Parenting: Why social media friendships are crucial for young adolescents 

It is a vexed issue for many parents, how to navigate the social media tightrope with their children and be aware of the dangers. It is a vexed issue for many parents, how to navigate the social media tightrope with their children and be aware of the dangers.Dr Mandy Truong is a public health researcher from the Australian Institute of Family Studies who is across the positive aspects of online activity. She says having friends is critical for early adolescents but so too is social media.She has written a paper which pulls together research evidence about the influence of positive peer relationships for 8-14 year olds - and how it affects their social and emotional development.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details