Social media has taken over people’s social interactions, and many people rarely meet with their friends and colleagues. They usually interact over social networking apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. A huge bulk of social media users are children and teenagers. They use these apps to connect with their peer group and friends.
However, with social media, there are serious risks that parents should be aware of. Unsupervised usage of social media apps can be dangerous, as the internet is full of frauds, criminals, and other unwanted elements waiting to take advantage of innocent kids.
When allowing the kids access to mobile phones, parents have to be very alert and know who the kids are interacting with. This article discusses the mistakes that most parents make and avoid them.
1 – Allowing the Kids to Access Social Media Too Early
There is no consensus among parents about the right age to allow kids to access social media sites. However, there have been campaigns that ask parents to refrain from letting the kids use data until they reach the eighth grade or attain 16 years of age.
There are potential negative effects of smartphone and social media use for young children, affecting their emotional development. Some of the adverse effects are:
- Interference with studies and grades.
- Increased anxiety and depression.
- Sleep-related disorders.
- Exposure to sexual content.
- Addiction.
2 – No Clear Rules on Phone Usage
Many parents gift their children’s phones very early. Though a mobile phone isn’t a problem usually, you need to restrict their usage to prevent any potential problems. One rule to follow is to lay out ground rules on usage from the moment you hand over the phone to your child.
If you try to impose any restrictions after prolonged use, it could give rise to unnecessary arguments and power struggles.
3 – Getting Too Confident That You Are in Control
Kids today are smarter than you think. If you know you are watching their activities, they will find a way out or a loophole to prevent you from doing so.
One of the most basic methods is to create a fake account where they post regular pictures and content that their parents and relatives approve of. Then they create another ‘real’ account to connect with friends and others where they are free to post anything.
What Parents Can Do to Gain Control
Communication is the key to keeping your kids safe on the internet. Kids should know that they should treat others with respect. They should feel free to approach you if they experience harassment or bullying on social media or offline, too, for that matter.
Kids should be aware of the repercussions and consequences of what they type or share on social media. Posting home addresses, phone numbers, vacation details, or party locations should be a strict no. You can go through the privacy settings on the social media apps together to make kids understand their importance.
Finally, technology like call history tracker or whats tracker mod apk can help you monitor who your kids talk over the phone, check their call records, vet their WhatsApp calls, messages and media to prevent unwanted incidents.
Conclusion
Parents today need to be extra cautious and vigilant and avoid mistakes regarding their children’s social media usage. Kids Tracker can help monitor your kids safely.