Social media platforms are an excellent place for family and friends to socialize through chats, share photos, and videos and meet new people with similar interests. The big concern is for the parents becoming a guide to their children in using the platforms responsibly. If Social media is used appropriately, it can become a great place for teenagers to demonstrate their creativity.
While it appears like parents are helpless when it comes to teenager's involvement in social media, they play a big role in ensuring your teen's experience is both fun and safe. Currently, there are various Social Media platforms where teens are joining unaware. But, Yubo high penetration of mobile phones gives hope for both parents and teens, as is the only Social Media app with concern and policies that enhance the safety of children. Let's see below in what ways as a parent you can get involved.
What Parents can do
Not many parents are aware their teenagers are on social media and those who rarely know what they are doing. With increased cases of cyber-bullying, as a parent, you should be concerned about your teenager's involvement in social media. What can you do as a parent? They say if you cannot beat them, join them. rteThis may sound funny, but the only way to guide your child effectively on social media use, you have first to understand how it works.
Of course, there aren't many good reasons as to why you should join, but you can do for the sake of your teenagers. Probably you wonder who will be your friends, but your teens could be, and that gives you the ability to learn their socializing habits, friends, what they post, and to know about their safety.
You should be aware platforms like Facebook have a feature that can allow your young ones to hide a certain posts from you or other adults. Your involvement can help you make the right judgment to determine whether they are filtering posts that you see.
Talk to your Teens and learn more about them
The challenge many parents experience in guiding their teenagers is their limitation of information about Social Media. The majority of parents know Facebook and Twitter, but they are not aware there are other platforms their teens may have an account. Create a deeper relationship with your teen and make sure you know every site they are using. If you do that, you will learn more about those sites, and your guidance as a parent can become handy to the child. Here are a couple of other Social Media sites that you may need to check if your teenager is involved.
Ø Instagram
Ø Tumblr
Ø Snapchat
Ø Meetme
Establish Boundaries
Many teenagers with smartphones spend most of their time socializing with friends and trying to discover more online. They are interested more in the cyber world, and that's how they become oblivious to the real world around them. You as a parent, however, you can set boundaries, guidelines, and rules to be applied to behaviors that are allowed on Social Media.
Let your child know the amount of time allowed to spend on social media. Rules can prevent your teenagers from losing focus on the happening of the world around them.
Conclusion
Informed parents ensure the safety of their teenagers on social media. When you take the learning path, you also prevent yourself from becoming a victim. Not only are children exposed to internet evil, but even adults as well. It's just that children are more vulnerable, especially in understanding or making a quick judgment.
