Social media is a part of our lives now and whether it is good or bad, it is here to stay. New Apps are coming out every day and many of them are targeted towards kids. As adults, you may not be updating your Snapchat thread daily or creating new Tik Tok videos, but your kids could be….and this is why we have created Social Media Safety Tips For Parents.
Social Media Safety Tips For Parents
Social Media Sites – It is important to educate yourself on the most popular sites that the kids are using today so that you can learn relevant Social Media Safety Tips for each site. Some of the most popular sites are Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Pinterest, Telegram, Vine, Reddit, Tumblr, Kik, Snapchat, Pheed, Wanelo, TikTok, ASKfm, and 4Chan. Everyone of these sites has different capabilities that allow the users to communicate through the internet world with words, photos, videos and every everything in the middle. It is important to learn how each of these social media sites works and how they can impact your child. In order to help, check out the Federal Communications Commission for their innovative ways to stay connected. But, remember kids are quick to change to the newest social media site and they will also change to hide from their parents.
Teach Your Kids About Posting – It is important to teach your kids that just because the post may have been deleted, does not mean that is gone. The digital footprint world has an unlimited amount of space which means that someone with some machine somewhere can have a copy or screenshot of your photo post or video upload. Posting something that seems harmless today can cause problems in the future. Many kids have trouble planning for the future, so try to help them also understand the impact today with real examples. One of the easiest “real life” examples you can provide your kids as proof, is to show them how words can hurt and be shared on social media and can forever harm friendships.
Monitor Your Kids Social Accounts – This may seem like an invasion of their privacy, but kids need a little help understanding the dangers of social media. You have already explained the Do’s and Don’ts of proper social media posting, but now it is time to make sure that they really understand it. Be Curious about what your child posts and shares. Ask your kids to share their posts with you and show you what unique ways the kids are using social media. Find out what the kids are sharing with each other and what is popular. Regularly remind them of the Social Media Safety Tips you have taught them.
We recommend checking the privacy settings on your child’s apps and locking them down for their protection. Many of the apps even offer parental control settings to help with this process. Brett Bauman – Planetguide.com
Compromise on Social Media Usage – It is not a surprise that social media can become addictive. Since we are talking about Social Media Safety Tips, we also need to consider how much our kids are using it. You see tables at restaurants filled with families all mesmerized by their phones. Try to limit the total time your child spends starring at phones and tablets. It is important to help you kids get time to actually talk and play with friends and family or even pick up a book to read (that is not required by school).
Social media is here to stay and instead of fighting it, learn about it and how your kids are using it and why. The easiest idea is to just shut kids out of all social media options. We do not recommend this because it may cause your kids to seek it out without your approval. Don’t fear your kids using social media, just make sure you know good Social Media Safety Tips and keep up with the latest social media trends.
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