Have you heard of a person having no social media accounts? It would be surprising, right? Even kids from an early age register on different social media, including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. But, do you know how to teach kids to be smart about social media?
According to the survey, 90% of the teens have social media accounts, and among them, 75% are active on at least one social media.
Undoubtedly, social media has numerous positive sides and is good for kids. But, there is a dark side when used inappropriately as a kid might be vulnerable to online threats, cyberbullying, scams, etc. So, it is necessary for parents to monitor online activities and teach kids to be smart about social media.
Positive Sides of Social Media
Social media, when used smartly, has lots of benefits. Here are some of the positive sides of social media.
- Meet new virtual friends and stay connected with friends and families.
- To get informed about news and facts worldwide.
- One can find friends with common interests.
- To express one’s creativity, interest and share ideas.
- Social media can be a better place to learn, keep oneself motivated, and share personal issues.
Negative Sides of Social Media
When a kid uses social media accounts to share prolonged screen time without acknowledging digital wellness, the situation might worsen. Here are some of the negative sides of social media.
- Kids might get into the hands of online predators, making them victims of online threats.
- Online threats lead to anxiety, depression, and suicide in the worst case.
- Sharing personal information with random people is not safe.
- Overuse of social media can make users addicted, devoting less time to personal chores.
- It results in health issues such as back pain, neck pain, obesity, sleeplessness, and many more.
How to Teach Kids to Be Smart About Social Media
It is the responsibility of parents to overlook what their kids have been doing online. It’s necessary to monitor if they make random virtual friends, share personal information or enroll in inappropriate activities. To keep your kids digitally safe, teach them both the positive and negative consequences of social media.
Here is a guide on how to teach kids to be smart about social media. Have a look and help yourself to configure kids’ online safety.
1. Set Expectations
The first crucial move to teach kids to be smart about social media is to have conversations with them and set expectations. Before letting your kids register for social media accounts, make sure you allow them to create a barrier that includes not adding random people, sharing personal information, giving live updates, etc.
Set ground rules regarding not to hide chats with them and share things if someone tries to take advantage by bullying or blackmailing. Similarly, you also need to set time limits on social media usage and make them agree to the rule that you are allowed to keep an eye on their online activities.
2. Ask Them What They Use
Before setting expectations, it is also necessary to ask them what type of social media they use before setting expectations. Ask them what made them use specific social media and what they found interesting about the app. During this period, you will get to know if they are on the right track or enrolled in any inappropriate activities.
3. Make Restrictions
Restrict your kids from sharing personal information online. Most social media users are fond of giving updates about their life through photos, videos, and status. Such information might be harmful as predators keep an eye on them. Therefore, make your kids understand the threats they will face online.
4. Monitor Kids Social Media
Likewise, another way to teach kids to be smart about social media is by letting them know whom to follow and who to unfriend. When kids are new to social media, they randomly send follow requests or accept others’ demands, and such a process lets predators easily get private access to kids.
Tell your kids to follow the one they know before or have met physically. Tell your kids to share experiences they make talking virtually to strangers, both positives and negatives. Hence, you must monitor whom your kids keep in touch with on different social media platforms.
5. Don’t Share Personal Pictures
Let your kids know that sharing personal stuff such as photos and videos is not good. Most social media users believe that their conversation remains safe online. But, although shared files are deleted, the data is stored. So, unfortunately, if your kid shares a personal photo with some, that may go into the wrong hands, and they might face the consequences.
6. Tell them about Digital Safety
Digital wellness is the first and foremost thing kids should learn before entering social networking sites. Online threats such as blackmail, cyberbullying, scams, and sexual harassment are common. Ensure your kid shares their experience with you or other adults whenever they feel like being cyberbullied.
7. Set Limits
Another effective way to teach kids to be smart about social media is by setting time limits. For example, you should not let your kids use networking sites so that they give very little or no time to do assignments and other school work. Instead, let them use social media for a minimal time, i.e., 30 minutes to an hour, but under your supervision, reduce screen time.
Conclusion
Teaching kids about social media by mentioning the positive and negatives consequences is important to keep them safe online. If you are confused about how to teach kids to be smart about social media, the article will be helpful. While following these measures, make sure you don’t invade their privacy.