Today’s kids face a great deal of peer pressure to “fit in” and go along with the crowd. And that pressure doesn’t end with the school day. Considering that most adolescents have cell phones these days, their exposure to social media is nearly constant.
We can’t be with them 24/7/365 to always know what’s going on in their lives, but we shouldn’t let that deter us from trying to stay informed as parents.
As parents, here are a few things we need to do to help keep our children safe and teach them appropriate social media behavior.
Know the Popular Platforms An understanding of the popular platforms among teens and tweens can help us establish the most appropriate guidelines regarding their use. The best way to learn about the platforms can be to set up your own profile. Find out what information the platform collects and shares and how it is shared. Learn the privacy settings so that you can see the difference between a public and private profile.
Age Appropriate
Many platforms have rules regarding the age at which a person may set up an account. For several, that age is 13, but there are methods to circumvent this. Every child may be different based on their maturity level, so it is up to you to set the rules for your family regarding age appropriateness of social media.
Set up Profiles Together One guideline to enforce regardless of platform is that there are no secrets when it comes to social media. Start by setting up the profile together. This way, you know the username and password for the account. If they know you can check out their activity at any time, they’re less likely to engage in behaviors they wouldn’t want you to see.
Maintaining Privacy
When you set up the accounts, be sure to set everything to “private� whenever possible. Make sure your child only connects with people they know, and remind your child of the potential danger of communicating with those outside of their network.
Open Communication Discuss Online Safety with your child. Remind them of the following:
Never give out personal information to strangers online Don't connect with people you don't know If you see cyberbullying, or if someone is cyberbullying you, tell a parent or trusted adult immediately potential online predators permanence of posts on social media Consequences of inappropriate posting (future college admissions officers, employers, etc.)
Dr. Edward S. Thalheimer is the President and Founder of The Tutoring Franchise Corp. If you would like further information about how to help children who need educational assistance, please go to www.tutoringcenter.com.