Teaching Your Child to Use Social Media Responsibly

Social media can be a very valuable tool, but it’s also something your child can become addicted to using it, fall in with the wrong groups online and other risks and considerations. It’s important to show your child how they should use the internet, their smartphones and apps in a safe way to ensure they aren’t in any danger. But, for the most part, social media should be about fun, engagement and socialisation.

Here are some ways to teach your child about proper social media use.

First of all: remind yourself of the good things about social media

There are, believe it or not, many benefits to having a social media account. Your child can stay connected with their friends and family; they can improve on their creativity skills, and nurture that curiosity; they can also develop key interests with others.

So long as your child prioritises these elements when they’re learning, they will find a lot of benefits to social media. However, there will be a lot of risks to consider, especially at a young age.

Be aware of the risks

Show your child what could be perceived as a risk online. Strangers are going to be one of your biggest flags – children shouldn’t be talking to anyone they don’t know. Without any prior knowledge your child could be sharing information to anyone, which can give them a lot of issues later on down the line.

Privacy and safety will also be a very important element to your child’s time on social media. They should begin to learn to keep things to themselves online, which you could substitute by encouraging them to journal instead or to post only to themselves – not to anyone else. Apps can also show your child’s location, which to some criminals or people hiding their identity can pose a huge risk.

Inappropriate content can also be a big concern. Without teaching your child about the content they will come across it can mean they come across a lot of upsetting content. Using privacy settings can help your child avoid this kind of content, and protects them from future risks.

Talk to your child’s teachers

Having a conversation with your child’s teachers will ensure they are aware of the changes all students will encounter, and how they can address it within the classroom. This senior school in Kent recommends pastoral care and individual support where necessary, which can give children a lot more confidence in identifying problematic content.

Social media should be a friendly, safe space for children, but like everything it comes with its downsides. Using social media responsibly will help with their awareness of different risks, good ways to build a community and how it can be used for good.

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