Kids And Social Media - A Recipe For Disaster
If you have children between the age of 7 and 17 you should be aware they are going to be using social media if not with you, then without you. They will search for all kinds of information on the internet and if someone does not make them aware of “the rules” of playing online they will learn a whole different set of rules from some questionable sources.
My eldest daughter is 11, so in my way of thinking, I must have years before this is an issue in our home – right?
WRONG!
The 11 year old has a smart phone which she showed me could be used as a wireless device when unable to access internet. So glad I don’t pay that account each month! The 10 year old has an iPod touch, she is lazier than her older sister in finding out how things work. She is satisfied with the idea she can play Minecraft with her sisters using her sister’s mobile as a wireless device and feels no need to understand the process behind this….yet!
The 9 year old is attached at the hip to an iPad, more inquisitive than her elder sisters, she has attempted to break my wireless password numerous times and is frequently caught “borrowing” her sister’s phone to connect to the Internet to play games online.
While the girls are living in my home, their online activities are closely monitored, but they are not always in my home and this is when a little prevention becomes better than a whole lot of cure later on.
Your kids are using the Internet, if you don’t use the Internet then you had better hope the Cyber Security they run through at school is sinking in.
Some parents tell me they believe social media is unhealthy for children. With constant attention in the media for cyber-bullying, sexting and messing up healthy grammar habits, I’m not saying I totally disagree. However, I don’t believe we can keep our children away from social media forever, so I think it is better we address the issue by teaching our kids healthy Internet and social media behaviour.
Whether you are a user of social media or not you need to understand and help teach your child about the inherent risks of the Internet. The massive scope of the online world can be overwhelming for adults so don’t underestimate the affect it will have on your children.
When I was a child, I eagerly awaited the mail from far-away places where a pen-pal lived. Now my kids can interact spontaneously and simultaneously with friends and family all over the world. Sadly, this also means it will only take a few seconds for a predator or scam artist to interact with your child also and you cannot watch every moment.
It is a legal requirement of most social media sites that participants be at least 13 years of age. Make your kids stick to this and explain the legal ramifications of not doing the right thing, including being banned for life from having a Facebook account. Many parents allow their kids to have Facebook or Twitter accounts from much younger ages believing they are monitoring the interactions well enough to prevent any mishaps. To these parents I wish you luck.
If you allow your child to have a Facebook account then set it up yourself and login regularly to check that nothing weird is going on. Discuss with your child who it is appropriate to friend and who it is not. Initially try to contain this to family, friends and people you know and trust. Children are vulnerable to predators because they are naïve and sometimes a little gullible, don’t make the mistake of thinking your child is too street smart to be conned. Warn them up front, discuss it openly and request they talk to you about anything that concerns them.
As a family, talk about the images and concepts your kids are exposed to on the Internet. The more open communication is offline, the better everybody’s online experience will be. Accept that social media will be a big part of your child’s life whether you are a fan or not and if you do get involved with their online life from the start you won’t be out of place there when they need you.
Peace
Jo
If you have children between the age of 7 and 17 you should be aware they are going to be using social media if not with you, then without you. They will search for all kinds of information on the internet and if someone does not make them aware of “the rules” of playing online they will learn a whole different set of rules from some questionable sources.
My eldest daughter is 11, so in my way of thinking, I must have years before this is an issue in our home – right?
WRONG!
The 11 year old has a smart phone which she showed me could be used as a wireless device when unable to access internet. So glad I don’t pay that account each month! The 10 year old has an iPod touch, she is lazier than her older sister in finding out how things work. She is satisfied with the idea she can play Minecraft with her sisters using her sister’s mobile as a wireless device and feels no need to understand the process behind this….yet!
The 9 year old is attached at the hip to an iPad, more inquisitive than her elder sisters, she has attempted to break my wireless password numerous times and is frequently caught “borrowing” her sister’s phone to connect to the Internet to play games online.
While the girls are living in my home, their online activities are closely monitored, but they are not always in my home and this is when a little prevention becomes better than a whole lot of cure later on.
Your kids are using the Internet, if you don’t use the Internet then you had better hope the Cyber Security they run through at school is sinking in.
Some parents tell me they believe social media is unhealthy for children. With constant attention in the media for cyber-bullying, sexting and messing up healthy grammar habits, I’m not saying I totally disagree. However, I don’t believe we can keep our children away from social media forever, so I think it is better we address the issue by teaching our kids healthy Internet and social media behaviour.
Whether you are a user of social media or not you need to understand and help teach your child about the inherent risks of the Internet. The massive scope of the online world can be overwhelming for adults so don’t underestimate the affect it will have on your children.
When I was a child, I eagerly awaited the mail from far-away places where a pen-pal lived. Now my kids can interact spontaneously and simultaneously with friends and family all over the world. Sadly, this also means it will only take a few seconds for a predator or scam artist to interact with your child also and you cannot watch every moment.
It is a legal requirement of most social media sites that participants be at least 13 years of age. Make your kids stick to this and explain the legal ramifications of not doing the right thing, including being banned for life from having a Facebook account. Many parents allow their kids to have Facebook or Twitter accounts from much younger ages believing they are monitoring the interactions well enough to prevent any mishaps. To these parents I wish you luck.
If you allow your child to have a Facebook account then set it up yourself and login regularly to check that nothing weird is going on. Discuss with your child who it is appropriate to friend and who it is not. Initially try to contain this to family, friends and people you know and trust. Children are vulnerable to predators because they are naïve and sometimes a little gullible, don’t make the mistake of thinking your child is too street smart to be conned. Warn them up front, discuss it openly and request they talk to you about anything that concerns them.
As a family, talk about the images and concepts your kids are exposed to on the Internet. The more open communication is offline, the better everybody’s online experience will be. Accept that social media will be a big part of your child’s life whether you are a fan or not and if you do get involved with their online life from the start you won’t be out of place there when they need you.
Peace
Jo
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