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It’s hard to get away from social media nowadays – and indeed it can be a great way to learn about the world and stay connected with friends – but it’s important for children to understand some of the dangers it presents. Part of our responsibility as parents is supporting our children to use the internet and social media platforms in a positive way, and teaching them to spot the risks. To help you, here’s some advice from a sixth form college in Hertfordshire.
Explore privacy settings together
The first thing you should do is take a look at your child’s privacy settings together. Make sure your child understands what they are and how they need to be set, and why. Help them choose secure and robust passwords for their social media accounts, and carefully select who they want to be able to contact them and how. Make sure they understand that they should never share passwords or other identifying information with anyone – not even with their friends.
Teach them about online safety
Your child will probably learn about online safety at school, but this is something you could also explore with them at home. Discuss topics such as cyberbullying, identity theft, and sharing of inappropriate content, and teach your child what to do if they experience any of these. Make sure they understand that you should never share a picture or other information about someone else without their consent, and that they should be careful with what they share online themselves. You may also want to lay some ground rules about who they should connect with online.
Discuss the role of social media in mental health
As we learn more about how social media affects mental health, you might want to start a discussion with your child about how to recognise the signs that their online activity is negatively affecting them. Explain how it’s easy to compare our lives unfavourably to others, but in reality what people post on their social accounts is just a snapshot of their lives – a carefully curated moment in time to present them in a specific light. Encourage them to only use social media in a positive way and engage in uplifting conversations and activities, rather than those which bring them or other people down.
Used appropriately, social media can provide children with a fun and exciting way to collaborate and connect with their peers, and learn about what’s going on in the world; however, it’s important to ensure they understand that there are some risks and dangers as well, and that they know how to spot them.