — Many parents, counselors and educators say teens are struggling more with face-to-face communication after years of increased screen time and pandemic isolation. Michigan author and workplace skills expert Kirt Manecke says the good news is that social skills can be learned and practiced.

“Many teens today are growing up more comfortable texting than talking,” says Manecke, author of Smile & Succeed for Teens. “Strong people skills are still one of the most important factors in getting hired, building confidence, and succeeding in life.”

Research cited by Harvard University suggests that as much as 85 percent of job success comes from strong people skills and communication abilities. Manecke offers the following tips to help parents strengthen their teen’s social and career skills.

Five Ways to Improve Your Teen’s Social Skills

1. Practice greeting people.
Encourage teens to greet people with a smile, good eye contact, and a friendly “Hello.” Practice with family, friends, and neighbors. These simple skills translate directly to job interviews and customer service situations.

2. Take breaks from electronics.
Stepping away from screens and social media helps teens reconnect with friends in person. Face-to-face interactions build confidence, improve communication skills, and reduce feelings of anxiety and isolation.

3. Get a part-time job.
Working part-time helps teens practice face-to-face communication, responsibility, teamwork, and problem solving. The are skills employers value highly. This experience is valuable to add to a teen's resume. 

4. Volunteer.
Volunteering builds empathy, confidence, and social skills while helping teens meet new friends and mentors.It also gives teens valuable experience to put on a resume. Parents can explore opportunities at local churches, service clubs like Rotary, or online at www.volunteermatch.org.

5. Model good social behavior.
Teens learn by watching adults. Demonstrate good manners and communication in everyday situations such as greeting servers at restaurants, making eye contact, and saying “please” and “thank you", and ordering. Then have your teen try it the next time. 

“Parents can make a huge difference simply by having teens practice everyday interactions like ordering a pizza by phone, or ordering for the family at a restaurant,” says Manecke. “These small habits build confidence that help teens succeed in school, work, and life.”

Kirt Manecke is the author of the award-winning books, Smile & Succeed for Teens: Must-Know People Skills for Today’s Wired World and SMILE: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service – The Essential 60-Minute Crash Course. Free resources on social and career skills for teens are available at: www.smilethebook.com/free/. Learn more at www.smilethebook.com.