Just like everything else, social media is a double edged sword—it has its good uses and benefits but on the other hand can also bring harm and danger to those who aren’t careful when using it.
Navigating the world of social media can be very difficult. For adults who didn’t grow up with technology, it can be a learning curve, after all there are many apps to take note of in terms of connecting with friends like Facebook or getting the latest news and trends with X (formerly Twitter). But for children and teens in particular, it isn’t just a simple matter of figuring out how to post a picture or how to add a friend, rather it comes with a more sensitive list of pros and cons. But while social media is often depicted to be scary (it indeed is if you aren’t monitoring your child’s activity), it is also undeniably an important part of their social life where they are able to connect with their friends and even other distant family members. With some apps, they are even able to explore various forms of art which can help enhance their creativity.
In order for parents to be able to guide their child through social media, they should at least take the time to be aware of the various apps most teens and pre-teens use. These mostly include TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Messenger, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, Pinterest and Snapchat. Apps like Messenger and Snapchat mainly function as a platform where users can chat with one another and send media files like pictures and videos. Meanwhile, apps like Instagram and Pinterest are very visual based with pictures and short form videos being their main content. On the other hand, apps like YouTube and TikTok focus on long form and short form video content respectively. Reddit functions as a sort of forum where people mainly go to ask for answers from a community, and finally X is popular for its short form posts which feature text based content of 200 characters or less.
With that bit of information out of the way, what can you do as a parent to guide your child through the stressful world of social media?
Remind them to always be nice and treat others with respect.
When it comes to interacting with other people, especially in an online space where people are mostly anonymous, remind them to always be nice and to treat others with respect. This also means that they shouldn’t post hurtful messages to others or write mean comments on other people’s posts or profiles. On the other hand, let them know that they can ask help from you when they are being harassed or bullied by other people’s posts or messages.
Always think twice before posting something.
Remind your children that what they post can also be used against them which is why it is important to think thoroughly before doing something, or in this case, before posting something on social media where not only people they know can see but also the rest of the world. In other cases, also let them know that posting of private information is a no-no, such as your home address or posting about being on vacation while the trip is currently ongoing because this can give people with bad intentions and even robbers an idea of when to strike.
Avoid friend requests from strangers / Be careful when interacting with strangers
There’s a reason why the saying “don’t talk to strangers” is a classic reminder parents give to their children, and that’s simply because you don’t know who they are or what their intentions are. Strangers on the internet can especially be dangerous as they can be posing as someone else.
Set time limits when it comes to their social media use
Social media is undeniably addicting which is why monitoring your child’s use, specifically on how many hours they spend on their phone scrolling through these platforms are important. Setting time limits is a great way to keep their use in check while also helping them with self-control. Encouraging the moderate use of social media allows them to balance their life as well and helps them prioritise other more important tasks.
Be a good role model
As with any other advice, being a good role model to your children goes a long way especially when they mainly learn from their environment at a young age. Being a good role model when it comes to having good habits towards social media means a few ways such as avoiding the use of your phone during family meals and family time, making sure that scrolling through social media isn’t taking up too much of your time, posting content that reflects how you would want your children to use it as well, and when on holidays be the first to initiate a social media break.
Keep an eye out for your child through careful observance
Naturally, some parents might want to step back a little and give their child a bit more freedom when it comes to their use of social media, however that doesn’t mean that they can’t look out for signs where social media might possibly be distressing or distracting for their child. For example, their use of social media might be causing problems in their daily life if it interferes with their relationships at school or with their friends; often choosing social media rather than socialising with other people in person; their sleep is being affected to the point where they get less than 8 hours of sleep; most of all, if they have the tendency to keep checking their social media account every second they can get. If the above is the case, then you might need to enforce limits that address these issues. But, most of all, check in on them and ask them how they’re feeling.
The world of social media has many sides to it which is why caution and care are important when using powerful tools like it.
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