How Parents Can Help Kids to Use Social Media Safely
Social media has become the new darling to kids. Gone are the days when teens could play football, go for walks or bask in the sun. Nowadays, children and the internet are inseparable, and many spend most of their time on social media.
Although the use of social media has many benefits, there are many internet safety facts to show that it’s associated with various risks for kids. They use social media to share personal information, converse with strangers, download content, or post images. All these expose them to many threats, and it’s your role to ensure your child’s online safety.
Below are tips to help your child use social media safely:
- Understand the risks
There are many sites and books with internet safety resources for parents, go through them, and gather information on the effects of social media on kids. By so doing, you’ll know the dangerous sites, risks associated with the use of social media. And this will make it easier to educate your child or monitor their activities online.
- Share your thoughts on the risks
Most kids never realize the dangers associated with the use of social media. They share personal information on social media platforms, download videos, or chat with strangers. All these can expose them to many risks, and you’ll need to address this.
But, if your child still uses their phone to download inappropriate images, this implies that they are unlikely to be responsible online. So, the best way is to sell your phone to prevent them from accessing unsafe sites. By so doing, you
enhance your child’s online safety.-
- Computer placement
Most parents prefer to place the computer in the kid’s bedroom. However, this allows your kid to do whatever they want to do online since no adult is around to supervise them. Instead, place the machine in your living room, and this will make it easier to monitor your kid when online.
- Limit access
The more you allow your child to use social media, the more they get exposed to online dangers. Besides, too much use of social media results in addiction. Therefore, set rules and time limits on how and when they can use social media. This way, your kid will use their time for other useful activities and will be much safer.
Conclusion
By using social media, your child risks harassment, bullying, and even experiences with online predators. So, train them on the numerous online dangers and follow the above ideas to warrant your child’s online safety.