Keeping Children Safe on Social Media

Most children have a relationship with social media, whether it’s watching their favorite YouTube series or sharing video clips with their friends on Snapchat or TikTok. These apps bring people together, which can have benefits and unintended consequences. There’s a lot to look out for on social media, from excessive screen time to online predators. Keeping your child safe from online threats can have a significant impact on their mental and physical health. Here are some tips for keeping your child safe online.

What is Social Media?

“Social media” encompasses websites and apps that allow users to interact or create and share content. Children and teens tend to enjoy using apps like Snapchat, Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube, and older teens can be found on Facebook and Twitter. On the surface, social media promotes connection. Benefits of social media use include emotional support, outlets for self-expression and community building. However, these can turn sour when users spend too much time online or become influenced by negative sources.

Keeping Up with Your Child

Social media may not interest you personally, but creating your own account on the channels your child uses can help you become familiar with the way they work and potential risks. Follow or befriend their accounts so you can keep an eye on what they’re doing online. See if you can figure out who they’re talking to and how they behave on social media. If it seems like they’re mistreating others or being mistreated online, talk to them about it offline. 

Spending Time Offline

Children may spend hours and hours online without realizing that it’s hurting them. Spending time away from social media and screens in general is essential for developing minds. Set screen time guidelines, and explain the benefits of taking time away. Let them know the direct consequences and long-term effects of spending too much time plugged into their devices. Spend time with them offline doing activities you both enjoy. 

Online Privacy

Social media sites have built-in privacy settings, so a good first step would be encouraging your child to use them and helping them if they get stuck. Hiding personal information is essential. If your child can use nicknames, encourage them to do so. Some apps automatically share location information, so make sure your child knows how to turn off location services. 

Remind your child not to share passwords, even with close friends or family. Make sure they don't accept friend requests from strangers, and remind them that nothing they post online is truly temporary. Help them protect their friends’ privacy, as well, by not posting pictures, videos or other information about them without asking. 

Potential Risks

Spending too much time online or engaging with the wrong people can spoil the experience of using social media. Cyberbullying is a major concern with children and teens spending more time online. Children and teens who are bullied online often deal with poor mental health, troubled sleep, and low self-esteem, among other issues. Seeing too many airbrushed, filtered images of friends on social media can also lead to low self-esteem and body image issues. The best way to mitigate these risks is by monitoring what your child does online and taking time to talk about it. If they seem uncomfortable talking about it, this could be a sign that they’re having trouble.

Sexting

When it comes to your child, the last thing you want to think about is them sending and receiving explicit messages, photos or videos. However, not thinking about it won’t stop it from happening. Have a conversation with your teen about sexting, reminding them that anything they send online can be shared with anyone and that nothing is truly deleted. Talk to them about consent and how they should never feel pressured to do or say anything they don’t want to do online. Make sure they know the risks and consequences of this type of behavior early on, and be there to help if they find themselves in a sticky situation. 

We encourage children to practice safe online habits so they can reap the benefits social media can provide. Our Polk private schools foster an atmosphere of care and an environment of high expectations and effective discipline. To learn more about what makes us different, contact us online.