Whenever I am bored and need a distraction ,it is so easy to find a good laugh looking through my facebook newsfeed at posts by friends and the often hilarious comments that they draw from other friends. There is so much going on these days on so many different social media platforms that it is almost impossible to keep track of them for yourself much less think about what the kids might be up to online.
Still you have to think about it with the unending new stories about online bullying, child grooming and child kidnaps from going to meet someone they met online. You are right to worry! The age limit for most of the social media platforms is 13+ years however most children are online and they can very easily create an account by lying about the required information. The gradual increase in the number of children users over the internet is startling. As a parent you really benefit from being in step if not one step ahead of your children in this social media age.
As all parents know, children do not come with a manual. The world that you are raising your children in is very different from the world you and your parents were raised in. Every parent is having to invent digital parenting techniques to cope and manage parenting responsibility in this digital age. Social media has become an obsession and a favorite pastime for children. It has become important to adapt parenting techniques to fit the needs of the time.
Here are our top 5 tips to help you on your social parenting journey:
- Learn about the technology
As a parent, you have to know what’s going on in the digital world, especially if you have given your child a digital device with internet access. Every parent needs to be aware of the new trends and technological changes because this is the world you provide access to when you give your child an online digital device.
If your child is using social media, then you should be there too. It isn’t necessary to have an account on each application, but you should at least have a basic knowledge of these apps- their purpose, working, security settings, possible threats and many more. Try to be tech-savvy and learn the basic things about social media apps so that your children can come to you if they have any problem over there.
Although social media is becoming an important part of our lives, it doesn’t mean that our kids should also have a complete reign over it. You should never grant full access to social media to your kids without proper guiding them, and to guide them, you should know about it in detail to answer all their “whys” and “hows”.
- Get involved and stay involved
Children like to talk about technology and social media applications, that’s why you need to engage and stay involved with them. Talk about new trends on social media and don’t hesitate to learn new things from your children. Monitoring social media accounts of your children doesn’t have to be a negative experience for either of you. Do not act like a spy or a detective instead try to befriend them.
Children, can sometimes, teach you a lot about new applications and their features. Try to ask them about new trending apps and in this way you can discuss the positive and negative uses of that particular application and its impact on others.
- Respect the age limits
Social media apps have an age limit to create an account on them. Usually, children of less than 13 years old aren’t allowed to use these apps but often they will use their parents’ email address and date of birth to create an account. You should not allow your underage kids to use inappropriate websites or social media apps. It should be noted that the policies of age limits are there for some specific reasons and parents should strictly follow this rule.
Facebook has a different default setting for minor users of age 13-18 years and set the privacy to “friends only”. Many social media apps have an option of geolocation too that can be a real threat if an underage kid is using the app without knowing how to turn that option off.
- Set the ground rules
Discuss with your children the appropriate use of an app before you hand over a smartphone to them or allow them to download the app. Once they have got what they needed, they will be less likely to listen to your instructions. You should set clear and transparent ground rules before they start using a particular application.
You should clearly state your expectations and rules to them and should try to adhere to them as much as possible. Ask them not to share any family or personal information that they won’t want their parents to see as it will act as the main regulation for all their online activities.
- Have a plan of action
As you are trying to be tech-savvy and learning about technology so you have a plan of action for different situations that can come your way. Kids of today need to use technology to join their peer groups online and to be up to date about new technological advancement. If you are restricting the use of social media for them, then you will be creating a gap between you and your children instead of fostering a healthy relationship.
You should engage in open and healthy conversations with your kids and you both can set the rules by mutual consultation. Teach them about cybersecurity and have a plan of action if you find them engaged in an illegal or explicit activity.
Parenting in this social media age is not a cup of tea. There are so many social and security threats to the children who are using social media. You cannot cut technology or social media off your lives because it is becoming a necessity. However, you should change your perception of social media and try to befriend your children to raise them responsibly in this technology-driven era.