Social media has become unavoidable in recent years, and it’s now one of the primary ways we communicate with friends, family, and people worldwide. A growing number of teens and children use social media, and most check their favorite sites at least once per day. In the US, 35% of teens use one of the leading social media platforms almost constantly, using it for messaging, sharing information, and learning new things.
Technology has made communication much easier, but while social media is about connecting people, it can potentially be harmful too. Cyberbullying, misinformation, and even grooming can make social media a dangerous place for young minds, and several dangerous trends have started thanks to social media platforms. ExpressVPN’s blog piece goes into more detail on cyberbullying and how it to prevent it. Stopping your children from using social media is difficult, but you can teach them to use it safely.
Encourage Respect and Proper Behaviour
When your children are young, it’s important to teach them about respect and being kind to others. Children still developing often haven’t learned empathy yet, so it’s always good to show them why respect is necessary. Make it clear to your children that they shouldn’t post things online that may hurt the feelings of others and that they should report any harassing or bullying messages directly to you. That encourages your child to be more respectful and speak up if they’re cyberbullying victims.
Ensure They Understand the Consequences of Posting Content
Social media has led some people to treat the internet like a discussion, where things can be said with little consequence. However, clarifying that some things can’t be removed once posted is important. Photos and messages can quickly be shared thousands of times before you’ve even had a chance to delete them. Make sure that your children always consider the consequences before posting something. Posting the wrong thing, whether a photo, video, message, or status, can be dangerous.
Explain How to Use Privacy Settings
All social media sites have privacy settings that can be applied to prevent sharing and keep accounts from being public. Before your child creates a social media account, you should ensure they know why privacy settings are important and how to maintain online privacy. While sharing things with strangers is common on social media, it can open your child up to abuse and bullying if it falls into the wrong hands.
Follow the Age Guidelines
Most social media sites and apps have age guidelines that prevent children from joining before a certain age. While your children’s friends might already be on social media, you should ensure they don’t join until they’re the right age. It will prevent them from gaining access to the content they should see and ensure they only join when they’re more mature.
Encourage Honest Discussion
You may want to restrict your child’s online habits and scare them into never using social media. However, you’ll have far more success if you encourage open and honest discussions with them. Ensure they know they can come to you if they ever have a problem or have seen or read something that upsets them. Social media can lead to body image issues, an obsessive focus on likes and shares, or sending and receiving inappropriate content. Your child must be able to talk to you about these things and learn that you’re there to help them if they have an issue.
