Like it or not, today, children have access to social media from a very early age these days. There are even children as young as 4-5 years old who have been exposed to phones and can quickly access the vast world of the internet.
Imagine that your child suddenly gets depressed and even ponders suicidal thoughts due to being bullied. If that happens, then you must find a psychologist to treat depression for your child.
Children with immature consciousness will find it difficult to control what they post on social media, which can seriously affect their mental health if they use it improperly.
Therefore, before using social media, you need to continuously educate your children to use it properly and responsibly so that social media become a useful communication channel.
The Minimum Age Requirement for Popular Social Media Platforms
Popular media platforms such as Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram require users to be at least 13 years old to use their sites.
The reason this age group is allowed to use social media is that their cognitive development may protect them from the negative effects that can bring them down.
However, it is very difficult to know if users have declared their real ages online! Nowadays, a big number of children as young as 5-7 years old can access social networks.
That is why parents need to be one step ahead to educate their children using social media platforms consciously.
The Impact of Social Media on Children’s Mental Health
- Cyberbullying: There are many different forms of cyberbullying such as unapproved photo sharing, harassment, hacking, name-calling, exclusion, and public humiliation. Cyberbullying often leads to emotional challenges in children.
- Social Comparison: Spending hours on social networks reduces the probability of being completely satisfied with life overall. Most people post the good news and somewhat fantasize about themselves leading to comparisons with your child’s own situation.
- Addiction: One issue that may arise is social media addiction: Your children may lose interest in other activities and become anxious when they cannot access social media.
Tips for Teaching Children to Use Social Media Responsibly
According to psychologists, the key is education and awareness. It is better to tell your children to be self-awareness using social media:
- Set guidelines and time limits for social media use: They only use social media AFTER finishing homework and the maximum time spent on using social media is around 30 to 60 minutes (depending on weekday or weekend)
- Keep online safety: Children should understand the dangers before sharing private information, content, or pictures online. People may use that information wrongly and seriously affect children’s image. So, privacy settings will be in need for your children to set the necessary boundaries.
- Help your child understand the “unreality” of social media: Obviously, people tend not to upload ugly pictures or unkind information about themselves online but try to post beautiful pictures with apps everywhere. You cannot stop your children from being exposed to those pictures but acknowledging that what we see online is not what’s in the real world is a key lesson to be learned.
- Be respectful and kind online: Although nobody may know about your child, he should be nice and respectful chatting with other people in forums or posting content so that it will not affect or talk wrongly about others.
Children need to strictly follow the group rules, do not spread sensitive pictures and information about others online.
Also, avoid inappropriate behavior by reporting to the admin of the site or forums to keep the online environment clean.
Encourage your child to talk to you first when something wrong happens. Take the extra time to sit down with your child and discuss all the issues he encounters including something that may happen improperly.
Also, try to train your child how to think critically to solve the problem and if the problem is difficult, feel free to tell you first to help.
Parents should also notice the unusual behavior of children to intervene in time.
Conclusion
Social media was originally created to connect people, but when used wrongly, it may become a tool to cause separation and isolation!
Your children are constantly learning by example, and you are their closest lead. By practicing positive social media habits, you are giving your children an inspiring experience.
In today’s digital world, parents can go a long way toward helping their children use social media safely and properly. You can be your children’s “friend” or “follower” to show them that you are their trusted companion.
Because your children always need companions as they grow up!
FAQ
What age should my child be before they start using social media?
Research has shown that children from 13 years old may start using social media. However, lower ages are exposed to social media every day. Therefore, parents should find out ways to protect their children from harmful effects.
What are some best practices for setting up social media accounts for my child?
Children should not set up personal accounts on social media but should only use the internet to study and learn life skills.
Follow the guideline of regulated age for any social media platform to make sure your child is allowed to use it. Only setting up accounts for your child if his age is enough for using social media and the site is trustworthy.
What are some consequences of irresponsible social media use by children and teenagers?
Irresponsible social media use may lead to cyberbullying, social anxiety, depression, and exposure to content that is not appropriate.
What are some signs that my child may be experiencing cyberbullying on social media?
You can watch for changes in your child’s emotions and behavior, your child:
- refuses to go to school, getting lower marks than usual
- does not want to gather as a group
- is upset during or after using a mobile phone
- has trouble sleeping, feels sick
If you see any unusual behavior in your child, go talk with him to figure out what is going wrong with him so that you can help before it is too late.
What are some popular social media platforms for children and teenagers?
With technology development, many social media platforms were born. Some of the most popular social media platforms include Youtube, Tiktok, Facebook, and Instagram.
ALSO READ: What Age Should a Child Get a Smartphone. Pros and Cons of Early Phone Use.
