There is no denying that we are navigating in a virtual world. As your children are becoming more and more tech-savvy in this modern age, parents need to uphold a proactive sense of duty when it comes to their children’s online activity.
While there are many advantages of having the opportunity to be immediately connected to the world around you and to share your experiences at your convenience, it also creates a whole new realm of dangers.
From cyberbullies to internet trolls, a child’s misuse of a social network may have massive implications. If your child asks for social media usage or is already using it, check out these tips.
Make Your Own Family Social Media Use Plan
Social media should be tailor-fit for you and within your parenting style and family values. Social media can enrich daily experiences when used carefully and effectively.
However, social media can destroy several significant aspects, including face-to-face interaction, family bonding, outdoor play, workout, unplugged downtime, and sleeping patterns, when misused or without thought.
Enforce Good Netiquette
It can damage a child’s self-esteem to receive unpleasant social media comments, and posting such comments can get them into problems.
Speak to your child about the appropriate etiquette of social media or netiquette and use the tools listed in the resource guides of social media. For one, the Instagram app allows you to filter out derogatory or offensive words from your comments.
Keep Your Child’s Profile Private
You are given a choice to have your account private by most social networking sites. This ensures that only individuals who have been friends with your child will see the information on their profile.
This is crucial to keep their data confidential and secure from those who may misuse it. Social networking has become such a regular part of people’s lives that sharing information about themselves that should not be shared is not unusual for individuals.
Set Time Limits
Teens are still developing self-discipline, so spending hours on social media sites is not uncommon. Work together to decide if it is 15 minutes or an hour, an acceptable amount of time they can spend on apps every day.
You may also benefit from the social media's Activity Dashboard like that of Instagram, which helps you monitor usage and restrict distractions such as push notifications.
Create Tech-Free Zones
Maintain screen-free family mealtimes, other family and social events, and children's bedrooms. Switch off any gadgets that can get in the way of face-to-face interaction with kids.
Overnight, recharge devices outside your child’s bedroom to help him or her resist the temptation to use them while they should be sleeping. These adjustments facilitate more family time, healthy eating habits, and improved sleep.
Keep An Open Dialogue With Your Child
You can't track your child’s social media usage 24/7, so it's crucial to keep a good communication line to know what is going on with your child online. Whenever they receive messages or invitations from strangers, ask them to tell you.
Speak to them about the implications of misusing social media. Ask them to tell you whether they are being harassed or abused by others, as these may indicate cyberbullying.
Final Words
There are many positive aspects of social media, but also many dangers and risks that should be avoided by children and teenagers. One important thing is to facilitate a healthy relationship between your kids and social media.
When they post something on a site, they don't always make smart decisions, and this may create issues. So it's also necessary to discuss how to use social media wisely with your children.
