How To Keep Kids With Social Media Accounts Safe
Without a doubt, social media has radically changed how people of all ages communicate with each other. We’ve learned new terminologies such as Unfriend, Tweet, etc. Surprisingly, we have even used them a lot in our daily conversation.
In a recent research, over 75% of millennials check Twitter daily and more than 20% of the global population logs into Facebook everyday. Out of these numbers, how many of them are aged 12 years and below?
Although we don’t have the exact numbers, it’s safe to say there are tens of millions of children who are active on social media. Therefore, it’s just important for adults to monitor and advise children on how to properly use it.
Below are some tips to keep children staying safe online:
Don’t think twice about saying “NO” as much as you can
Experts are convinced that children in middle-schools are still too young to understand the dangers brought by misuse of social media. As much as possible, parents should discourage them until they reach the age of 13. Hopefully, by then, they’re already wiser when it comes to communicating with friends, sharing photos, and a lot more.
Choose the social media sites that your children can use
Children tend to be stubborn, and that’s almost something we can expect. Instead of arguing with them, choose a social media site which you feel is safe. Moreover, let yourself be the one to create a profile to easily track the things they’re doing online.
Discuss the things your children can or can’t post online
Children or even teenagers can be often imprudent most especially when expressing their feelings and emotions online. Tell them about the consequences of their actions and how their inappropriate posts can negatively affect themselves and other people.
Tell them to refrain talking to strangers
Always remind your children of this adage. While we want to make our children sound sociable, this should be limited online. A couple of social media platforms have apps that show user locations, and this can be used by criminals. It would also be best to avoid them from accepting friend requests from people they don’t know.
Monitor your children’s usage of their mobile device
Usage of mobile devices can be a distraction for children, and there’s no doubt about it. Because it’s almost impossible to stop them from engaging in social media, the most you can do is limit their usage. This is especially true if you’re observing a huge decline in their performance at school or in extracurricular activities.
Take time to check their mobile devices at least once a week
No matter how busy you are, spend some time in checking what your children are doing online. Check their posts, messages, etc. Also, don’t forget to check their deleted messages as you might find something important there too.
Trust your child’s instincts.
Encourage your children to immediately report threats or anything that is making them feel uncomfortable. That way, you’ll be able to do something about them more quickly. Remember that social media is meant to be for fun. If it’s going the other way around, advise your child to stay away or stop it for good.