Social media has become a part of everyday life, and we can no longer escape it. Although this trend has its benefits, it is important to realise that it also has real-life consequences. For parents especially, it has become essential to educate your children about the risks that social media comes with. Children and teens may be especially vulnerable to these risks because they do not always make the most informed choices, which can lead to problems. Talking to your kids about how to wisely use social media is thus a necessity.

Here are a few essentials that you should teach your kids about social media:  

1. Nothing is Private.

It is easy to forget that social media is accessible to billions of people worldwide, and not everyone there can be trusted. Privacy is critical on such platforms. It dictates how much access you provide to others. Explain to your children that once they post something, it will always be there forever. Even if you delete your account, post, or tweet, they can still be recovered and used against you. For example, Snapchat apparently allows users to view pictures for a limited amount of time. But it also allows people to take screenshots and record videos. Children should not post something out there that can be damaging for them.

2. Words Can Hurt.

Another important aspect that has become directly related to social media is bullying. Kids are using social media to bully each other. They start to think that their actions don’t have any consequences because they are doing everything online. Thus, teaching them that their words can hurt is very important. They should learn that even if they are saying something to some random stranger on the internet, it can still hurt, and it is still wrong.

3. Friends Only

 You also need to educate your child that they should not be too trusting of people on the internet. They must be diligent while accepting friend requests and starting chats online with complete strangers. Befriending people that you don’t personally know can be dangerous. Explain to your kids what type of people they should avoid communicating to even if they are only doing it online. They need to learn to be smart about this.

4. Location Tracking Can Be Used Against You

Children need to be made aware of the dangers of location tracking. All the major apps found on every phone have some default location tracking, which can track their movements. Moreover, all your friends or followers do not always have to know where you are and what you are doing. Help your children understand the pros and cons of location tracking so that they can decide themselves what content is appropriate to share online and what isn’t.

5. Boundaries are Important.

Using too much social media can affect children’s mental health as well. They should not let it interfere with their education and daily physical activities. As parents, you can enforce boundaries like setting times for their internet usage or not allow devices in the bedroom etc.

Raising your children in the world of social media can be difficult. Make sure to be informed of the risks and challenges so that you can look out for your children as well and teach them some social media smarts.

Tiny Terrors can help you deal with your kids challenging behaviours and changing habits to maintain a peaceful household. You can call us today at 1300 00 14 14 to schedule an appointment or find more information about our various in-home parenting programs.