While many parents didn’t have social media in their time, their kids do. However, it is not easy to handle them, because while parents are not so tech savvy, children are.
Teen or children, they all learn how to use the internet and social media, very quickly. It is not easy for parents to keep an eye on their children, because they can’t be hanging on their shoulder, looking at their PC screens or tiny cell phone screens all the time.
How to Keep your Kids Safe on this Social Media Platform?
This is why, they need to take measures to make sure that even when they are not around, their children are not doing anything illegal or inappropriate on social media.
Age Limit for Children
The first thing that parents need to do, is establish an age limit for their children. They should set a stern rule that before the age of 13, no child is allowed to create a social media account.
When children turn into teenagers, they do grasp what is wrong and right, and what they should and shouldn’t be doing on the internet.
Privacy Settings
The next thing that parents need to do, is to check their child’s privacy settings. When their child has set up a social media account, then they need to remain vigilant about it.
Check the privacy settings of their social media account to see the information that is available to public, or third parties. If they feel that the privacy settings are not sufficient, and anyone can steal their child’s pictures from their account, and share them further, then the privacy settings need an update. Read more: How to Markup iPhone Photos?
Private Profile
The above point is connected with this point. If you don’t want anyone to see your child’s profile, then it should be kept private. Make sure that only the people, who are friends with your child, have access to their account. If you see your child accepting a friend’s request of someone you don’t know, and who is older than your child, then that is a red flag.
Friends on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
If your teenager is using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, then you need to be in their friend’s list on these websites.
This way, you will get to monitor their activity, and notice any red flags. However, sometimes teenagers make separate profiles, to hide their activity from children. If you see your child active on social media, but their profile is not updating, then that means you need to check for other similar profiles. Read more: How Much YouTube TV Monthly Subscription?
Personal Details
It is not necessary for a user to post their personal information on the internet. If a parent sees that their child has uploaded their home address or phone number on a social media website, then that needs to be eliminated right away.
Moreover, parents should talk to their children about never sharing personal information with strangers online, or else that could turn into a dangerous situation.
Posting Pictures and Other Content
Most teenagers like to photograph each moment of their day, and sometimes they reveal pictures on the internet that aren’t suitable.
While it may seem like a good idea for teenagers to share what they are wearing or doing in their alone time, there are predators out there who can misuse such pictures. Moreover, whatever a person posts on the internet, it stays there and can have long-lasting consequences. Read more: How to install Here Drive+ and Here Maps?
Conclusion
The best thing parents can do is talk to their children. Children need to be told what is good or bad for them. If they are not told about the hazards of posting things on social media and the difference between right and wrong, then parents won’t be able to protect them.