Explaining Healthy and Non-Toxic Social Media Habits to Your Kids
Spy Phone at Jun 14 2020 1:14PM
Explaining Healthy and Non-Toxic Social Media Habits to Your Kids
While the concern over excessive exposure to social media is completely valid, it is almost impossible to completely ban the use of social media among kids today because of how deeply it has penetrated our daily lives.
As parents, you want to protect your child from the harm that social media can cause to their mental health and development and today, the most feasible way to do that is by teaching them how to use these platforms in a controlled and healthy manner.
Whether it is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat, it is possible for kids to follow non-toxic social media habits and here is how you can help them.
• Explain the dangers of social media to them
Sit down with them and have an honest discussion about the dangers and risks of social media. Tell them that excessive use can result in adverse physical and mental health effects for them, and that not everything they see on social media is true.
Kids need to understand that social media is not real life and that people only share the best parts of their lives online. Make sure they know that they can come to you if they feel uncomfortable with anything they see on social media.
• Make it clear that they are expected to be polite on online platforms
Make it clear to your kids that they have to be nice, respectful and polite to people online. Mean behavior is not accepted just because they are behind a screen. Teach your kids to never post things that would hurt or embarrass other people and if people do this to them, they should come to you immediately.
• Monitor their phones and online activity
With protection apps such as spy phone, spy phone app and phone tracker, you can track and monitor your child’s mobile phones as well as their online activity. These apps allow you to see which sites or apps are visited and downloaded, gives you access to your kid’s contacts on their phones, and more.
• Tell them not to befriend strangers
Stranger danger is very much real on social media just as it is in real life. There have been many instances of people stealing identities, claiming to be someone they are not, and even kidnapping and assaulting young kids by pretending to be their peer and befriending them. Make sure your kids know the dangers of befriending strangers on the internet.