The Internet is a wide place full of lots of opportunity and life. With this comes social media. As adults, social media is used to keep in contact with friends and family as well as making connections for work. There are many perks for children at the appropriate age, to use social media such as connecting with their peers. Platforms such as Instagram are great for looking for inspiration and expressing creativity. However, it is important that parents are aware of the dangers of social media as well, such as cyber bullying and exposure to inappropriate content. Younger children specifically may not be aware of the consequences to their online actions. Here is a guide on how to teach your child to use social media safely, as advised by this independent school in London.
Talk about it early
Even if your child is not on social media right now, there will come a time where they will be. As a parent, you would rather know that they are prepared and understand the dangers that come with being on social media. Take an active role in encouraging conversations with your child about how you think they would use different platforms and allow it to be a non-judgmental space.
Ensure they understand privacy
Many times, children are not aware of the privacy function on social media platforms. Turning public accounts to private means that your child will be able to control who sees their content and any other information provided. You should also have open conversations about the dangers that can come with sharing information with strangers and allowing anyone to access their page. It may be a difficult conversation to have, but it is completely necessary when it comes to children that are unaware of what social media is as a whole.
This is a collaborative post.