Social media is commonly maligned because of its potential negative impacts on mental and social health. In this talk, youth activist and seasoned public speaker Eva Amin argues that social media in and of itself is not the problem. In fact, social media can support personal fulfillment and professional success - if used judiciously. Eva presents guidelines every kid and teen should be taught from an early age to help them leverage social media as a helpful resource and avoid allowing it to be a destructive force. Eva, a senior in high school, has been a public speaker since the 4th grade. She recently ranked 11th in the nation for public speaking with the Future Business Leaders of America. She loves public speaking because of the platform it gives her for inspiring others. In her talks and in her daily life, she challenges others to look at things from a fresh perspective and to question the status quo. Eva is especially passionate about amplifying the voices of women and youth. She hosts a podcast called Venom, in which she interviews women in power positions with the goal of inspiring young women to break through barriers. In her TED talk, she will be speaking about why we should teach kids and teens to use social media as a helpful resource instead of allowing it to be a destructive force. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx