NgoMeyi 23, 2023, isikhulu esiphakemeko sezepilo e-United States salemukisa umphakathi ngokuthi ukusebenzisa zokuthintana kunemiphumela emimbi ebantwini abatjha abanengi.

•   “Nanyana abanye abantwana kunye nalabo abasangena eminyakeni yobutjha bazuza ngokusebenzisa zokuthintana, manengi amatshwayo atjengisa ukuthi ukusebenzisa zokuthintana kungaba neengozi ezilimaza imikhumbulo nehlalakuhle yabantwana kunye neyalabo abasangena eminyakeni yobutjha.”—Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, 2023.

 Irhubhululo le-advisory elidzujuliweko liveza amabanga wokutshwenyeka.

•   Abantu abasesebatjha abasukela emnyakeni eyi-12 ukuya ku-15 “abasebenzise zokuthintana ama-awara angaphezu kwamathathu ngelanga, baveza amatshwayo abuyelelwe kabili wokugula komkhumbulo ahlanganisa ukugandeleleka nokutshwenyeka ngokudluleleko.”

•   Kilabo abahlangana neminyaka eyi-14, “ukusebenzisa zokuthintana khulu kubenze bangakghoni ukulala ngokwaneleko, bahlunguphazwa kwezokuthintana, bangayithabeli indlela abaqaleka ngayo, behlelwa lizinga lokuzithemba begodu bagandeleleka. Amatshwayo la abonakala khulu ebantazaneni ukudlula ebasaneni.”

 Ababelethi bangabavikela njani abantwababo eengozinezi? IBhayibheli lineseluleko abangasisebenzisa.

 Kwazi okwenziwa mtwanakho. Babelethi, cabangani ngeengozi zokusebenzisa zokuthintana begodu niqunte ukuthi umntwanenu kufuze azisebenzise zokuthintana namkha awa.

•   Okutjhiwo liBhayibheli: “Bandula umntwana ngendlela okufuze akhambe ngayo.”—IzAga 22:6.

•   Bona ufumane okungeziweko, funda isihloko esithi, “Should My Child Use Social Media?”

 Nawuvumela abantwabakho bona basebenzise zokuthintana, kufuze uziphaphamele iingozi zalokho begodu ukwazi okwenziwa mntwanakho nakasebenzisa zokuthintana. Njani?

 Vikela umntwanakho ezintweni ezilimazako. Bandula umntwanakho ukuthi akghone ukubona izinto eziyingozi begodu azibalekele.

•   Okutjhiwo liBhayibheli: “Ukuziphatha kumbi ngokomseme nayo yoke imihlobo yokusilaphala namkha ukuba marhamaru akungaphathwa nokuphathwa hlangana nani . . . namkha ukuziphatha okuhlazisako namkha ikulumo ebudlhadlha namkha amahlaya asilapheleko.”—Efesu 5:3, 4.

•   Bona ufumane iimphakamiso ongazisebenzisa, funda isihloko esithi, “Teaching Your Teenager Social Media Safety.”

 Beka isikhathi. Ngokwesibonelo, beka imithetho yokuthi umntwanakho kufuze azisebenzise nini begodu isikhathi esingangani zokuthintana.

•   Okutjhiwo liBhayibheli: “Tjhejisisani bona indlela enikhamba ngayo . . . injengeyabahlakaniphileko, nisisebenzise kuhle isikhathi senu.”—Efesu 5:15, 16.

•   Sebenzisa abopopayi abadwebwako, isihloko esithi, Sebenzisa Zokuthintana Ngendlela Efaneleko bona usize umntwanakho abone ukuthi kuqakatheke ngani ukubeka isikhathi.