Social media helps us communicate and interact with others no matter where they are. Now, you don’t need to visit a neighbor if the phone call didn’t go through. You can chat, video call, and post pictures on social platforms.
It’s a colorful transition in getting in touch with others, but our kids are being affected. They also want to chat and post at their young age, and they don’t know where to draw the line.
Since you are buying the phone/tablet for your kids’ home use, there is a call for control. Their learning curve is not as long as yours. That is why the kids post and do things on social media that you are still learning.
Part 1: What You Should Know About Kids and Social Media
These social platforms will not be going anywhere anytime soon. That is why parents need to keep up with the trends and rules on the ground too. Take your time to learn a few points below and how they may affect the kids as we progress in the 21st century.
The Purchases and Advertisements
How you purchase online requires some knowledge and knowing what you are clicking. Social apps get paid for showing adverts and facilitating online purchases. That is why there are many options and offers regardless of the chosen platform.
In most cases, they target what you buy and view mostly to show you relevant ads. Your kid will face the same rhythm, but they will be tempted to click more. For those chasing the customers, they don’t care who is on the other end.
Parents should be aware of the platforms kids are using, and what types of ads are there. That way, you will know how to counter what your kid clicks through restrictions and proper advice.
Cyberbullying and Threats
Now, we have mechanisms and measures to follow when threats come your way on a social platform. Your kid, however, may either succumb or engage in the bullying act. Why? Because they are not familiar with the reporting protocol.
Further, the kids will be afraid to tell you because mommy will ground somebody if she knows. As a parent, you should teach your kids how to block those that pose a threat to them. It’s also proper to let them know that they can communicate to an adult about it.
For the adults, that should be the teacher in the school or you while at home. If your kid is silent but acting weird, you can learn about spying apps like Spyier. Read this article to see how you can monitor kids’ activities without any alerts.
That way, you will know what your kid is going through and why they are silent and weird.
Inappropriate Content
These days, you don’t even need to follow someone to see things you don’t like. The same case will apply to the kids who may want to follow the content creators for curiosity purposes. It’s a good idea to know who your kids are following while on social media.
If they can’t tell, spying apps can provide more information on that. All you need is to use it once on the targeted phone and wait for the results remotely. In most of the solutions, such as Spyier, you will get all the contacts and associated data in an online account.
The Secret Rooms
More to viewing inappropriate content also involves entering into secret groups or chat rooms. In some, it’s free to join, while in others, it’s invite-only. The worst-case scenario is where our kid gets exposed to content they cannot fully digest.
They say that ‘sex sells,’ and that’s one of the ways intruders use to intrigue the kids. That again, calls for the use of a monitoring app that will alert of such activities. If you get your kid in one of them, deploy the appropriate blocking measures before engaging in that serious talk.
The Dirty Culture
As we dive into the 21st century, the traditions are eroding, and it’s going with the morals too. The millennials feel that they can say anything as long as they think it’s valid. It’s also said to attack others remotely before going ahead to feel good about it.
This kind of provocative talk can ruin how our kids think and cope with difficult situations. It will also change the way they interact and the answers they give you during the parent parole.
Being a digital parent, you need to be aware of the spy apps and what they can do. That’s how you can capture the conversations that your children engage in. That should be done concurrently with installing the right discipline in the kids.
If grounding does not help, have a third-party talking to your kid, such as a psychiatrist.
Part 2: Learn About Online Privacy
First, did you know that there are social platforms with an age limit? For example, in WhatsApp, one needs to be 13 years or older. The best age for the kids to join these social apps is 18.
At that point, they can make better judgments. Here are some of the protection measures you can learn for the younger ones who still use the platforms.
- Ensure that you always go through the privacy policy to know what personal information you will be sharing.
- Turn off location tracking features in the social apps. You only need them if you want to know where your kid is. In that case, the monitoring apps can help you locate your kid in real-time.
- Be aware of the child rules and their privacy policy section too.
- If you want your kid to remain anonymous, you can advise them on using a nickname.
- Monitor how your child uses his/her passwords and make it a habit to change often
- Advise the kid on the dangers of accepting requests from unknown people
Conclusion
Children need protection all around. That is why you need to check on their social activities both outside and while on the gadgets. The last thing you want is to deal with behavioral changes later due to negligence.
Since the kids can sometimes prove to be difficult, you may deploy a monitoring application. That will help you watch your kids and know how to curb misbehavior.
