How to ensure your kids use social media responsibly
Spy Phone at Sep 2 2020 7:37PM
How to ensure your kids use social media responsibly
The widespread prevalence of smartphones and other mobile devices with round-the-clock high-speed internet connectivity has propelled social media platforms to never-before-seen heights of popularity.
Kids too, frequent these platforms today, and while many parents try to encourage their children to steer clear of social media until they are older, for many others, it’s next to impossible as modern-day kids feel compelled to be active on social media due to peer pressure.
The wisest thing that parents can do in these circumstances is to promote the responsible use of social media. Here are a few ways in which you can do the same for your children.
Stress on the need for moderation
Spending too much time on social media is often a waste of time, as the hours spent in scrolling through countless posts may be spent much more productively. Tell your kids how important it is to engage in productive activities and why moderate social media use is essential.
Apart from telling your kids, you also need to set the right example by not spending too much time on social media yourself when you are around your kids. If you spend 3 hours with your children and spend 2 of them on your smartphone scrolling through your social media feeds, you would be making a huge mistake.
Talk about the cons of using foul language
On the one hand, social media platforms allow us to add filters to photographs to make them look more exciting. But on the other, they have virtually no filter to weed out foul language. As kids can post almost anything that comes to their minds, parents need to teach their children the importance of using socially acceptable language.
Any post can become ‘viral’ these days in a matter of moments. All it needs are a few shares. A viral post made by a youngster that features abusive language can tarnish his/her reputation at school and in society.
Use parental controls to keep track
Through the use of parental controls, you can now monitor your children’s online activities. While some may see this as an invasion of privacy, the fact is that not supervising and monitoring your kids’ internet use can lead to catastrophic consequences.
By using parental controls, you can check all the posts made by your children across their social media profiles. If you spot something problematic or downright offensive, you should not hesitate to reprimand them.
Social media and children can be a toxic combination, but it doesn’t have to be, and it’s up to you, the parents, to prevent it through proper guidance.