In the connected world that we are in today, social media has picked up rigorous momentum. As adults, if we haven’t clinched a prime seat on the social media rollercoaster, then we better do so at breakneck speed. Generating valuable content to engage your target audience and build trust with your customers is the need of the hour.
But for the younger generation, it’s a different story. As tempting as it is to post online, its essential that children and teenagers are supervised by their parents when they ride the social media wave.
Yes, it’s never too early to teach your kids about social media. If taught too late, it could have a psychological impact on your kids if not approached in the correct way. Kids have a tendency to post provocative and controversial information online that could lead to irreparable damage to their reputation. Parents should emphasize the downsides of doing this, and most importantly, that once a post goes up online, it stays their forever. There’s no turning back. The deed is done.
Strangely, the old adage ‘Don’t talk to strangers’, holds true even in the online world. Teach your child to never accept requests from strangers. It could lead to dangerous situations and the risks could be worse.
If you think about it, most children and teenagers own a smartphone today. The fastest way for them to stay connected is through Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat. Sadly, smartphones are an extension of a lot of children (and some adults too). Alas, what happened to the wonderful concept of reading a book! Often, the information children share could be personal, and this could be damaging.
With our busy lives and WFH being pretty much a 12 hour phenomenon for most adults, where is the window left to supervise one’s children? More than ever before, its crucial to set aside pockets of time in the day to spend quality time with one’s children and supervise their social media activity.
Here are a few steps parents could take, to keep an eye:
-For a start it may be good to model good behaviour when it comes to your own social media activity and leverage this as a good reference for your children.
-Set time limits for your children when it comes to smartphones or iPads or sitting at the computer. Teach your child that there is more to life than social media, that there are other more fulfilling ways to stay engaged, such as playing outdoor games and reading. They need to understand when it’s time to ‘unplug’ from their devices.
– Talk to your child about the dangers of cyber bullying and its risks.
-Check the privacy settings of your child’s devices and turn off any geo tags that share the location of his/her device
-Encourage your child to talk to you about the information they post, the people they connect with. Cultivate a culture of openness in your family. Watch over your child when he/she is spending time on social media so that he/she knows he/she is being monitored for his/her own good.
Sad but true, raising a child in a digital world is easier said than done. The Internet is a wonderful phenomenon and today’s children and the following generations are truly lucky to partake of it. But it needs constant supervision and a culture of friendly learning and socialization at home.
Nothing should take you by surprise. It’s fine to take control and step in when you have to, to ensure that your children navigate social media in the most appropriate way.
On the flip side, the digital age calls for active online participation to stay ahead of the game. But do it right and the benefits will be plentiful.