Before kids and teens even start their morning
routine, many of them turn to their phone to scroll through Facebook, watch
TikTok videos, play games and check their text messages.
While all of this is fine if monitored
(especially if it is their only way to communicate with peers during
quarantine) it can be hard to ensure that not only their time is limited on
screens but also that they are staying safe while online.
Allowing your child/teenager to be on their
phone, tablet or other technological device may appear to be no big deal, but
sometimes this behavior can be dangerous to their mental, emotional and even
physical health.
Studies have shown that social media can be bad for anyone’s health.
Vulnerable kids/teenagers are even more susceptible to the pull of social media
and the dangers it can lead to. From playing the comparison game with friends
to talking to possibly dangerous strangers online, there are so many ways in
which your kid can put themselves in danger and/or decimate their health.
However, it is important for kids and teens to
keep in touch and still feel like they have some freedom when they are online.
The answer is definitely not to take their devices completely away. Luckily
I’ve got some tips for you to help you manage your child’s social media time
and ensure that they are staying safe.
Tip #1- Create a schedule for
your child
To avoid your child going overboard with
screen time, you can set a schedule for them in order to ensure that not only
are they getting important things done for the day, but that they aren’t
spending too much time on their screens. You can add physical activities to
their schedule, going outside, reading time, etc.
A schedule is great for a child’s overall
health as kids and young adults find safety in structure.
Tip #2- Use parental controls
Check any device that your child uses and see
what the parental control options are. Most devices have parental control
options.
Tip #3- Check their privacy
settings
Check the privacy settings of every social
media app on your child’s devices to see
who can see what on your child’s profile. For example, Facebook allows you to
choose who sees their posts and if people can send them a friend request.
Tips #4- Use a phone monitor app
There are phone monitoring apps that allow you
to monitor only certain things on your child’s devices while there are others
that allow you to monitor multiple things with it. For example, mSpy allows you
to monitor GPS location PLUS who they call, text, what apps they use, as well
as other things.
My suggestion would be to do your own research
to decide not only if you want to monitor their devices with a monitoring app
but also what app works best for you to use.
Tip #5- Keep communication open
It's important to make sure your kid is
comfortable enough to talk to you about anything that concerns them.
Additionally, it is also important to ensure that you know everyone that your
child has added on social media and who they are communicating with themselves.
Tip #6- Make sure they are not
sharing their personal details
Since some children might find social media as
a way to express themselves and to stay in touch with everyone, your kid might
share information about themselves that shouldn’t be displayed on their social
media profile. They might not understand the limits to what should be shared
and what shouldn’t on their profile. This ties in again with keeping
communication open and what is appropriate and what is not.
Tip #7- Know what social media
sites that your child is using
Some popular social media and communication
sites/apps are:
●
Instagram
●
TikTok
●
Facebook
●
Twitter
●
Whatsapp
●
Snapchat
●
Kik Messenger
●
Facebook Messenger
Please be aware that many of these apps can be
dangerous for your child if not monitored. Make sure to review each app, it’s
policies and features.
