Teaching Your Child to Use Social Media Responsibly. We live in the age of social media where more than half of the world is on digital platforms. It’s become a space where we not only stay in touch, but also a place where we can learn, help each other and do pretty much anything. As well as the many perks, there are dangers of social media. It’s addictive by design and is one of the prime reasons why screen time is soaring. Here we explore some of the risks and how you can teach your child to use social media responsibly.
Teaching Your Child to Use Social Media Responsibly – Screen Time
Social media is designed to keep us reeled in and scrolling for hours. According to the statistics, the average child spends around 4 and a half hours on a device. This is alarming as excessive use can be harmful to their mental health and brain development. To limit how long your child spends on each of the platforms, you may be able to set screen time limitations on their device. This can be configured in the settings of their phone, tablet, or games console.
Teaching Your Child to Use Social Media Responsibly – Stranger Danger
Just as it’s easy to find and connect with friends and family online, strangers can also and hide behind fake profiles. Stranger danger is something which children should be just as, or if not more, wary of online for this reason. Remind them to never accept those who they don’t know in real life, share any personal information and arrange to meet anyone online.
Teaching Your Child to Use Social Media Responsibly – Privacy
To help create space between them and cyber stalkers, it is recommended for children to apply advanced privacy settings. This will stop anyone outside of their network from trying to message and view their images.
These are just a few things to discuss with your child. You can also explore what’s deemed appropriate to post online and delve much deeper.
*Collaborative post